Unit 4A- Social Psychology Flashcards
What is Attribution Theory?
How individuals explain the causes of behavior and events.
True or False: The Fundamental Attribution Error refers to the tendency to overemphasize situational factors when evaluating others’ behavior.
False
Fill in the blank: The Fundamental Attribution Error is the tendency to attribute others’ actions to __________ while downplaying the influence of situational factors.
dispositional factors
Multiple Choice: Which of the following best defines the Fundamental Attribution Error? A) The tendency to see one’s own behavior as situational. B) The tendency to attribute others’ behavior to their character. C) The tendency to underestimate the influence of personality traits in oneself. D) All of the above.
B) The tendency to attribute others’ behavior to their character.
Short Answer: What impact does the Fundamental Attribution Error have on interpersonal relationships?
It can lead to misunderstandings and misjudgments about others, as people may wrongly assume character flaws instead of considering situational influences.
What is Social Psychology?
The study of how people think, feel, and act in social situations, including how they influence and relate to each other.
Define Attribution Theory.
A way to explain someone’s behavior by either their personality (internal factors) or the situation (external factors).
What is the Fundamental Attribution Error?
The tendency to blame someone’s personality for their behavior while ignoring the role of the situation.
What is Dispositional Attribution?
Explaining someone’s behavior as being caused by their personality or traits.
What is Situational Attribution?
Explaining someone’s behavior as being caused by the circumstances or environment.
What does Actor-Observer Bias refer to?
The tendency to explain your own behavior as due to the situation but others’ behavior as due to their personality.
Define Self-serving Bias.
The tendency to take credit for successes (internal factors) but blame failures on the situation (external factors).
What is Explanatory Style?
The way a person explains events in their life, either positively or negatively.
What characterizes an Optimistic Explanatory Style?
Explaining bad events as temporary, specific, and not your fault.
What characterizes a Pessimistic Explanatory Style?
Explaining bad events as lasting, widespread, and your fault.
Define External Locus of Control.
Believing that outside forces like luck or fate control your life.
Define Internal Locus of Control.
Believing that you control your own life and outcomes through your actions.
What is Social Comparison?
Evaluating yourself by comparing yourself to others.
What is Upward Comparison?
Comparing yourself to someone who is better than you to motivate improvement.
What is Downward Comparison?
Comparing yourself to someone who is worse off to feel better about yourself.
What is Prejudice?
An unjustified and negative attitude toward a group of people.
Define Stereotypes.
Overgeneralized beliefs about a group of people.
What is Discrimination?
Unfair treatment of a group of people based on prejudice.
What is Implicit Prejudice?
Unconscious negative attitudes toward a group.
What is Explicit Prejudice?
Conscious and openly expressed negative attitudes toward a group.
Define Just-world Phenomenon.
The belief that people get what they deserve, so the world seems fair.
What is Out-group Homogeneity Bias?
Thinking that members of a group you don’t belong to are all the same.
What is In-group Bias?
Favoring people in your own group over others.
Explain Scapegoat Theory.
Blaming someone else (usually a weaker group) for your problems to reduce your frustration.
What is the Role of Availability Heuristic?
Using information that comes to mind easily to make judgments, even if it’s not accurate.
Define Ethnocentrism.
Believing that your culture or group is better than others.
What are Attitudes?
Feelings and beliefs that influence how we act toward things, people, or situations.
What is the Foot-in-the-Door Technique?
Getting someone to agree to a small request first, which makes them more likely to agree to a bigger one later.
What is the Door-in-the-Face Technique?
Asking for something big (likely to be rejected) and then requesting something smaller, which seems more reasonable.
What does Cognitive Dissonance Theory explain?
The discomfort we feel when our actions don’t match our beliefs, leading us to change one to reduce the conflict.
Define Persuasion.
The process of trying to change someone’s attitudes, beliefs, or actions.
What is the Elaboration Likelihood Model?
A theory explaining how people are persuaded either through deep thought or superficial cues.
What is Peripheral Route Persuasion?
Persuasion based on surface-level cues, like attractiveness or a catchy slogan, rather than facts.
What is Central Route Persuasion?
Persuasion that focuses on logical arguments and evidence to convince someone.
