Test Answers on Social Psychology – Flashcards

question
Social Psychology
answer
a scientific investigation of how the thoughts, feelings, and behavior of individuals are influenced by the actual, imagined, or implied presence of others
question
behaviorism
answer
an emphasis on explaining observable behavior in terms of reinforcement schedules
question
demand characteristics
answer
features of an experiment that seem to "demand" a certain response
question
experimental method
answer
intentional manipulation of independent variables in order to investigate effects on one or more dependent variables
question
experimental realism
answer
psychological impact of that manipulations in an experiment
question
experimental effect
answer
effect that is produced or influenced by clues to the hypothesis under examination, inadvertently given by the experimenter
question
external validity
answer
similarity between circumstances surrounding an experiment and circumstances encountered in everyday life
question
internal validity
answer
psychological impact of manipulations in an experiment
question
levels of explanation
answer
thoery of leadership in which effective leadership rests on the ability of the leader to develop good-quality personalized exchange relationships with individual members
question
metatheory
answer
set of interrelated concepts and principles concerning which theories or types of theory are appropriate
question
mundane realism
answer
similarity between circumstances surrounding an experiment and circumstances encountered in everyday life
question
neo-behaviorism
answer
one who attempts to explain observable behavior in terms of contextual factors and unobservable intervening constructs such as beliefs, feelings, and motives
question
radical behaviorism
answer
one who explains observable behavior in terms of reinforcement schedules, without recourse to any intervening unobservable (cognitive) constructs
question
reductionism
answer
a phenomenon in terms of language an concepts of lower level analysis, usually with a loss of explanatory power
question
subject effects
answer
effects that are not spontaneous, owing to demand characteristics and/or participants wishing to please the experimenter
question
accentuation principle
answer
categorization accentuates perceived similarities within and differences between groups on dimensions that people believe are correlated with the categorization. The effect is amplified where the categorization and/or dimension had subjective importance, relevance, or value
question
motivated tactician
answer
a model of social cognition that characterizes people as having multiple cognitive strategies available, which they choose among on the basis of personal goals, motives, and needs
question
affect-infusion model
answer
cognition is infused with affect sich that social judgements reflect current mood
question
normative models
answer
ideal processes for making accurate social inferences
question
anchoring and adjustment
answer
a cognitive short-cut in which inferences are tied to initial standards or schemas
question
paired distinctiveness
answer
illusory correlation in which items are seen as belonging together because they share some unusual feature
question
attribution
answer
the process of assigning a cause to our own behavior, and that of others
question
peripheral traits
answer
traits that have an insignificant influence on the configuration of final impressions, in Asch's configural model of impression formation
question
availability heuristic
answer
a cognitive short-cut in which the frequency or likelihood of an event is based on how quickly instances or associations come to mind
question
personal constructs
answer
idiosyncratic and personal ways of characterizing other people
question
primacy
answer
an order of presentation effect in which earlier presented information has a disproportionate influence on social cognition
question
prototype
answer
cognitive representation of typical/ideal defining features of a category
question
recency
answer
an order of presentation effect in which later presented information has a disproportionate influence on social cognition
question
subtyping
answer
schema change as a consequence of schema inconsistent information, causing the formation of sub-categories
question
vividness
answer
an intrinsic property of a stimulus on its owen that makes it stand out and attract attention
question
base rate information
answer
pallid, factual, statistical information about an entire class of events
question
behavioral decision theory
answer
set of normative models (ideal processes) for making accurate social inferences
question
illusory correlation
answer
cognitive exaggeration of the degree of co-occurrence of two stimuli or events, or the perception of a co-occurrence where non exists
question
implicit personality theories
answer
idiosyncratic and personal ways of characterizing other people and explaining their behavior
question
bookkeeping
answer
gradual schema change through the accumulation of bits of schema-inconsistent information
question
central traits
answer
traits that have a disproportionate influence on the configuration of final impressions, Asch's configural model of impression formation
question
cognitive consistency
answer
a model os social categorization in which people try to reduce inconsistency among their cognitions, because they find inconsistency unpleasant
question
cognitive miser
answer
