Social Psychology (Modules 56-59) Flashcards
Social Psychologists
Studies how we think about, influence and relate to one another
Attribution Theory
We explain someone’ behavior by crediting either the situation or the person’s disposition
Fundamental Attribution Error
Overestimating the influence of personality and underestimating the influence of the sitaution
Self-serving bias
A readiness to perceive oneself favorably
Attitudes
Feelings, often influenced by our beliefs, that predispose us to respond tin a particular way to objects, people and events
Peripheral route to persuasion
Occurs when people are influenced by incidental cues, such as a speaker’s attractiveness
Central route to persuasion
Occurs when interested people focus on the arguments and respond with favorable routes
Foot-in-the-door phenomenon
The tendency for people who have first agreed to a small request to comply later with a larger request
Role
A set of explanations (norms) about a social position, defining how those in the position ought to behave
Summarize Zimbardo’s Stanford Prison Experiment.
Zimbardo organized a prison simulation in which some assumed the role of the prisoner and others the role of prison guard. The guards became increasingly hostile and aggressive to the prisoners to the point where prisoners were no longer safe and the experiment had to end early.
Festinger’s Cognitive Dissonance Theory
We act to reduce the discomfort we feel when two of our thoughts are inconsistent.
Ex. The US invasion of Iraq was justified by the perceived threat of weapons of mass destruction. When weapons of mass destruction weren’t found, many revised their purpose – to spread democracy throughout the Middle East and liberate oppressed people.
What is the chameleon effect?
The tendency to unconsciously mimic others’ expressions, postures and voice tones to feel what others are feeling
Conformity
Adjusting one’s behavior or thinking to coincide with a group standard
Summarize Asch’s Conformity Experiments.
Asch presented a standard line and a set of comparison lines to a group. People were supposed to identify the comparison line that was identical to the standard line. Though the answer was fairly obvious, then confederates gave the same wrong answer, the participant showed discomfort for not agreeing and was more likely to provide the wrong answer.
Normative Social Influence
Influence resulting form a person’s desire to gain approval or avoid disapproval
Informational Social Influence
Influence resulting from one’s willingness to accept others’ opinions about reality
Summarize Milgrim’s Obedience Experiments.
Milgrim seemingly randomly assigned teacher and learner roles, when in actuality, learners were taking up by confederates. “Teachers” were supposed to “teach” by shocking learners at higher and higher voltages. Shocks weren’t actually administered; the learners only pretended. When learners showed distress and the experimenter asked teachers to continue, they did.
Explain how the foot-in-the-door effect explains Milgrim’s experiment results.
Teachers, having administering lower voltage shocks, figured they could comply to the experimenter’s commands – what’s a little more shock?
Social Facilitation
Stronger response on simple or well-learned tasks in the presence of others
Social Loafing
The tendency for people in a group to exert less effort when pooling their efforts toward attaining a common goal than when individually accountable
What two things cause social loafing?
People feel less accountable and view their contributions as dispensable.
Deindividuation
The loss of self-awareness and self-restraint occurring in group situations that foster arousal and anonymity – abandon normal restraints to power of the group
Ex. Cyberbullying
Group Polarization
The enhancement of a group’s prevailing inclinations through discussion within the group
Groupthink
Thinking that occurs when the desire for harmony in a decision-making group overrides a realistic discussion of alternatives
What is the difference between social control and personal control?
Social control is the power of the situation while personal control is the power of the individual.
What is minority influence?
The power of one or two individuals to sway majorities
Prejudice
An unjustifiable (and usually negative) attitude toward a group and its members
Prejudice is a 3 part mixture of…
Stereotyped beliefs, negative feelings and a predisposition to discriminatory action
Stereotype
A generalized belief about a group of people
Discrimination
Unjustifiable negative behavior toward a group and its members
Ingroup
“us” – people with whom we share a common identity
Outgroup
“them” – people perceived and different or apart from our ingroup
Ingroup Bias
The tendency to favor our own group
Scapegoat Theory
Prejudice offers an outlet for anger by providing someone to blame
Other-race effect
Tendency to recall faces of one’s own race more accurately than faces of other races
Just-world phenomenon
Tendency for people to believe that the world is just and people get what they deserve (Ex. conservative political perspective)
Hindsight Bias
The tendency to believe, after learning an outcome, that one would have foreseen it
Aggression
Any physical or verbal behavior intended to hurt or destroy
What are the three levels of biology involved in aggression?
Genetic, neural and biochemical
What chemical influences aggression?
Testosterone
Frustration-aggression principle
The principle that frustration, the blocking of an attempt to achieve some goal, creates anger which can generate aggression
Social scripts
A series of behaviors, actions, and consequences that are expected in a particular situation or environment
Mere Exposure Effect
The phenomenon that repeated exposure to novel stimuli increases liking of them
What does the reward theory of attraction say?
People like those whose behavior is rewarding to them or whom they associate with rewarding events
Passionate Love
An aroused state of intense positive absorption in another, usually present at the beginning of a love relationship
Companionate Love
The deep affectionate attachment we feel for those with whom our lives are intertwined
Equity
A condition in which people receive from a relationship in proportion to what they give to it
Self-disclosure
Revealing intimate aspects of oneself to others
Altruism
Unselfish regard for the welfare of others
Explain what happened to Kitty Genovese.
Kitty Genovese was stabbed to death while her neighbors watched. (bystander effect)
Bystander Effect
The tendency for any given bystander to be less likely to give aid if others are present
Social Exchange Theory
The theory that our social behavior is an exchange process, the aim of which is to maximize benefits and minimize costs
Social-Responsibility Norm
An expectation that people will help those dependent upon them
Conflict
A perceived incompatibility of actions, goals or ideas
Social Traps
Situations in which the conflicting parties, by each rationally pursuing their own self-interest, become caught in mutually destructive behavior
Mirror-image perceptions
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
When does it help to put conflict parties into close contact?
When such contact is noncompetitive and between parties of equal status, such as retail clerks working the same shift.
Superordinate goals
Shared goals that override differences among people and require their cooperation
GRIT strategy
Graduated and Reciprocated Initiatives in Tension-Reduction – a strategy designed to decrease international tensions
