Social Psychology

Question 1

Social Psychology

Answer 1

• The scientific study of how we think about, influence, and relate to one another

Question 2

social thinking

Answer 2

-How our immediate environment shapes the way we think about ourse;ves and others

Question 3

fundamental attribution error

Answer 3

• The tendency to attribute other people’s behavior (especially people we don’t know) to their personal characteristics
• However, we attribute our own behavior and behaviors of people we know

Question 4

self-serving bias

Answer 4

• When we do something good, we say it’s because of personal characteristics
• Do something bad - because of environment
• Like to think of ourselves as good people who sometimes do bad things

Question 5

social influence

Answer 5

• The process of inducing change in people
• Neutral

Question 6

social facilitation

Answer 6

• Stronger responses on simple or well-learned tasks in the presence of others
• Ex: racing, green light
• Tougher tasks = perform less well when other observers or people working on the same task are present
• Strengthens most likely response

Question 7

social loafing

Answer 7

• The tendency for people in a group to exert less effort when pooling their efforts toward attaining a common goal than when individually accountable

Question 8

deindividuation

Answer 8

• The loss of self-awareness and self-restraint occurring in group situations that foster arousal and anonymity
• Lose self-consciousness = become more responsive to the group experience (mob, rock concert, ballgame)

Question 9

group polarization

Answer 9

• The environment of a group’s prevailing inclinations through discussion within the group
• People within a group discuss an idea that most people favor/oppose
• Ex: terrorist mentality
• Idealogical separation + deliberation = polarization between groups

Question 10

groupthink

Answer 10

• The mode of thinking that occurs when the desire for harmony in a decision-making group overrides a realistic appraisal of alternatives
• Suppress unwelcome info for the sake of group harmony

Question 11

obedience

Answer 11

• A change in behavior in response to a command from another person
• Stated/implied consequence for saying “no

Question 12

Milgram Obedience Experiment

Answer 12

• Obedience test
• One person is “teacher” and the other is “student”
• When student gets the answer, the teacher “shocks” them with higher voltage each time
• Student is in pain and says to stop but experimenter says you must go on
• 63% of men aged 20-50 complied fully
• 26 of 40 went to maximum level

Question 13

altruistic behavior

Answer 13

• The unselfish regard for the welfare of others

Question 14

bystander effect

Answer 14

• The tendency for any given bystander to be less likely to give aid if other bystanders are present
• The best odds of helping occur when:
  
  • The person appears to need and deserve help
  • The person is in some way similar to us
  • We are not busy

Question 15

conformity

Answer 15

• A change in a person’s behavior or opinion as a result of real or imagined pressure from a person or group of people
• Adjusting behavior to coincide with a group standard

Question 16

Asch Line experiment

Answer 16

• Comparison line - college students willing to conform to group and give wrong answer more than one-third of time

Question 17

normative social influence

Answer 17

• Observe the surroundings and do what others are doing, even if you don’t change your mind about it
• Desire to gain approval or avoid disapproval

Question 18

informational social influence

Answer 18

• When you actually change your mind because of pressure from the group
• Willingness to accept others’ opinions about reality

Question 19

compliance

Answer 19

• Changing in response to a direct request (not an order)
• The person asked can change or not, without consequence

Question 20

foot-in-the-door

Answer 20

• If you start with a small request, later requests are more likely to be granted because the individual has already “bought into the behavior”

Question 21

door-in-the-face

Answer 21

• Start with a large request in the hopes that a smaller request later will seem more reasonable

Question 22

interpersonal attraction

Answer 22

• Five factors that determine likelihood of two people getting along:
  
  • Proximity
  • Physical Attractiveness
  • Similarity
  • Exchange
  • Intimacy

Question 23

proximity

Answer 23

• Actual geographic nearness
• More likely to get to know someone who lives close to us

Question 24

mere exposure effect

Answer 24

• We like people the more we see them
• More likely to happen when someone lives closeby

Question 25

physical attractiveness

Answer 25

• People tend to attribute all kinds of good things to physically attractive people (friendliness, kindness, health, happiness)
• Attractiveness is culturally determined, but also has more “universal” components
• Straight men tend to find markers of healthy fertility
• When ovulating, straight women tend to find men with masculine faces more attractive - at other times they find more feminine faces attractive
• Tend to become friends with people of roughly the same percieved attractiveness

Question 26

similarity

Answer 26

• Opposites don’t actually attract
• We tend to like people who like us - similar attitudes, interests, values, and backgrounds

Question 27

complementary traits

Answer 27

• Seem like opposites, but really two things that come together to make a whole

Question 28

exchange

Answer 28

• There needs to be a “give and take” to a relationship
• We like people who like us - the reward theory of attraction

Question 29

intimacy

Answer 29

• Genuine closeness and trust you feel with another person
• Supported by mutual self disclose

Question 30

mutual self-disclosure

Answer 30

• Gradually moving from “safe” topics to more personal ones

Question 31

prejudice

Answer 31

• An unjustifiable (and usually negative) attitude towards a group and its members
• Stereotyped beliefs, negative feelings, and predisposition to discriminatory action

Question 32

discrimination

Answer 32

• Unjustifiable negative behavior toward a group and its members

Question 33

ingroup/outgroup

Answer 33

• In-group: “us”, people with whom we share a common identity
• Out-group: “them”, those perceived as different or apart from our in-group

Question 34

institutional discrimination

Answer 34

• Prejudicial practices and policies within institutions that result in the systematic denial of resources and opportunities to members of subordinate groups

Question 35

When does conformity increase?

Answer 35

• One is made to feel incompetent or insecure
• The group has at least 3 people
• The group is unanimous
• The group exerting pressure is seen as “expert”
• Perceived reward for conforming

Question 36

Decision making process for bystander intervention

Answer 36

1. Notices incident
2. Interprets incident as emergency
3. Assumes responsibility
4. Attempts to help

Question 37

When does conformity decrease?

Answer 37

• The individual is given the opportunity to make an initial judgement different than that of the group
• If someone is trying to present themselves as intelligent, they tend not to conform
• Trying to maintain their uniqueness

Question 38

Non-conformity vs anti-conformity

Answer 38

• Non-conformity = not giving in to group pressure
• Anti-conformity = acting specifically against expectations to get a reaction from others

Question 39

When does obedience increase?

Answer 39

• People perceive the person giving orders as a legitimate authority figure
• The person giving orders didn’t see anyone else disobey
• The authority figure is backed by another authority figure
• The victim is depersonalized