a model of social cognition that characterizes people as using the least complex and demanding cognitions that are able to produce generally adaptive behaviors
question
configural model
answer
Asch's Gestalt-based model of impression formation, in which central traits play a disproportionate role configuring the final impression
question
conversion
answer
sudden schema change as a consequence of gradual accumulation of schema inconsistent information
question
exemplars
answer
specific instance sof a member of a category
question
fuzzy sets
answer
categories are considered to be fuzzy sets of features organized around a prototype
question
Gestalt psychology
answer
perspective in which the whole influences constituent parts rather than vice versa
question
heuristics
answer
cognitive short-cuts that provide adequately accurate inferences for most of us most of the time
question
regression
answer
tendency for initial observations of instances from a category to be more extreme than subsequent observations
question
representativeness heuristic
answer
a cognitive short0cut in which instances are assigned to categories or types on the basis of overall similarity or resemblance to the category
question
schema
answer
cognitive structure that represents knowledge about a concept or type of stimulus, including its attributes and the relations among those attributes
question
script
answer
a schema about an event
question
social cognition
answer
cognitive processes and structures that influence and are influenced by social behavior
question
social judge ability
answer
perception of whether it is socially acceptable to judge a specific target
question
social neuroscience
answer
the exploration of the neurological underpinnings of the processes traditionally examined by social psychology
question
actor observer effect
answer
tendency to attribute our own behaviors externally and others' behaviors internally
question
attributional style
answer
an individual (personality) predisposition to make a certain type of causal attribution for behavior
question
belief in a just world
answer
belief that the world i just and predictable place where food things happen to food people and bad things happen to bad people
question
causal schematic
answer
experience-based beliefs about how certain types of cause interact to produce effect
question
consensus information
answer
information about the extent to which other people react in the same way to a stimulus X
question
consistency information
answer
information about the extent to which a behavior Y always co-occurs with a stimulus X
question
correspondent inference
answer
causal attribution of behavior to underlying dispositions
question
covariation model
answer
Kelley's theory of causal attribution- people assign the cause of behavior to the factor that covaries most closely with the behavior
question
discounting
answer
if there is no consistent relationship between a specific cause and a specific behavior, that cause is discounted in favor of some other cause
question
distinctiveness information
answer
information about whether a person's reaction occurs only with one stimulus, or is a common reaction to many stimuli
question
external attribution
answer
assigning the cause of our own of others' behavior to external or environmental factors
question
false consensus effect
answer
seeing our own behavior as being more typical than it really is
question
fundamental attribution error
answer
bias in attributing another's behavior more to internal than to situational causes
question
hedonic relevance
answer
refers to behavior that has important direct consequences for self
question
illusion of control
answer
belief that we have more control over our world than we really do
question
intergroup attribution
answer
process of assigning the cause of one's own or others' behavior to group membership
question
internal attribution
answer
process of assigning the cause of our own or others' behavior to internal of dispositional factors
question
non-common effects
answer
effects of behavior that are relatively exclusive to that behavior rather than other behaviors
question
over-justification effect
answer
in the absence of obvious external determinants of our behavior, we assume that we freely choose the behavior because we enjoy it
question
personalism
answer
behavior that appears to be directly intended to benefit or harm oneself rather than others
question
self-handicapping
answer
publicly making advance external attributions for our anticipated failure or poor performance in a forthcoming event
question
self-perception theory
answer
Bem's idea that we gain knowledge of ourselves only by making self-attributions: for example, we infer our own attitudes from our own behavior
question
self-serving bias
answer
attributional distortions that protect of enhance self-esteem or the self-concept
question
ultimate attribution error
answer
tendency to attribute bad outgroup or good ingroup behavior internally, and to attribute good outgroup and bad ingroup behavior externally
question
acquiescent response sets
answer
tendency to agree with items in an attitude questionnaire. This leads to a ambiguity in interpretation if a high score on an attitude questionnaire can be obtained only by agreeing with all or most items
question
priming
answer
activation of accessible categories or schema in memory that influence how we process new information
question
attitude
answer
a relatively enduring organization of beliefs feelings and behavioral tendencies towards socially significant objects, groups, events, or symbols. A general feeling or evaluation - positive or negative- about some person, object, or issue
