what is social psychology? Flashcards
social psychology
scientific study of the effects of social and cognitive processes on the way individuals perceive, influence and relate to others
social processes
the ways in which input from the people and groups around us affect out thougths, feelings and actions
cognitive processes
the ways in which our memories, perceptions, thooughts, emotions and motives influence our understanding of the world and guide our actions
construction of reality
the axiom that eacht person’s view of reality is a construction, shaped both by cognitive processes (the way our mind wordks) and by social processes (input from others either actually present or imagined
Pervasiveness of social influence
the axiom that other people influence virtually all our thoughts, feelings and behavior, whether those others are physically present or not.
Striving for mastery
Motivational principle that people seek to understand and predict events in social world in order to obtain rewards
Seeking connectedness
motivational principle that people seek support, liking ans acceptance from the people and groups they care about and value
Valuing me and mine
The motivational principle that people desire to see themselves, and other people and groups connected to tehemselves, in a positive light.
Conservatism principle
the processing principle that individuals and groups views of the world are slow to change and prone to perpetuate themselves.
Accessobility principle
the processing principle that the information that is most readily availible generally has the most impact on thoughts, feelings and behavior.
Superficiality versus depth
The principle that people ordianry put little effort into dealing with information, but at times are motivated to consider information in more depth.
