Unit 4 Part 1 (4.1-4.3) Flashcards
what is prejudice?
“prejudgment” before you have the facts; unjustifiable
what is an example of a dispositional attribution?
intelligence
what is the self-serving bias?
tendency to see ourselves in the best light
what is ethnocentrism?
the idea that your own group or culture is better or more important than others
Explain how attribution theory applies to behavior and mental processes.
attribution theory explains how we explain behaviors and events
what is attribution theory?
how people explain the behavior and mental processes of themselves and others
what are types of explanatory styles?
optimistic and pessimistic styles
what is downward social comparison?
comparing yourself to someone you perceive as “worse off” than you
what is the fundamental attribution error?
tendency for observer to overestimate internal factors and underestimate external factors
what is the just-world phenomenon?
belief that the world is fair and just; good actions are rewarded and bad actions are punished
what is a explanatory style?
a person’s predictable pattern of attributions
How people tend to explain good and bad events in their lives and the lives of others
what are the types of locus of control?
internal and external locus of control
what is self-fulfilling prophecy?
a belief or expectation that causes its own fulfillment
what is the difference between stereotype, prejudice, and discrimination?
Stereotype is the outcome of a cognitive process
Prejudice is a negative attitude.
Discrimination is a negative behavior.
what is upward social comparison?
comparing yourself to someone you perceive as “better” in some way
what is internal locus of control?
belief that we do have control over our lives and fate
what is belief perseverance?
tendency to hold on to our beliefs even in the face of evidence to the contrary
what is confirmation bias?
tendency to gather evidence (or believe evidence/source to be valid) only when it agrees with our previously held beliefs
what are situational attributions?
attributing someone’s behavior to external circumstances out of their control
what are dispositional attributions?
attributing someone’s behavior to their internal qualities
types of social comparison
upward and downward
what is relative deprivation?
the perception that we are worse off than those we compare ourselves to
what is cognitive dissonance?
the mental discomfort we experience when our attitudes or actions conflict with each other
what is external locus of control?
belief that outcomes are outside of our control
what is actor-observor bias?
tendency to explain your own behavior as being externally influenced, but others’ same behaviors as being internally influences
what is locus of control?
a person’s belief about how much control they have over their lives
what is in-group bias?
tendency to favor members of your own group over those in the “out group”
what is out-group homogeneity bias?
tendency to view members of a group you’re not a part of as being more similar to each other than you would view the members of a group you are a part of
what is discrimination?
to act in negative, unjustifiable ways
what is a stereotype?
generalized beliefs about groups of people
what are implicit attitudes?
attitudes you hold but may not be aware of or may choose not to acknowledge
what is mere exposure effect?
people are more likely to find a stimulus pleasing the more they are exposed to it
what is bias?
preference for or against something
what is social comparison?
a type of person perception when people evaluate themselves by comparing themselves to other people
what is peripheral route persuasion?
people are influenced by incidental cues like attractiveness, relatability
what is central route persuasion?
people focus on the arguments and respond with favorable thoughts
what are the types of persuasion?
central and peripheral route persuasion
what is the social-influence theory?
individuals can change their attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors based on the influence of others around them
what are the types of social influence theories?
normative and informational social influence theory
what is normative social influence theory?
pressure to behave a certain way out of a desire to gain approval or avoid disapproval
what is informational social influence theory?
pressure to behave a certain way out of a desire to be accurate
what is the halo effect?
having one positive evaluation of a person (attractiveness) influences evaluations in other areas (intelligence)
what is the foot-in-the-door technique?
people who have agreed to small requests likely to comply with larger requests later
what is the door-in-the-face technique?
starting with a large, unreasonable request that elicits as “no” response; followed up by a more moderate request that someone is more likely to agree to
what is conformity?
adjusting our behavior or thinking to coincide with a group standard
what is groupthink?
tendency of a group to come to a decision without considering alternatives or critically evaluating all options
what is social loafing?
tendency to exert less effort when in a group than when alone; diminished feelings of accountability
what is diffusion of responsibility?
diminished sense of your own responsibility when in a group setting
what is deindividuation?
loss of self-awareness and self-restraint in group situations that foster arousal and anonymity
what is individualism?
cultural value that prioritizes personal goals and independence over group goals
what is collectivism?
cultural orientation that prioritizes the group over the individual
what is multiculturism?
society where different cultural groups have equal status and access to power, cultural identities, beliefs, practices are valued
what is social facilitation?
when being in the presence of others improves individual performance
what is group polarization?
beliefs and attitudes of the group grow stronger (more extreme) as it’s discussed with like-minded individuals
what is altruism?
selfless behavior with regard for others
what is the social responsibility norm?
expectation that you should help those who need help
what is the bystander effect?
tendency for a bystander to be less likely to give help when others are present