Social Norms
the unwritten rules and expectations about how people should behave within a particular group or society
Social Roles
a set of expectations (norms) about a social position, defining how those in the position ought to behave
Chameleon Effect
Likening it to chameleon lizards’ ability to mimic the color of their surroundings- the unconscious tendency for individuals to mimic the behaviors, mannerisms, and facial expressions of people they are interacting with
Conformity (conditions that strengthen)
the tendency for an individual to adjust their behavior, opinions, or beliefs to align with the norms of a group they are part of
Asch Experiment
a famous study conducted by Solomon Asch that investigated the concept of conformity, where participants were likely to give an incorrect answer to a question if the majority of the group also gave that answer, even if they knew it was wrong, demonstrating the power of social influence on individual behavior
Social Influence Theory
the idea that people’s thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are significantly impacted by the presence and actions of others around them, leading individuals to conform to social norms, obey authority figures, and adjust their behavior based on group dynamics
Normative Social Influence
influence resulting from a person’s desire to gain approval or avoid disapproval.
Informational Social Influence
influence resulting from a person’s willingness to accept others’ opinions about reality.
Obedience (conditions that strengthen)
a form of social influence where an individual complies with direct orders or instructions from a perceived authority figure
Milgram Experiment
a famous psychological study conducted by Stanley Milgram that investigated the extent to which people would obey an authority figure, even if it meant performing actions that conflicted with their personal conscience
Social Facilitation
the phenomenon where an individual performs better on a task when they are in the presence of others compared to when they are alone
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
Deindividuation
the psychological phenomenon where an individual loses their sense of self-awareness and personal responsibility when part of a large group, often leading to behaviors they might not engage in alone, due to the anonymity provided by the group dynamic
Zimbardo Prison Study
a psychological study that examined how people behave when given power or authority
Group Polarization
the enhancement of a group’s prevailing inclinations through discussion within the group.
Group Think
a phenomenon where a group prioritizes harmony and consensus over critical evaluation of information, leading to poor decision-making by suppressing dissenting opinions and potentially overlooking important details
Individualist Culture
a society where the needs and goals of the individual are prioritized over the needs of the group, emphasizing personal independence, self-reliance, and achieving personal goals rather than prioritizing the collective good
Collectivist Culture
a society where the needs and well-being of the group are prioritized over the individual
Multiculturalism
which places value on cultural and ethnic groups’ maintenance of their unique identities, beliefs, and practices.
Tight versus Loose Cultures
“tight cultures” have strong social norms with low tolerance for deviant behavior, while “loose cultures” have weaker norms and a higher tolerance for people acting differently from the expected behavior
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 culturally modeled guide for how to act in various situations.
Mere Exposure Effect
the tendency for repeated exposure to novel stimuli to increase our liking of them.
Halo Effect
a cognitive bias where a positive impression of one aspect of a person leads to an overall positive perception of them, causing individuals to assume other positive traits even without concrete evidence
Altruism
a selfless act where someone performs a behavior that benefits another person, even if it means incurring a personal cost to themselves
Bystander Effect
the tendency for any given bystander to be less likely to give aid if other bystanders are present.
Diffusion of Responsibility
the phenomenon where individuals feel less personal responsibility to act in a situation when they are part of a group, assuming that someone else will take action instead, which often leads to inaction, particularly in emergencies where help is needed
Darley and Latane
refers to social psychologists John Darley and Bibb Latane, who are famous for their research on the “bystander effect
Social Traps
a situation where individuals or groups take actions that provide immediate benefits but ultimately lead to negative consequences for the group as a whole
Social Responsibility Norm
an expectation that people will help those needing their help.
Social Reciprocity Norm
an expectation that people will help, not hurt, those who have helped them.
Superordinate Goals
shared goals that override differences among people and require their cooperation.
Social Facilitation
in the presence of others, improved performance on simple or well-learned tasks, and worsened performance on difficult tasks
False Consensus Effect
the tendency to overestimate the extent to which others share our beliefs and behaviors. People who cheat on their assignments or shoplift petty items “for thrills” tend to think many others do the same.
Industrial Organizational Psychologists
who apply psychology’s principles in the workplace, might use such techniques to improve relationships among people working together or for a common company or program.
Sherif’s Robbers Cave Study
a famous social psychology experiment conducted by Muzafer Sherif that demonstrated how intergroup conflict can arise when groups compete for limited resources