question
attitude formation
answer
the process of forming our atitudes mainly from our own experiences, the influence of others, and our emotional reactions
question
automatic activation
answer
according to Fazio, attitudes that have a strong evaluative link to situational cues are more likely to come automatically to mind from memory
question
balance theory
answer
according to Heider, people prefer attitudes that are consistent with each other, over those that re inconsistent. A person tries to maintain consistency in attitudes to, and relationships with, other people, and elements of the environment
question
Bogus pipeline technique
answer
a measurement technique that leads people to believe that a lie detector can monitor their emotional responses , thus measuring their true attitudes
question
relative homogeneity effect
answer
tendency to see outgroup members as all the same, and ingroup members as more differentiated
question
self-efficacy
answer
expectations that we have about our capacity to succeed in particular tasks
question
sociocognitive model
answer
attitude theory highlighting an evaluative component Knowledge of an object is represented in memory along with a summary of how to appraise it
question
unobtrusive measures
answer
observational approaches that neither intrude on the processes being studied nor cause people to behave unnaturally
question
cognitive consistency theories
answer
a group of attitude theories stressing that people try to maintain internal consistency, order, and agreement among their various cognitions
question
expectancy-value model
answer
direct experience with an attitude object informs a person how much that object should be liked or disliked in the future
question
mere exposure effect
answer
repeated exposure to an object results in greater attraction to that object
question
multiple-act criterion
answer
term for a general behavioral index based on an average or combination of several specific behaviors
question
terror management theory
answer
the notion that the most fundmental human motivation is to reduce the terror of the inevitability of death. Self-esteem may be centrally implicated in effective terror management
question
theory of planned behavior
answer
modification by Azjen of the theory of reasoned action. It suggests that predicting a behavior from an attitude measure is improved if people believe they have control over that behavior
question
theory of reasoned action
answer
Fishbein and Azjen's model of the links between attitude and behavior. A major feature is the proposition that the best way to predict a behavior is to ask whether the person intends to do it
question
three-component attitude model
answer
an attitude consists of cognitive, affective, and behavioral components. This threefold division had an ancient heritage, stressing thought, feeling, and action as basic to human experience
question
two-component attitude model
answer
and attitude consists of a mental readiness to act. It also guides evaluative (judgmental) responses
question
unidimensionality
answer
a Guttman scale is cumulative: that is, agreement with the highest-scoring item implies agreement with all lower-scoring items
question
one-component attitude model
answer
an attitude consists of affect towards or evaluation of an object
question
audience
answer
intended target of a persuasive communication
question
cognitive dissonance
answer
state of psychological tension, produced by simultaneously having two opposing cognitions. People are motivated to reduce the tension, often by changing or rejecting one of the cognitions. festinger proposed that we seek harmony in our attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors, and try to reduce tension from inconsistency among these elements
question
effort justification
answer
a special case of cognitive dissonance: inconsistency is experienced when a person makes a considerable effort to achieve a modest goal
question
elaboration likelihood model
answer
Petty and Cacioppo's model of attitude change: when people attend to a message carefully, they use a central route to process it; otherwise they use a peripheral route. This model competes with the heuristic-systematic model
question
forewarning effects
answer
advance knowledge that one is to be the target of a persuasion attempt. Forewarning often produces resistance to persuasion
question
Heuristic-systematic model
answer
Chaiken's model of attitude change: when people attednd toa message carefully, they use systematic processing; otherwise they process information by using heuristics, or 'mental short-cuts'. This model competes with the elaboration likelihood model
question
induced compliance
answer
a special case of cognitive dissonance: inconsistencies are experienced when a person is persuaded to behave in a way that is contrary to an attitude
question
inoculation
answer
a way of making people resistant to persuasion. By providing them with a diluted counterargument, they can build up effective refutations to a later, stronger argument
question
post-decisional conflict
answer
the dissonance associated with behaving in a counter-attitudinal way. dissonance can be reduced by bringing the attitude into line with the behavior
question
reactance
answer
Brehm's theory that people try to protect their freedom to act. When they perceive that this freedom has been curtailed, they will act to regain it.
