Unit 9 Vocab Flashcards
aggression
a range of behaviors that can result in both physical and psychological harm to yourself, others, or objects in the environment. this type of behavior centers on harming another person either physically or mentally
influences of aggression
genetic- possibly linked to the Y chromosome
neural- centers in the brain such as the frontal lobe and limbic system
biochemical- testosterone
Learning and culture- seen more in individualist than collectivist cultures
central route of peruasion
(direct) attitudes change when interested people focus on the scientific evidence/arguments and respond with favorable thoughts
cognitive dissonance
when people become aware of the inconsistencies (dissonance) between their attitudes and behavior, they become anxious and are motivated to make them constant
compliance
adjusting one’s behavior because of an explicit or implicit request
explicit compliance
direct request
implicit compliance
direct request
conditions that influence conformity
size of the group, status of the group, observation of the group, unanimity of the group
deindividuation
(mob mentality) loss of self-awareness and self-restraint in group situations that foster arousal and anonymity
-mob behavior… no one can point you out, so again you feel less accountable for your individual actions
dispositional attribution
assigns the cause of behavior to some internal characteristic of a person rather than to outside forces. When we explain the behavior of others, we look for enduring internal attributions, such as personality traits.
foot in the door
tendency for people who agree to a small request to comply with a large one
-to get people to agree to something, you start small and build
framing
a type of cognitive bias or error in thinking. “Framing” refers to whether an option is presented as a loss (negative) or a gain (positive)
groupthink
way of thinking that occurs when the desire for harmony in decision-making overrides the possible alternatives
-one doesn’t want to make waves…. so goes along with the rest of the group’s decision or the decision of the most vocal member
informational social influence
due to the fact that a group may provide valuable information, we want to accept the opinions of others. especially when concerning tough decisions
normative social influence
want to avoid rejection or gain social approval. so, we respect the norms of the group
peripheral route to persuasion
(indirect) attitudes change when people make snap judgments on incidental cues, like the attractiveness of a speaker
reciprocity norm
the expectation that we should return help not harm to those who have helped us
self-fulfilling prophecy
a belief that leads to its own fulfillment
-the social and cultural groups of other people lead us to treat them a certain way
self-serving bias
a belief that leads to its own fulfillment
-the social and cultural groups of other people lead us to treat them a certain way
social facilitation
refers to improved performance on a task in the presence of others
-usually occurs with either simple or well-learned tasks, but not difficult or not-yet-mastered tasks
social loafing
tendency for people in a group to exert less effort than when working individually
-feel less accountable in a group… may view contribution as dispensible or not important
stereotype threat
a self-confirming concern that one will be evaluated based on a negative stereotype
-think back to blue eye/brown eye experiment-reading flashcard times in different groups
group polarization
enhances the group’s prevailing attitudes through discussion. if a group is like-minded, discussion strengthens its prevailing opinions and attitudes
-can be beneficial OR harmful… usually leave more fired up
social psychology
scientific study of how we think about, influence, and relate to one another
attribution
process of exploring the causes of people’s behavior, including one’s own, either by crediting the external situation, or internal disposition
fundamental attribution error
the tendency to over attribute the behavior of others to internal (dispositional) factors, such as personal disposition
- when it comes to our own behavior, we are much more aware and sensitive to how our behavior changes with the different situations we encounter, rather than our personality traits alone
self serving bias
the tendency to attribute one’s successes to internal factors (disposition) and one’s failures to external factors (situations).
often, this comes into play when one commits the fundamental attribution error
false consensus effect
when we see our own behavioral choices and judgements as relatively common and appropriate it to existing circumstances
-we think what we do is normal so everybody must do it
confirmation bias
the tendency to search for, interpret, favor, and recall information in a way that confirms/supports our prior beliefs or values
just-world hypothesis
our belief that the world is fair and consequently that the moral standings of our actions will determine our outcomes
-people who do good are rewarded
-people who do bad are punished
halo effect
positive impression of a person/brand/company/country/product in one area positively/negatively influences our opinions or feelings in another area
elaboration likelihood model
explains different ways of processing stimuli, why they’re used, and the outcomes/attitudes change
central route of persuasion
(direct) attitudes change when interested people focus on the scientific evidence/arguments and respond with favorable thoughts
peripheral route of persuasion
(indirect) attitudes change when people make snap judgements on incidental cues, like attractiveness of a speaker
foot-in-the-door phenomenom
tendency for people who agree to a small request to comply with a larger one
to get people to agree to something, you smart small and build
door-in-the-face phenomenon
asking first for a big favor (or one likely to be denied) then after being turned down, the askee agrees that the request was excessive and asks for something less… something that the person actually wanted in the first place
-because the person appears willing to compromise and because the request seems modest in comparison, it’s more likely to be granted than if it had been asked at the outset
social comparison theory
people value their own personal and social work by assessing how they compare to others
cognitive dissonance theory
when people become aware of the inconsistencies (dissonance) between their attitudes and behavior, they become anxious and are motivated to make them consistent
what did the subjects of zimbardo’s prison experiment admit to post-experiment
that they were so consumed in the experiment that they acted in ways they never would’ve outside of that role
social roles
socially defined patterns of behavior that are expected of persons in a given setting or group
social norms
a group’s expectations regarding what is appropriate and acceptable for its members’ attitudes and behaviors
