Unit 4 - Social Psych & Persona Flashcards
Terms
Definition/Explanation
Abraham Maslow
an American psychologist known for his humanistic theory of personality and the hierarchy of needs, which suggests that individuals strive for self-actualization and personal growth once their basic needs are met.
achievement motivation
the desire to excel, succeed, or accomplish challenging goals, often driven by the pursuit of competence, mastery, or recognition in specific domains or tasks.
actor-observer bias
the tendency to attribute one’s own behavior to external factors while attributing others’ behavior to internal factors, particularly in situations where one is the actor (participant) versus the observer.
affiliation need
a fundamental human motivation to seek social connections, relationships, and belongingness with others, driven by the desire for companionship, support, and interpersonal bonds.
aggression
behavior that is intended to cause harm or injury to another individual, either physically or psychologically.
Agreeableness
A personality trait that reflects a person’s tendency to be compassionate and cooperative.
Albert Bandura
a psychologist known for his social-cognitive theory of personality, self-efficacy theory, and research on observational learning (modeling), which emphasizes the role of cognitive processes, social learning, and self-regulation in behavior.
Alfred Adler
an Austrian psychiatrist and founder of individual psychology, known for his theories on the importance of social dynamics, striving for superiority, and the influence of early childhood experiences on personality development.
altruism
selfless behavior or actions that are motivated by concern for the well-being or welfare of others, without expecting any personal benefit or reward in return.
Approach-Approach Conflict
A type of conflict that occurs when a person must choose between two desirable outcomes.
Approach-Avoidance Conflict
A conflict involving a single goal or event that has both positive and negative aspects.
Arousal Theory
A theory of motivation suggesting that people are driven to perform actions in order to maintain an optimal level of physiological arousal.
attitudes
evaluations, feelings, or beliefs about people, objects, or ideas that influence behavior and responses to the social world
Attribution
The process by which individuals explain the causes of behavior and events.
attribution theory
a psychological framework that explores how individuals explain the causes of events, behaviors, and outcomes, either attributing them to internal factors (such as personality traits) or external factors (such as situational circumstances).
Avoidance-Avoidance Conflict
A conflict that occurs when a person must choose between two unattractive outcomes.
basal metabolic rate
the minimum amount of energy or calories required by the body to maintain basic physiological functions (such as respiration, circulation, and cell metabolism) while at rest and in a fasting state.
behavior feedback effect
the phenomenon whereby changes in behavior can influence emotional experience and physiological arousal, suggesting that actions and movements can affect mood and subjective feelings.
behavioral approach
a psychological perspective that focuses on observable behaviors, environmental influences, and learning principles (such as classical and operant conditioning) in explaining personality and behavior.
Belief Perseverance
The tendency to cling to one’s initial beliefs even after receiving new information that contradicts or disconfirms the basis of those beliefs.
Bibb Latane
a social psychologist known for his research on social loafing, bystander effect, and diffusion of responsibility, particularly his experiments on helping behavior in emergency situations.
Big Five Factors
theory that contains five broad dimensions of personality traits openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism, which capture the major dimensions of individual differences in personality.
Broaden & Build Theory
A theory that suggests positive emotions broaden one’s awareness and encourage novel, varied, and exploratory thoughts and actions.
Burnout
A state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged stress.
bystander effect
a social phenomenon in which individuals are less likely to offer help or intervene in an emergency situation when others are present, often due to diffusion of responsibility and social influence.
Carl Jung
a Swiss psychiatrist and founder of analytical psychology, known for his theories on the collective unconscious, archetypes, and the process of individuation.
Carl Rogers
an American psychologist and founder of client-centered therapy, known for his humanistic theory of personality, emphasis on unconditional positive regard, and the importance of self-concept and self-actualization in personal growth.
central route persuasion
a method of persuasion that involves careful consideration and evaluation of the arguments, evidence, and logic presented in a persuasive message.
cognitive dissonance theory
proposed by Leon Festinger, suggests that individuals experience psychological discomfort when their attitudes or beliefs are inconsistent with their behavior, leading them to seek consistency and reduce dissonance through attitude change or rationalization.
collective unconscious
a concept in analytical psychology proposed by Carl Jung, referring to a shared reservoir of unconscious memories, symbols, and experiences that are common to all humans and inherited across generations.
collectivism
a cultural orientation that prioritizes the interests, values, and goals of the group or community over those of the individual, emphasizing cooperation, interdependence, and social harmony.
companionate love
a deep and enduring emotional bond characterized by intimacy, trust, affection, and commitment, often found in long-term relationships or marriages.
Confirmation Bias
The tendency to search for, interpret, favor, and recall information in a way that confirms one’s preexisting beliefs.
conflict
a perceived incompatibility of goals, interests, or values between individuals or groups, leading to disagreement, tension, or competition.
conformity
the tendency to adjust one’s attitudes, beliefs, or behaviors to match those of a majority group or social norms, often in response to real or perceived pressure to fit in or be accepted.