question
reciprocity principle
answer
the law of doing unto others as they do to you. it can refer to an attempt to gain compliance by first doing someone a favor, or to mutual aggression or mutual attraction
question
self-affirmation theory
answer
the theory that people reduce the impact of threat to their self concept by focusing on and affirming their competence in some other area
question
BIRGing
answer
Basking in reflected glory - that is, namedropping to link yourself with desirable people or groups and thus improve other people's impression of you
question
depersonalization
answer
the perception and treatment of self and others not as unique individual persons but as prototypical embodiments of a social group
question
impression management
answer
people's use of various strategies to get other people to view them in a positive light
question
looking-glass self
answer
the self derived from seeing ourselves as others see us
question
metacontrast principle
answer
the prototype of a group is that position within the group that has the largest ratio of differences to ingroup positions and differences to outgroup positions
question
regulatory focus theory
answer
a promotion focus causes people to be approach-oriented in constructing a sense of self; a prevention focus causes people to be more cautious and avoidant in constructing a sense of self
question
self-categorization theory
answer
Turner and associates' theory of how the process of categorizing oneself as a group member produces social identity and group and intergroup behaviors
question
self-discrepancy theory
answer
Higgins' theory about the consequences of making actual-ideal and actual-ought self comparisons that reveal self discrepancies
question
self-evaluation maintenance model
answer
people who are constrained to make esteem-damaging upward comparisons can underplay or deny similarity to the target, or they can withdraw from their relationship with the target
question
self-monitoring
answer
carefully controlling how we present ourselves. There are situational differences and individual differences in self-monitoring
question
self-presentation
answer
a deliberate effort to act in ways that create a particular impression, usually favorable, of ourselves
question
self-regulation
answer
strategies that we use to match our behavior to an ideal or ought standard
question
self-verification
answer
seeking out information that verifies and confirms what we already know about ourselves
question
social comparison theory
answer
comparing our behaviors and opinions with those of others in order to establish the correct or socially approved way of thinking and behaving
question
social identity
answer
that part of the self-concept that derives from our membership of social groups
question
social identity theory
answer
theory of group membership and intergroup relations based on self-categorization, social comparison, and the construction of a shared self-definition in terms of ingroup-defining properties
question
symbolic interactionism
answer
theory of how the self emerges from human interaction, which involves people trading symbols (through language and gesture) that are usually consensual, and represent abstract properties rather than concrete objects
question
autokinesis
answer
optical illusion in which a pinpoint of light shining in complete darkness appears to move about
question
conformity
answer
deep-seated, private, and enduring change in behavior and attitudes due to group pressure
question
dual-process dependency model
answer
general model of social influence in which two separate processes operate - dependency on others for social approval and for information about reality
question
foot-in-the-door tactic
answer
multiple-request technique to gain compliance, in which the focal request is preceded by a smaller request that is bound to be accepted
question
informational influence
answer
an influence to accept information from another as evidence about reality
question
low-ball tactic
answer
technique for inducing compliance in which a person who agrees to a request still feels committed after finding that there are hidden costs
question
minority influence
answer
social influence processes whereby numerical or power minorities change the attitudes of the majority
question
normative influence
answer
and influence to conform with the positive expectation of others. to gain social approval or to avoid social disapproval
question
reference group
answer
Kelley's term for a group thats is psychologically significant for our behavior and attitudes
question
compliance
answer
superficial, public, and transitory change in behavior and expressed attitudes in response to requests, coercion, or group pressure
question
conversion effect
answer
when minority influence brings about a sudden and dramatic internal and private change in the attitudes of a majority
question
door-in-the-face tactic
answer
multiple-request technique to gain compliance, in which the focal request is preceded by a larger request that is bound to be refused
question
genetic model
answer
Moscovici's early focus on how social conflict between minority and majority can change the attitudes and behaviors of the majority
question
ingratiation
answer
strategic attempt to get someone to like you in order to obtain compliance with a request
question
referent informational influence
answer
pressure to conform with a group norm that defines oneself as a group member
question
audience effect
answer
impact on individual task performance of the presence of others
question
cohesiveness
answer
the property of a group that affectively binds people, as group members, to one another and to the group as a whole, giving the group a sense of solidarity and oneness
question
contingency theory
answer
theories of leadership that consider the leadership effectiveness of particular behaviors or behavioral styles to be contingent on the nature of the leadership situation
question
coordination loss
answer
deterioration is group performance compared with individual performance, due to problems in coordinating behavior
question
drive theory
answer
Zajonc's theory that te physical presence of members of the same species instinctively causes arousal that motivates performance of habitual behavior patterns
question
free rider effect
answer
gaining the benefits of group membership by avoiding costly obligations of membership and by allowing other members to incur those costs
question
idiosyncrasy credit
answer
Hollander's transactional theory, that followers reward leaders for achieving group goals by allowing them to be relatively idiosyncratic
question
production blocking
answer
reduction in individual creativity and productivity in brainstorming groups due to interruptions and turn taking
question
risky shift
answer
tendency for group discussion to produce group decisions that are more risky than the mean of members' pre-discussion opinions, but only if the pre-discussion mean already favored risk
