Social Psychology Flashcards
Attribution Theory
suggests how we explain someone’s behavior
-we credit the situation or the person’s personality
Fundamental Attribution Error
For negative events, we attribute others’ behavior to their disposition, but our behavior to the situation
Foot-in-the-door
a compliance tactic that involves getting a person to agree to a large request by first setting them up by having that person agree to a modest request
Door-in-the-face
a compliance tactic that involves first making an extremely large request that the respondent will obviously turn down followed by making a second, more reasonable request.
Low-ball
a compliance tactic that involves first gaining closure and commitment to the idea you want the person to accept and then changing the agreement to make it more appealing to you
Ingratiation
a compliance tactic that involves getting someone to like you in order to obtain a compliance with a request
Value
a principle, standard, or quality considered worthwhile or desirable
Attitude
a belief or feeling that predisposes one to respond in a particular way to something
Cognitive Dissonance
occurs when a person holds two or more attitudes that contradict one another
Role Playing
can affect attitudes
can cause you to strive to follow social prescriptions, which then may make you adopt those attitudes
Central Route to Persuasion
occurs when interested people focus on the arguments and respond with favorable thoughts
Peripheral Route to Persuasion
occurs when people are influenced by incidental cues, such as a speaker’s attractiveness
Social Norms
unwritten but understood rules for accepted and expected behavior
Conformity
adjusting one’s behavior or thinking to coincide with a group standard
Normative Influence
resulting from a person’s desire to gain approval or avoid disappointment
informational influence
resulting from one’s willingness to accept others’ opinions
Obedience
occurs when you change your opinions, judgments, or actions because someone in a position of authority told you to
Passionate Love
an aroused of intense positive absorption in another, usually present at the beginning of the relationship
Companionate Love
the deep affectionate attachment we feel for those with whom our lives are intertwined
-Equity -Self disclosure
Stereotype
“set type”: a general belief about a group of people
Prejudice
“pre judge”: an unjustifiable (usually negative) attitude toward a group and its members based on stereotypes you have about them
Discrimination
“action”: unjustifiable negative behavior toward a group and its members
Ingroup Bias
tendency to favor one’s own group
Ethnocentrism
the emotional attitude to one’s own race, nation, or culture is superior to all others
Scapegoat Theory
theory that prejudice provides an outlet for anger by providing someone to blame
Just-World-Phenomenon
the belief that people get what they deserve and deserve what they get
Other-Race Effect
the tendency to recall faces of one’s own race more accurately than faces of other races
Aggression
any physical or verbal behavior intended to hurt or destroy
Aggression: Genetic influences
- hereditary
- Y chromosome is associated with aggression
Aggression: Neural influences
- Amygdala
- Brain injuries
Aggression: Biochemical Influences
- Hormones, alcohol, other substances
- testosterone
Frustration-Aggression Principle
frustration creates anger which unleashes aggression
Aggression: Psychological Influences
- aggression is rewarding, bullying
- ostracism, columbine
- can be learned by observing, GTA
Altruism
the unselfish regard for others’ welfare
Social Exchange Theory
we help if it will benefit us somehow
Social Responsibility Norm
expectation that we help those dependent on us
Reciprocity Norm
we help those who have helped us (giving gift norms)
Bystander Effect
the tendency for any given bystander to be less likely to give aid if other bystanders are present
Attraction factors
- Proximity
- Similarity
- Physical attractiveness
Mere Exposure Effect
repeated exposure to stimuli increases liking for them
Male Standards of beauty
symmetrical face, square jaw, .9 waist to hip ratio
Female Standards of beauty
young, symmetrical faces, small noses, big eyes and lips, .7 waist to hip ratio
Social facilitation
when an individual’s performance gets better in the presence of others (Do well, do better)
Social inhibition
when an individual’s performance gets worse in the presence of others (do bad, do worse)
Social loafing
the reduced effort of each member in a group. The larger the group, the less effort each person puts forth.
Group Think
when desire for harmony in decision-making overrides a realistic solution to the problem
Deindividuation
the loss of self awareness and self restraint in a group situation. Brings about feelings of excitement and anonymity
Group Polarization
the enhancement of a group’s prevailing inclinations through discussion within the group
Conflict
a perceived incompatibility of actions, goals. or ideas
Ingroup
“us”, people with whom one shares a common identity
Outgroup
“them”, those perceived as different or apart from one’s ingroup
Mirror-image perceptions
mutual views help by conflicting people, as when each side sees itself as ethical and peaceful and views the other side as evil and aggressive
Superordinate goals
shared goals that unite groups in a common cause to overcome differences
Social Trap
a situation in which the conflicting parties, by each rationally pursuing their self-interests, become caught in mutually destructive behavior