Conscientiousness
A personality trait characterized by organization, dependability, and discipline.
culture
the shared beliefs, values, norms, customs, traditions, and practices that characterize a particular group, community, or society, influencing behavior, attitudes, and social interactions.
defense mechanisms
unconscious strategies or tactics used by the ego to protect against anxiety, threats, or conflicts, by distorting reality, repressing impulses, or redirecting emotions.
deindividuation
the loss of self-awareness and individuality that occurs when individuals are part of a group or crowd, leading to reduced inhibitions, increased conformity, and impulsive behavior.
Denial
Refusing to accept reality or facts.
discrimination
the unjust or prejudicial treatment of individuals or groups based on their membership in a particular social category, often resulting in differential access to resources, opportunities, or rights.
Disinhibition
A lack of restraint manifested in disregard for social conventions, impulsivity, and poor risk assessment.
Displacement
Redirecting emotional impulses from a threatening target to a safer one.
Display Rules
Cultural norms that dictate the appropriate expressions of emotions.
Dispositional Attribution
Attributing behavior to internal characteristics or traits of the individual.
drive-reduction theory
a motivational theory proposing that biological drives, such as hunger or thirst, create a state of tension or arousal (drive) that motivates organisms to engage in behaviors that reduce or satisfy those drives and restore homeostasis.
ego
the rational and decision-making component of personality that operates on the reality principle, mediating between the demands of the id, superego, and external reality, while managing internal conflicts and desires.
emotion
a complex psychological and physiological state characterized by subjective feelings, physiological arousal, expressive behaviors, and cognitive appraisal, often in response to external stimuli or internal thoughts.
empirically derived test
a psychological assessment tool developed through systematic research and statistical analysis of large datasets, ensuring reliability and validity based on empirical evidence.
equity
a sense of fairness, balance, and mutual give-and-take in the distribution of rewards, benefits, and responsibilities between partners.
Ethnocentrism
Belief in the superiority of one’s own ethnic group.
Explanatory Style
A psychological attribute that indicates how people explain to themselves why they experience a particular event.
Explicit Attitudes
Attitudes that are consciously held and can be easily reported.
External Locus of Control
The belief that external factors, such as luck or other people, control one’s fate.
Extraversion
A personality trait characterized by sociability, talkativeness, and assertiveness.
extrinsic motivation
the desire to engage in an activity or behavior in order to obtain external rewards, incentives, or avoid punishment, rather than for the inherent satisfaction or enjoyment of the activity itself.
facial feedback effect
the phenomenon whereby facial expressions can influence emotional experience and physiological arousal, suggesting that changes in facial muscles can affect mood and subjective feelings.
False Consensus Effect
The tendency to overestimate the extent to which others share our beliefs and behaviors.
foot-in-the-door phenomenon
a persuasion technique in which compliance with a small request is followed by compliance with a larger request, based on the principle of consistency and the desire to maintain a positive self-image.
free association
a psychoanalytic technique in which individuals are encouraged to express themselves freely and spontaneously, revealing unconscious thoughts, emotions, and memories without censorship or judgment.
frustration-aggression principle
suggests that frustration, resulting from the blocking of goals or desires, often leads to aggressive behavior or responses.
fundamental attribution error
the tendency to overestimate the influence of internal factors and underestimate the influence of external factors when explaining the behavior of others, especially in negative or ambiguous situations.
Ghrelin
A hormone produced in the stomach that stimulates appetite.
glucose
a simple sugar and the primary source of energy for cells in the body, obtained from the digestion of carbohydrates in food and transported through the bloodstream to fuel cellular metabolism.
grit
the perseverance, passion, and resilience demonstrated by individuals in the pursuit of long-term goals or objectives, despite facing obstacles, setbacks, or failures.
group polarization
the tendency for group discussion or interaction to intensify and reinforce the initial attitudes, opinions, or inclinations of group members, leading to more extreme decisions or positions.
groupthink
a phenomenon in which group members prioritize harmony and consensus over critical evaluation of alternatives or dissenting opinions, leading to flawed decision-making and the suppression of dissent.
Halo Effect
The tendency for an impression created in one area to influence opinion in another area.
hierarchy of needs
a theory proposed by Abraham Maslow, suggesting that human motivation is organized into a hierarchical structure of needs, ranging from basic physiological needs to higher-order psychological needs such as self-esteem and self-actualization.
homeostasis
the body’s tendency to maintain a stable, balanced internal environment despite changes in external conditions, through physiological mechanisms that regulate various bodily processes and functions.
humanistic theories
psychological theories that emphasize the inherent goodness, self-actualizing tendency, and potential for growth and fulfillment in individuals, focusing on subjective experiences, personal values, and self-determination.