Social Psychology Flashcards
What is social psychology?
The study of how people influence others’ behaviour, beliefs, and attitudes
Humans are predisposed to forming intimate interpersonal networks of approximately how many people?
Around 150
What does the need-to-belong theory suggest?
There is a biologically based need for interpersonal connections - it literally hurts to be isolated or rejected
What does the social comparison theory suggest?
We seek to evaluate our abilities and beliefs by comparing them with others upward (superiors) and downward (inferiors), boosting our self-concept
What is social contagion?
Mass hysteria - a contagious outbreak of irrational behaviour that spreads
What is social facilitation?
When the mere presence of others improve one’s performance, or hinder them through social disruption (choking)
What is a fundamental attribution error?
A miscalculation of other’s behaviour, overestimating the impact of dispositional influences or underestimating the impact of situational influences, prone to seeing other’s behaviour as a combination of both
What is conformity?
The tendency to alter behaviour as a result of group pressure
What are 3 social influences on conformity?
- Unanimity increases conformity
- Lower conformity if only one other person differs from majority
- Size of majority, but only up to 5 or 6 people
What is deindividuation?
The tendency to engage in atypical behaviour when one’s usual identity is stripped, increasing conformity
What is groupthink?
An emphasis on group unanimity at the expense of critical thinking
How might one treat groupthink?
Appointing a “devil’s advocate”, have an indepentent expert evaluate decisions, follow-up meetings
What are 4 ways that cults promote groupthink?
- Have a persuasive leader
- Disconnects members from the outside world
- Discourages questioning of assumptions
- Gradual indoctrination
Via what effect can cults be resisted and how does it convince people to change their minds?
Inoculation effect:
1. Introducing reasons the perspective might be correct
2. Debunking them
What is obedience?
Adherence to others from those of higher authority
What is the difference between prosocial and antisocial behaviour?
Prosocial - behaviour intended to help others
Antisocial - aggressive behaviour
What is bystander nonintervention?
When people see someone in need but fail to help them
What is social loafing?
When people slack of in groups due to diffusion of responsibility or cultural factors
How do males and females differ in aggression?
Males - more physical
Females - more relational
What is an attitude?
A belief that includes an emotional component
What are 2 origins of attitudes?
- Recognition heuristic
- Personality traits (e.g., political views, religiosity)
What is cognitive dissonance?
An unpleasant state of tension between two opposing thoughts
What is the self-perception theory?
We acquire our attitudes by observing our behaviours
What does the dual processes model suggest?
There are 2 pathways to persuading others:
1. Central route - focus on informational content
2. Peripheral route - focus on surface aspects of the argument
