Social Psychology Flashcards
the scientific study of how we think about, influence, and relate to one another
social psychology
the theory that we explain someone’s behavior by crediting either the situation or the person’s disposition
ex: Juliet seldom talks while Jack talks nonstop. We assume that must be the type of people they are (shy and outgoing).
attribution theory
the tendency for observers, when analyzing others’ behavior, to underestimate the impact of the situation and to overestimate the impact of personal disposition
ex: We assume Jack is outgoing and Juliet is shy, but we fail to account for the influence of situations. Jack may be as quiet as Juliet and Juliet is the lead in the school musical.
fundamental attribution error
feelings, often influenced by our beliefs, that predispose us to respond in a particular way to objects, people, and events
attitude
occurs when people are influenced by incidental cues
ex: Leonardo DiCaprio urges action to counter climate change, and people act because they find him attractive/he’s a celebrity
peripheral route persuasion
occurs when interested people focus on the arguments and respond with favorable thoughts
ex: when an ad focuses on effective arguments, some people focus on that because they are naturally analytical and involved in an issue (less superficial)
central route persuasion
the tendency for people who have first agreed to a small request to comply later with a larger request
ex: giving a sample of a product so that the customer will come back and buy more; when a friend asks for a small amount of money in hopes that you will eventually give a larger amount
foot-in-the-door phenomenon
a set of expectations (norms) about a social position, defining how those in the position ought to behave
role
the theory that we act to reduce the discomfort (dissonance) we feel when two of our thoughts (cognitions) are inconsistent
ex: when we become aware that our attitudes and our actions clash, we can reduce the resulting dissonance by changing our attitudes
cognitive dissonance theory
understood rules for an expected behavior
norms
adjusting our behavior or thinking to coincide with a group standard
conformity
influence resulting from a person’s desire to gain approval or avoid disapproval
ex: conforming to society due to peer pressure
normative social influence
influence resulting from one’s willingness to accept others’ opinions about reality
ex: in an election, you vote for the party everyone else is voting for, because you feel that it’s right
informational social influence
improved performance on simple or well-learned tasks in the presence of others (due to arousal)
ex: a basketball player makes 70% of their hoops alone, but 80% when others are watching
social facilitation
the tendency for people in a group to exert less effort when pooling their efforts toward attaining a common goal than when individually accountable
ex: a blindfolded student is told to tug on a rope with three other people; because he believed those three other people were there, he tried less hard than he did when he was alone
social loafing
the loss of self-awareness and self-restraint occurring in group situations that foster arousal and anonymity
ex: when students were asked to give electric shocks, they gave twice as much when wearing masks
deindividuation
the enhancement of a group’s prevailing inclinations through discussion within the group
ex: after a group discussion, people who support a war become even more supportive
group polarization
the mode of thinking that occurs when the desire for harmony in a decision-making group overrides a realistic appraisal of alternatives
ex: unwillingness to speak out about unfair practices in a business to keep peace
groupthink
the enduring behaviors, ideas, attitudes, values, and traditions shared by a group of people and transmitted from one generation to the next
culture
an unjustifiable (and usually negative) attitude toward a group and its members; generally involves stereotyped beliefs, negative feelings, and a predisposition to discriminatory action
prejudice
a generalized (sometimes accurate but often overgeneralized) belief about a group of people
stereotype
unjustifiable negative behavior toward a group and its members
discrimination
the tendency for people to believe the world is just and that people therefore get what they deserve and deserve what they get
ex: can lead to blaming the victim (“It was her fault because she was flirting, wearing revealing clothing, should’ve done xyz, etc)
just-world phenomenon
“us” people with whom we share a common identity
ex: family, friends, anyone associated with your circle
ingroup
“them” those perceived as different or apart from our ingroup
ex: you may be in theatre, therefore the football team is your outgroup
outgroup
the tendency to favor our own group
ingroup bias
the theory that prejudice offers an outlet for anger by providing someone to blame
ex: 9/11 caused Americans to lash out at the entire muslim community
scapegoat theory
the tendency to recall faces of one’s own race more accurately than faces of other races
other-race effect
any physical or verbal behavior intended to harm someone physically or emotionally
aggression
the principle that frustration- the blocking of an attempt to achieve some goal-creates anger, which can generate aggression
ex: a man is disrespected and humiliated at work, but cannot respond to it, so he goes home and takes it out on his family
frustration-aggression principle
the phenomenon that repeated exposure to novel stimuli increases liking of them
ex: by age 3 months, infants prefer photos of the race they most often see- usually their own
mere exposure effect
an aroused state of intensive positive absorption in another, usually present at the beginning of a romantic relationship (craving and obsession)
passionate love
the deep affectionate attachment we feel for those with whom our lives are intertwined (mature, deep, affectionate)
companionate love
a condition in which people receive from a relationship in proportion to what they give to it
equity
the act of revealing intimate aspects of ourselves to others
self-disclosure
unselfish regard for the welfare of others (selflessness)
altruism
the tendency for any given bystander to be less likely to give aid if other bystanders are present
ex: a person sees a student having a seizure in the hallway; if they are alone they are more likely to help whereas if there’s people they are less likely
bystander effect
the theory that our social behavior is an exchange process, the aim of which is to maximize benefits and minimize costs
ex: if you’re considering donating blood, you may weigh the costs of doing so (time, discomfort, anxiety) against the benefits (reduced guilt, social approval, good feelings)
social exchange theory
an expectation that people will help, not hurt, those who have helped them (paying it forward)
reciprocity norm
an expectation that people will help those needing their help
social responsibility norm
a perceived incompatibility of actions, goals, or ideas
conflict
a situation in which the conflicting parties, by each pursuing their self interest rather than the good of the group, become caught in mutually destructive behavior
social trap
mutual views often held by conflicting people, as when each side sees itself as ethical and peaceful and views the other side as evil and aggressive
ex: democrat vs republican
mirror-image perceptions
a belief that leads to its own fulfillment
self-fulfilling prophecy
shared goals that override differences among people and require their cooperation
ex: in a business, you may all play different roles or be competing for a promotion, but everyone is there for the purpose of working and making money
superordinate goals
graduated and reciprocated initiatives in tension reduction-a strategy designed to decrease international tensions
ex: one side initiating a breakthrough in the form of a concession or compromise on one of its demands
GRIT
prison experiment; concluded that people quickly conform to social roles, even when the role goes against their moral principles; he also concluded that situational factors were largely responsible for the behavior found
Zimbardo
20 dollar experiment ($1 vs $20 for lying, the $20 people felt more guilty after); developed cognitive dissonance and social comparison
Festinger
conducted an experiment to investigate the extent to which social pressure from a majority group could affect a person to conform; revealed the degree to which a person’s own opinions are influenced by those of a group
Asch
shock experiment; explored the willingness of individuals to follow the orders of authorities when those orders conflict with the individual’s own moral judgment
Milgram
study on bystander effect; conducted research on diffusion of responsibility
Darley and Latane