conformity
adjusting one’s behavior or thinking to coincide with a group standard
compliance
adjusting one’s behavior because of an explicit or implicit request
obedience
change in behavior in response to the command of someone in a position of authority
what did asch’s line study test
tested levels of conformity
what is the significance of asch’s line study
shows the power of social psychology trends
normative social influence
want to avoid rejection or gain social approval. so, we respect the norms of the group
informative social influence
due to the fact that group may provide valuable information, we want to accept the opinions of others
-especially when concerning tough decision
how does Milgram’s shock experiment apply to everyday life
people rationalize their obedience because they feel that the one telling them what to do is ultimately responsible for what happens
social dilemma
situations where selfish behavior that benefits individuals in the short run may spell disaster for an entire group in the long run
social facilitation
refers to improved performance on a task in the presence of others
-usually occurs with either simple or well-learned tasks, but not difficult or not-yet mastered tasks
group polarization
enhances a group’s prevailing attitudes through discussion. if a group is like-minded, discussion strengthens its prevailing opinions and attitudes
-can be harmful or beneficial… usually leave more fired up
prejudice
simply called, a prejudice is an unjustifiable attitude toward a group and its members
scapegoat theory
when prejudice is an outlet for anger by providing someone to blame
cognitive roots for prejudice
we quickly categorize people into groups based on easily identifiable traits and then we stereotype that group based off of the few experiences we’ve had with them
contact hypothesis
stereotypes and prejudice toward a group diminishes as contact with the group increases
genetic influences of aggression
animals have been bred for aggressiveness-for sport and at times for research. twin studies show aggression may be genetic. in men, aggression is possibly linked to the y chromosome
neural influences of aggression
some centers in the brain such as the limbic system and frontal lobe are intimately involved with aggression
biochemical influences to aggression
animals with diminished amounts of testosterone (costration) become docile, and if injected with testosterone aggression increases. prenatal exposure to testosterone also increases aggression in female hyenas
learning and cultural influences on aggression
when aggression leads to desired outcomes, one learns to be aggressive-seen more in individualist than collectivist cultures
cultural undertones of violence have a huge impact on violent tendencies in a population
how do excitation transfers impact aggression
arousal from one experience may carry over to an independent situation
-key is, independent situation must trigger aggression
how do aversive events and people impact aggression
studies show that those who are miserable often make others miserable
how do stressful environments impact aggression
high temps, air pollution, and noise have all been found to increase aggressive tendencies
altruism
unselfish regard for the welfare of others
social exchange theory
the decision to help another person is based on how much it will “cost” the person to help compared to how much it will help the person being helped
-like a risk to reward ratio
reciprocity norm
the expectation that we should return help not harm to those who have helped us
social-responsibility norm
largely learned, a norm that tells us to help others when they need us even though they may not repay us in kind
how does the clarity for need of help influence the social exchange theory
the more obvious the need for help, the more likely help will be given (most of the time)
how does the presence of others influence the social exchange theory
Diffusion of responsibility:
if people are present, the responsibility for helping spreads amongst all present. this goes through someone’s head as a bystander
Bystander effect:
tendency where as the number of people present increases, the likelihood that even ONE person will help decreases
how does the personality of helper influence the social exchange theory
feel good do good phenomenon- tendency of people to be more helpful and altruistic to others when in a good mood
empathy altruism theory
people help for completely altruistic reasons and are usually motivated by the desire to increase another person’s well being
-depends on how much empathy you have for someone
evolutionary theory
people help relatives because it increases the chance that the helper’s genes will survive in the future
mere exposure effect
repeated exposure to novel stimuli increases one’s liking of that item
-in other words … the more you are around someone new, the more you grow to like them
how does similarity effect attraction
having similar views between individuals causes the bond of attraction to strengthen
especially in religious views, political views, and family values
matching hypothesis
states that people tend to date, marry, or form other committed relationships with those who are similar in physical attractiveness
passionate love
an aroused state of intense positive absorption in another usually present at the beginning of a love relationship
compassionate love
deep, intimate attachment…marked by mutual concern for the welfare of each other
less arousing but psychologically more intimate than passionate love
includes things like: equity-when one receives what s/he gives in a relationship, and self disclosure-revealing intimate details about yourself
makeup of “liking”
intimacy
makeup of compassionate love
intimacy+commitment
makeup of empty love
commitment
makeup of fatuous love
passion+commitment
makeup of infatuation
passion
makeup of romantic love
passion+intimacy
makeup of consummate love
intimacy + passion + commitment
self-concept
an individual’s sense of self in regards to society and personal norms, when creating our self concept we compare ourselves to the norms of society
this is a play off of social norms
we compare ourselves to norms of society and use them to shape our self concept
what was kenneth clark’s doll test about
whether or not the separate but equal norm of society impacted the way black children viewed themselves
what was the conclusion of kenneth clark’s doll test
prejudice, discrimination, and segregation caused black children to develop a sense of inferiority and self hatred
stereotype threat
a self-confirming concern that one will be evaluated based on a negative stereotype
self-fulfilling prophecy
a belief that leads to its own fulfillment
the social and cultural groups of other people lead us to treat them a certain way
social traps
situations where we pursue our personal interests at the cost of our collective well-being
mirror-image perceptions
as we see our enemy as untrustworthy and evil
