Unit 9

Question 1

attitude

Answer 1

feelings, often influenced by our beliefs, that predispose us to respond in a particular way to objects, people, and events. (p. 756)

Question 2

attribution theory

Answer 2

the theory that we explain someone’s behavior by crediting either the situation or the person’s disposition. (p. 754)

Question 3

central route persuasion

Answer 3

occurs when interested people focus on the arguments and respond with favorable thoughts. (p. 756)

Question 4

cognitive dissonance theory

Answer 4

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. (p. 759)

Question 5

foot-in-the-door phenomenon

Answer 5

the tendency for people who have first agreed to a small request to comply later with a larger request. (p. 757)

Question 6

fundamental attribution error

Answer 6

the tendency for observers, when analyzing others’ behavior, to underestimate the impact of the situation and to overestimate the impact of personal disposition. (p. 754)

Question 7

peripheral route persuasion

Answer 7

occurs when people are influenced by incidental cues, such as a speaker’s attractiveness. (p. 756)

Question 8

role

Answer 8

a set of expectations (norms) about a social position, defining how those in the position ought to behave. (p. 758)

Question 9

social psychology

Answer 9

the scientific study of how we think about, influence, and relate to one another. (p. 754)

Question 10

conformity

Answer 10

adjusting our behavior or thinking to coincide with a group standard. (p. 763)

Question 11

informational social influence

Answer 11

influence resulting from one’s willingness to accept others’ opinions about reality. (p. 764)

Question 12

normative social influence

Answer 12

influence resulting from a person’s desire to gain approval or avoid disapproval. (p. 764)

Question 13

culture

Answer 13

the enduring behaviors, ideas, attitudes, values, and traditions shared by a group of people and transmitted from one generation to the next. (p. 776)

Question 14

deindividuation

Answer 14

the loss of self-awareness and self-restraint occurring in group situations that foster arousal and anonymity. (p. 773)

Question 15

group polarization

Answer 15

the enhancement of a group’s prevailing inclinations through discussion within the group. (p. 774)

Question 16

groupthink

Answer 16

the mode of thinking that occurs when the desire for harmony in a decision-making group overrides a realistic appraisal of alternatives. (p. 775)

Question 17

norm

Answer 17

an understood rule for accepted and expected behavior. Norms prescribe “proper” behavior. (p. 777)

Question 18

social facilitation

Answer 18

improved performance on simple or well-learned tasks in the presence of others. (p. 771)

Question 19

social loafing

Answer 19

the tendency for people in a group to exert less effort when pooling their efforts toward attaining a common goal than when individually accountable. (p. 773)

Question 20

discrimination

Answer 20

in social psychology, unjustifiable negative behavior toward a group and its members. (p. 780)

Question 21

ingroup bias

Answer 21

the tendency to favor our own group. (p. 784)

Question 22

ingroup

Answer 22

“Us”–people with whom we share a common identity. (p. 784)

Question 23

just-world phenomenon

Answer 23

the tendency for people to believe the world is just and that people therefore get what they deserve and deserve what they get. (p. 784)

Question 24

other-race effect

Answer 24

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.) (p. 786)

Question 25

outgroup

Answer 25

“Them”–those perceived as different or apart from our ingroup. (p. 784)

Question 26

prejudice

Answer 26

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. (p. 780)

Question 27

scapegoat theory

Answer 27

the theory that prejudice offers an outlet for anger by providing someone to blame. (p. 785)

Question 28

stereotype

Answer 28

a generalized (sometimes accurate but often overgeneralized) belief about a group of people. (p. 780)

Question 29

aggression

Answer 29

any physical or verbal behavior intended to hurt or destroy. (p. 789)

Question 30

frustration-aggression principle

Answer 30

the principle that frustration–the blocking of an attempt to achieve some goal–creates anger, which can generate aggression. (p. 791)

Question 31

social script

Answer 31

culturally modeled guide for how to act in various situations. (p. 792)

Question 32

companionate love

Answer 32

the deep affectionate attachment we feel for those with whom our lives are intertwined. (p. 803)

Question 33

equity

Answer 33

a condition in which people receive from a relationship in proportion to what they give to it. (p. 804)

Question 34

mere exposure effect

Answer 34

the phenomenon that repeated exposure to novel stimuli increases liking of them. (p. 798)

Question 35

passionate love

Answer 35

an aroused state of intense positive absorption in another, usually present at the beginning of a love relationship. (p. 803)

Question 36

self-disclosure

Answer 36

revealing intimate aspects of oneself to others. (p. 804)

Question 37

altruism

Answer 37

unselfish regard for the welfare of others. (p. 807)

Question 38

bystander effect

Answer 38

the tendency for any given bystander to be less likely to give aid if other bystanders are present. (p. 808)

Question 39

conflict

Answer 39

a perceived incompatibility of actions, goals, or ideas. (p. 810)

Question 40

GRIT

Answer 40

Graduated and Reciprocated Initiatives in Tension-Reduction–a strategy designed to decrease international tensions. (p. 815)

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. (p. 812)

Question 42

reciprocity norm

Answer 42

an expectation that people will help, not hurt, those who have helped them. (p. 809)

Question 43

self-fulfilling prophecy

Answer 43

a belief that leads to its own fulfillment. (p. 812)

Question 44

social exchange theory

Answer 44

the theory that our social behavior is an exchange process, the aim of which is to maximize benefits and minimize costs. (p. 809)

Question 45

social trap

Answer 45

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. (p. 810)

Question 46

social-responsibility norm

Answer 46

an expectation that people will help those needing their help. (p. 810)

Question 47

superordinate goals

Answer 47

shared goals that override differences among people and require their cooperation. (p. 813)