unit 14

Question 1

social psychology

Answer 1

the scientific study of how we think about, influence, and relate to one another.

Question 2

attribution theory

Answer 2

the theory that we explain someone’s behavior by crediting either the situation or the person’s disposition

Question 3

fundamental attribution error

Answer 3

the tendency for observers, when analyzing others’ behavior, to underestimate the impact of the situation and to overestimate the impact of personal disposition

Question 4

attitude

Answer 4

feelings, often influenced by our beliefs, that predispose us to respond in a particular way to objects, people, and events

Question 5

peripheral route persuasion

Answer 5

occurs when people are influenced by incidental cues, such as a speaker’s attractiveness.

Question 6

central route persuasion

Answer 6

occurs when interested people focus on the arguments and respond with favorable thoughts

Question 7

foot in the door phenomenon

Answer 7

the tendency for people who have first agreed to a small request to comply later with a larger request

Question 8

role

Answer 8

a set of expectations (norms) about a social position, defining how those in the position ought to behave

Question 9

cognitive dissonance theory

Answer 9

the theory that we act to reduce the discomfort (dissonance) we feel when two of our thoughts (cognitions) are inconsistent. For example, when we become aware that our attitudes and our actions clash, we can reduce the resulting dissonance by changing our attitudes.

Question 10

conformity

Answer 10

adjusting our behavior or thinking to coincide with a group standard.

Question 11

normative social influence

Answer 11

influence resulting from a person’s desire to gain approval or avoid disapproval.

Question 12

informational social influence

Answer 12

influence resulting from one’s willingness to accept others’ opinions about reality.

Question 13

social facilitation

Answer 13

improved performance on simple or well-learned tasks in the presence of others.

Question 14

social loafing

Answer 14

the tendency for people in a group to exert less effort when pooling their efforts toward attaining a common goal than when individually accountable.

Question 15

deindividuation

Answer 15

the loss of self-awareness and self-restraint occur-ring in group situations that foster arousal and anonymity.

Question 16

group polarization

Answer 16

the enhancement of a group’s prevailing inclinations through discussion within the group.

Question 17

groupthink

Answer 17

the mode of thinking that occurs when the desire for harmony in a decision-making group overrides a realistic appraisal of alternatives.

Question 18

norm

Answer 18

an understood rule for accepted and expected behavior. Norms prescribe “proper” behavior.

Question 19

prejudice

Answer 19

an unjustifiable and usually negative attitude toward a group and its members. Prejudice generally involves stereotyped beliefs, negative feelings, and a predisposition to discriminatory action.

Question 20

stereotype

Answer 20

a generalized belief about a group of people

Question 21

discrimination

Answer 21

1) in classical conditioning, the learned ability to distinguish between a conditioned stimulus and stimuli that do not signal an unconditioned stimulus. (p. 270) (2) in social psychology, unjustifiable negative behavior toward a group and its members.

Question 22

just-world phenomenon

Answer 22

the tendency for people to believe the world is just and that people therefore get what they deserve and deserve what they get.

Question 23

ingroup bias

Answer 23

ingroup: group you are part of
outgroup: group you are not in
we tend to be biased toward the ingroup

Question 24

scapegoat theory

Answer 24

the theory that prejudice offers an outlet for anger by providing someone to blame.

Question 25

other-race effect

Answer 25

the tendency to recall faces of one’s own race more accurately than faces of other races. (Also called the cross-race effect and the own-race bias.)

Question 26

aggression

Answer 26

physical or verbal behavior intended to hurt or destroy

Question 27

frustration-aggression principle

Answer 27

frustration can lead to anger which can generate aggression

Question 28

social script

Answer 28

culturally modeled guide for how to act

Question 29

mere exposure effect

Answer 29

the phenomenon that repeated exposure to novel stimuli increases liking of them

Question 30

passionate love

Answer 30

an aroused state of intense positive absorption in an-other, usually present at the beginning of a love relationship

Question 31

companionate love

Answer 31

the deep affectionate attachment we feel for those with whom our lives are intertwined.

Question 32

equity

Answer 32

a condition in which people receive from a relationship in proportion to what they give to it.

Question 33

self-disclosure

Answer 33

revealing intimate aspects of oneself to others.

Question 34

altruism

Answer 34

unselfish regard for the welfare of others

Question 35

bystander effect

Answer 35

the tendency for any given bystander to be less likely to give aid if other bystanders are present

Question 36

social exchange theory

Answer 36

the theory that our social behavior is an exchange process, the aim of which is to maximize benefits and minimize costs.

Question 37

reciprocity norm

Answer 37

an expectation that people will help, not hurt, those who have helped them

Question 38

social-responsibility norm

Answer 38

an expectation that people will help those needing their help.

Question 39

conflict

Answer 39

a perceived incompatibility of actions, goals, or ideas

Question 40

social trap

Answer 40

a situation in which the conflicting parties, by each rationally pursuing their self-interest rather than the good of the group, become caught in mutually destructive behavior.

Question 41

mirror-image perceptions

Answer 41

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.

Question 42

self-fulfilling prophecy

Answer 42

a belief that leads to its own fulfillment.

Question 43

superordinate goals

Answer 43

shared goals that override differences among people and require their cooperation.

Question 44

GRIT

Answer 44

passion & perseverance in the pursuit of long-term goals

Question 45

self serving bias

Answer 45

a readiness to perceive oneself favorably

Question 46

Solomon asch

Answer 46

best remembered for his research on the psychology of conformity. 

Question 47

leon festinger

Answer 47

proposed the cognitive dissonance theory

Question 48

stanley milgram

Answer 48

famous for his experiments on obedience to authority

Question 49

Phillip zimbardo

Answer 49

famous for the stanford prison experiment

Question 50

margaret floy washburn

Answer 50

best known for her experimental work in animal behavior and motor theory development