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MCAT Psychology > Social Thinking > Flashcards

Social Thinking Flashcards

1
Q

Interpersonal attraction

A

The phenomenon of individuals liking each other

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2
Q

Self-disclosure

A

Sharing one’s fears, thoughts, and goals with another person and being met with non-judgmental empathy.

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3
Q

Reciprocal liking

A

The phenomenon whereby people like others better when they believe the other person likes them

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4
Q

Proximity

A

Being physically close to someone. Plays a factor in our attraction to him or her

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5
Q

Mere exposure aka familiarity effect

A

Says that people prefer stimuli that they have been exposed to more frequently

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6
Q

Cognitive neoassociation model

A

Proposes that we are more likely to respond to others aggressively whenever we are feeling negative emotions, such has being tired, sick, frustrated, or in pain

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7
Q

Secure attachment

A

When a child has a consistent caregiver and is able to go out and explore, knowing that he or she has a secure base to return to

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8
Q

Avoidant attachment

A

Results when the caregiver has little to no response to a distressed child. The child shows no preference between a stranger and a caregiver

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9
Q

Ambivalent attachment

A

Occurs when a caregiver has an inconsistent response to a child’s distress, sometimes responding appropriately, sometimes neglectfully. The child will be very distressed upon separation from the caregiver, but have a mixed response when the caregiver returns

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10
Q

Anxious-ambivalent attachment

A

Another name for ambivalent attachment. Based on the idea that the child is always anxious about the reliability of the caregiver.

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11
Q

Disorganized attachment

A

When children show no clear pattern of behavior in response to the caregiver’s absence or presence, but instead can show a mix of different behaviors. Red flag for abuse.

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12
Q

Social support

A

The perception of reality that one is cared for by a social network.

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13
Q

Emotional support

A

A type of social support. Listening, affirming, and empathizing with someone’s feelings

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14
Q

Esteem support

A

A type of social support. Affirming the qualities and skills of a person. Reminding a person of the skills they possess can bolster their confidence

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15
Q

Material support

A

A type of social support. Any type of financial or material contribution to another.

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16
Q

Informational support

A

A kind of social support. Providing information that will help someone

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17
Q

Network support

A

A type of social support that gives a person a sense of belonging

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18
Q

Foraging

A

Seeking out and eating food. Driven by biological, psychological, and social influences

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19
Q

Mating system

A

Describes the organization of a group’s sexual behavior

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20
Q

Monogamy

A

Refers to an exclusive mating relationship

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21
Q

Polygyny

A

Involves a male having exclusive relationships with multiple females

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22
Q

Polyandry

A

A female having exclusive relationships with multiple males

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23
Q

Promiscuity

A

Refers to a member of one sex mating with any member of the opposite sex without exclusivity

