Social Psychology (8%-10%) Flashcards
Conformity
The act of matching attitudes, beliefs and behaviors to group norms
Normative influence
Influence that produces conformity when a person fears the negative social consequences of appearing deviant
Stanley Milgram
Measured the willingness to obey an authority figure who instructed them to perform acts that conflicted with their personal conscious
26 out of 40 participants delivered the ultimate punishment
Social facilitation
A process whereby the presence of others enhances performance on easy tasks but impairs performance on difficult task
Social inhibition
Performance is poor when others are watching
Social loafing
Tendency of individuals to put less effort when they are a part of a group
Deindividualization
Loss of a person sense of individuality into the reduction of normal constraints against deviant behavior
Group polarization
The exaggeration of initial tendencies in the thinking of group members through group discussions
Groupthink
A group decision making style characterized by an excessive tendency among group members to seek concurrence
Prejudiced
Unjustified negative attitude about a group of people based on their membership in the group
Discrimination
Unjustified negative behavior toward members of a target group based on their race, ethnicity or other shared characteristics
Stereotype threat
A situation in which people feel at risk of performing as their group is expected to perform
In groups
Group that we identify with or see ourselves belonging to
Out groups
Social groups with whom a person does not identify
The frustration aggression principal
The idea that people become aggressive when they’re frustrated by being blocked from reaching a goal
Bystander effect
Phenomenon in which the greater number of people present, the less likely people are to help a person in distress, diffusion of responsibility
Altruism
The unselfish concern for other people, doing things simply out of the desire to help not because you feel obligated to
Social exchange theory
Argues that altruism only exists when in the benefits out weigh that costs
Reciprocity
Social expectation in which refill pressure to help others if they have already done something for us
Social responsibility norm
Societal rule that tells people they should help others who need help even if they may not repay us
Social dilemma
A situation in which a self interested choice by everyone will create the worst outcome for everyone
Mere exposure effect
Liking someone occurs because of repeatedly saying that person or thing
Proximity
The closer people are together physically, the more likely they are the form a relationship or friendship
Fundamental attribution error
Our tendency to underestimate the impact of societal factors and overestimate the impact of dispositional factors when assessing why other people acted the way they did
Self-serving bias
Tendency to blame external forces when bad things happen to us and to give ourselves credit when good things happen to us
Actor observer bias
Tendency to attribute one’s own actions to external causes while attributing other peoples actions to internal causes
False consensus effect
Tendency to overestimate how much other people agree with us
Just world phenomenon
Tendency to believe that the world is a just place and that people get what they deserve
Self-fulfilling prophecy
Prediction that causes itself to come true due to the simple fact that the prediction was made
Central route of persuasion
The process by which a person thinks carefully about a communication and is influenced by the strength of its arguments
Peripheral route persuasion
The process by which a person does not think carefully about a communication and is influenced by superficial Cuse
Foot in the door phenomenon
Tendency for people to have first agreed to a small request to comply later with a larger request
Door in the face technique
Asking for a large commitment and then being refused and then asking for a smaller commitment and getting agreement
Cognitive dissonance
Sense of discomfort or distress that occurs when a persons behavior does not correspond to that person‘s attitude
