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
attribution theory
tendency for observers when analyzing other’s behavior to underestimate the impact of the situation and overestimate the impact of personal disposition
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, such as a speaker’s attractiveness
peripheral route persuasion
occurs when interested people focus on the arguments and respond with favorable thoughts
central route persuasion
tendency for people who have first agreed to a small request later comply with a larger request
foot in the door phenomenon
theory that we act to reduce the discomfort we feel when two of our thoughts are inconsistent
cognitive dissonance theory
understood rules for accepted and expected behavior
norms
adjusting one’s behavior or thinking to coincide with a group standard. solomon asch experiment
conformity
influence resulting from a person’s desire to gain approval or avoid disapproval
normative social influence
influence resulting from one’s willingness to accept others’ opinions about reality
informational social influence
improved performance on simple or well-learned tasks in the presence of others
social facilitation
tendency for people in a group to exert less effort when pooling their efforts toward attaining a common goal than when individually accountable
social loafing
loss of self-awareness and self-restraint occuring in group situations that foster arousal and anonymity
deindividuation
enhancement of a group’s prevailing inclinations through discussion within the group
group polarization
mode of thinking that occurs when the desire for harmony in a decision-making group overrides a realistic appraisal of alternatives
groupthink
an unjustifiable (and usually negative) attitude toward a group and its members. generally involves stereotyped beliefs, negative feelings, and a predisposition to discriminatory action
predujice
a generalized (sometimes accurate but often overgeneralized) belief about a group of people
stereotype
unjustifiable negative behavior toward a group and its members
discrimination
tendency for people to believe the world is just and that people therefore get what they deserve and deserves what they get
just-world phenomenon
“us” -people with whom we share a common identity
ingroup
“them” -those perceived as different or apart from our ingroup
outgroup
tendency to favor our own group
ingroup bias
theory that prejudice offers an outlet for anger by providing someone to blame
scapegoat theory
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 hurt or destroy
aggression
idea that frustration- the blocking of an attempt to achieve some goal- creates anger which can generate aggression
frustration-aggression principle
culturally modeled guide for how to act in various situations
social script
phenomenon that repeated exposure to novel stimuli increases liking of them
mere exposure effect
an aroused state of intense positive absorption in another usually present at the beginning of a love relationship
passionate love
deep affectionate attachment we feel for those with whom our loves and intertwined
companiote love
a condition in which people receive from a relationship in proportion to what they give into it
equity
act of revealing intimate aspects of oneself to others
self-disclosure
unselfish concern for the welfare of others
altruism
tendency for any given bystander to be less likely to give aid if other bystanders are present
bystander effect
the theory that our social behavior is an exchange process, the aim of which is to maximize benefits and minimize costs
social exchange theory
an expectation that people will help, not hurt, those who have helped them
reciprocity norm
an expectation that people will help those dependant upon them
social-responsibility norm
a perceived incompatibility of actions, goals, or ideas
conflict
a situation in which the conflicting parties, by each rationally pursing their self-interest, become caught in mutually destructive behavior
social trap
mutual views often geld by conflicting people, as when each side sees itself as ethical and peaceful and views the other side as ecil and aggressive
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
superordinate goals
graduated and reciprocated initiatives in tension-reduction- a strategy designed to decrease international tensions
grit