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24
Q

Mate choice or intersexual selection

A

The selection of a mate based on attraction

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25
Mate bias
Refers to how choosy members of the species are while choosing a mate
26
Direct benefits of mate selection
Material advantages, protections, or emotional support
27
Indirect benefits of mate selection
Promoting better survival in offspring
28
Phenotypic benefit
One mechanism of mate choice. Observable traits that make a potential mate more attractive to the opposite sex. Usually indicate increased production and survival of offspring
29
Sensory bias
One mechanism of mate choice. The development of a trait to match a pre-existing preference that exists in the population. E.g. fiddler crabs are attracted to structures that break up the level of the horizon, so male crabs build pillars around their territory to attract mates
30
Fisherian aka runaway selection
One mechanism of mate choice. A positive feedback mechanism in which a particular trait that has no effect or a negative effect on survival becomes more and more exaggerated over time because the trait is deemed sexually desirable and thus is more likely to be passed on. E.g. peacock
31
Indicator traits
One mechanism of mate choice. Traits that signify overall good health and wellbeing of an organism, increasing its attractiveness to mates. May not be genetic in origin
32
Genetic compatibility
One mechanism of mate choice. The creation of mate pairs that, when combined, have complementary genetics
33
Altruism
The form of helping behavior in which the person's intent is to benefit someone else at some cost to him or herself
34
Empathy
The ability to vicariously experience the emotions of another, and is thought by some social psychologists to be a strong influence on helping people
35
Empathy-altruism hypothesis
One explanation for the relationship between empathy and helping behavior. By this theory one individual helps another when he or she feels empathy for the other person, regardless of the cost.
36
Game theory
Attempts to explain decision making behavior
37
Evolutionarily stable strategy (ESS)
Adopted by a given population in a specific environment, natural selection will prevent alternative strategies from arising. The strategies are thus inherited traits passed along with the population, with the object of the game being becoming more fit than competitors.
38
Altruism alternative for competitors
The donor provides a benefit to the recipient at a cost to him- or herself
39
Cooperation alternative for competitors
Both the donor and the recipient benefit by cooperating
40
Spite alternative for competitors
Both the donor and recipient are negatively impacted
41
Selfishness alternative for competitors
The donor benefits while the recipient is negatively impacted
42
Inclusive fitness
The measure of an organism's success in supporting offspring, and the ability of the offspring to then support others. Supports the idea that altruistic behavior can support fitness and the success of a species as a whole
43
Social perception aka social cognition
Provides the tools to make judgements and impressions regarding other people. Composed of the perceiver, the target, and the situation
44
Perceiver
Component of social perception. Influenced by experience, motives, and emotional state.
45
Target
Component of social perception. Refers to the person about which the perception is made
46
Situation
Component of social perception. A given social context that can determine what information is available to the perceiver
47
Primacy effect
The idea that first impressions are often more important than subsequent impressoins
48
Reliance on central states
The idea that individuals tend to organize the perception of others based on traits and personal characteristics of the target that are most relevant to the perceiver.
49
Implicit personality theory
States that there are sets of assumptions people make about how different types of people, their traits, and their behavior are related. This is the basis for placing people into categories
50
Halo effect
A cognitive bias in which judgements about a specific aspect of an individual can be affected by one's overall impression of the individual
51
Just-world hypothesis
A cognitive bias during impression formation which based on the idea that in a so-called just-world good things happen to good people, and bad things happen to bad people
52
Self-serving bias
Refers to the fact that individuals will view their own success based on internal factors, while viewing failures based on external factors
53
Self-enhancement
Focuses on the need to maintain self-worth and can be done through internal attribution of successes and external attribution of failures
54
Attribution theory
Focuses on the tendency for individuals to infer the causes of other people's behavior
55
Dispositional (internal) attributions
Attributions that relate to the person whose behavior is being considered, including his or her beliefs, attitudes, and personality characteristics
56
Situational (external) attributions
Attribution that relate to features of the surroundings, such as threats, money, social norms, and peer pressure
57
Behavioral cues
Cues used to understand behavior, include consistent, consensus, and distinctiveness
58
Consistency cues
Refer to the consistent behavior of a person over time. The more regular the behavior, the more we associate that behavior with the motives of the person
59
Consensus cues
Relate to the extent to which a person's behavior differ from others. If a person deviates from socially expected behavior we are likely to form a dispositional attribution about the person's behavior
60
Distinctiveness cues
Refer to the extent to which a person engages in similar behavior across a series of scenarios. If a person's behaviors vary in different scenarios we are more likely to form a situational attribution to explain it.
61
Correspondent-interference theory
States that when an individual unexpectedly performs a behavior that helps or hurt us, we tend to explain the behavior by dispositional attribution
62
Fundamental attribution error
Posits that we are generally biased toward making disposition attribution rather than situational attributions, especially in negative contexts
63
Attribute substitution
Occurs when individuals make judgements that are complex but instead they substitute a simpler solution or apply a heuristic
64
Stereotypes
Occur when attitudes and impressions are based on limited and superficial information about a person or a group of individuals
65
Stereotype-content model
Attempts to classify stereotypes with respect to a hypothetical in-group using two dimensions: warmth and competence
66
Warm groups
Those that are not in direct competition with the in-group for resources
67
Competent groups
Groups that have high status within society
68
Paternalistic stereotypes
Stereotypes in which the group is looked down upon as inferior, dismissed, or ignored. They have low competence but high warmth
69
Contemptuous stereotypes
Stereotypes in which the group is viewed with resentment, annoyance, or anger. They have low competence and low warmth
70
Envious stereotypes
Stereotypes in which the group is viewed with jealous, bitterness, or distrust. They have high competence, but low warmth
71
Admiration stereotypes
Stereotypes in which the group is viewed with pride and other positive feelings. They are high in warmth and competence.
72
Stereotype threat
The concept of people being concerned or anxious about confirming stereotype about one's social group. This may hinder performance, potentially creating a self-fulfilling prophecy
73
Prejudice
An irrational positive or negative attitude toward a person, group, or thing prior to an actual experience with that entitty
74
Propaganda
A common way by which large organizations and political groups attempt to create prejudices in others
75
Power
The ability of people or groups to achieve their goals despite any obstacles, and their ability to control resources. One factor that influences prejudice
76
Prestige
The level of respect shown to a person by others. One factor that influences prejudice
77
Class
SES. One factor that influences prejudice
78
Ethnocentrism
The practice of making judgements about other cultures baed on the values and beliefs of one's own culture, especially when it comes to language, customs, and religion
79
Cultural relativism
The perception of another culture as different from one's own but with the recognition that the cultural values, mores, and rules of a culture fit into that culture itself. While one group may follow a given set of rules (e.g. halal), that group does not perceive those rules as superior to those of other cultures-just different
80
Discrimination
Occurs when prejudicial attitudes cause individuals of a particular group to be treated differently from others
81
Individual discrimination
One person discriminating against a particular person or group
82
Institutional discrimination
The discrimination against a particular person or group by an entire institution

MCAT Psychology (12 decks)

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