question
cultural values theory
answer
the view that people in groups use members' opinions about the position valued in the wider culture, and then adjust their views in that direction for social approval reasons
question
distraction-conflict theory
answer
the physical presence of members of the same species causes drive because people are distracting and produce conflict between attending to the task and attending the the audience
question
evaluation apprehension model
answer
the argument that physical presence of members of the same species cause drive because people have learned to be apprehensive about being evaluated
question
great person theory
answer
perspective on leadership that attributes effective leadership to innate or acquired individual characteristics
question
group polarization
answer
tendency for a group discussion to produce extreme group decisions than the mean of members' pre-discussion opinions, in the direction favored by the mean
question
groupthink
answer
a mode of thinking i highly cohesive groups in which the desire to reach unanimous agreement overrides the motivation to adopt proper rational decision-making procedures
question
mere presence
answer
refers to an entirely passive and unresponsive audience that is only physically present
question
persuasive arguments theory
answer
view that people in groups are persuaded by novel information that supports their initial position, and this become more extreme in their endorsement of their initial position
question
Ringelmann effect
answer
individual effort on a task diminishes as group size increases
question
situational control
answer
Fiedler's classifications of task characteristics in terms of how much control effective task performance requires
question
social compensation
answer
increased effort on a collective task to compensate for other group members' actual, perceived, and anticipated lack of effort or ability
question
social decision schemes
answer
explicit or implicit decision'making rules that relate individual opinions to a final group decision
question
social facilitation
answer
an improvement in the performance of well-learned easy tasks and a deterioration in the performance of poorly learned, difficult tasks in the mere presence of members of the same species
question
social impact
answer
the effect that other people have on our attitudes and behaviors, usually as a consequence of factors such as group size and temporal and physical immediacy
question
social loafing
answer
a reduction in individual effort when working on a collective task (one in which our outputs are pooled with those of other group members) compared with working either alone or on actively (our outputs are not pooled)
question
task-oriented leader
answer
a leader who is concerned more with getting the job done than with workers' feelings and relationships
question
transactive memory
answer
group members have a shared memory for who within the group remembers what and is the expert on what
question
collective behavior
answer
the behavior of people en masse - such as in a crowd, protest, or riot
question
cognitive alternatives
answer
belief that the status quo is unstable and illegitimate, and that social competition with the dominant group is the appropriate strategy to improve social identity
question
contact hypothesis
answer
the view that bringing members of opposing social groups together will improve intergroup relations and reduce prejudice and discrimination
question
deindividuation
answer
process whereby people lose their sense of socialized individual identity and engage in unsocialized, often antisocial, behaviors
question
egoistic relative deprivation
answer
a feeling of personally having less than we feel we are entitled to, relative to our aspirations or to other individuals
question
emergent norm theory
answer
collective behavior is regulated by norms based on distinctive behavior that arises in the initially normless crowd
question
ethnocentrism
answer
evaluative preference for all aspects of our own group relative to other groups
question
fraternalistic relative deprivation
answer
sense that our group had less than it is entitled to, relative to its aspirations or to other groups
question
intergroup behavior
answer
behavior among individuals that is regulated by those individuals' awareness of and identification with different social groups
question
intergroup differentiation
answer
behavior that emphasizes differences between our own group and other groups
question
minimal group paradigm
answer
experimental methodology to investigate the effect of social categorization alone on behavior
question
prisoner's dilemma
answer
two-person game in which both parties are torn between competition and cooperation and, depending on mutual choices, both can win or both can lose
question
realistic conflict theory
answer
Sherif's theory of intergroup conflict that explains intergroup behavior in terms of the nature of goal relations between groups
question
relative deprivation
answer
a sense of having less than we feel entitled to
question
relative homogeneity effect
answer
tendency to see outgroup members as all the same, and ingroup members as more differentiated
question
social change belief system
answer
belief that intergroup boundaries are impermeable. Therefore, a lower status individual can improve social identity only by challenging the legitimacy of the higher-status group's position
question
social mobility belief system
answer
belief that intergroup boundaries are permeable. This, it is possible for someone to pass from a lower-status into a higher-status group to improve social identity
question
superordinate goals
answer
goals that both groups desire but that can be achieved only by both groups cooperating
question
altruism
answer
a special form of helping behavior, sometimes costly, that shows concern for fellow human beings and is performed without expectation of personal gain
question
bystander-calculus model
answer
in attending to an emergency, the bystander calculates the perceived costs and benefits of providing help compared with those associated with not helping
question
bystander intervention
answer
this occurs when an individual breaks out of the role of a bystander and helps another person in an emergency
question
diffusion of responsibility
answer
tendency of an individual to assume that others will take responsibility (as a result, no one does). This is a hypothesized cause of the bystander effect
question
empathetic concern
answer
an element in Batson's theory of helping behavior. In contrast to personal distrust (which may lead us to flee from the situation), it includes feelings of warmth, being soft-hearted, and having compassion for a person in need
question
empathy costs of not helping
answer
Piliavin's view that failing to help can cause distress to a bystander who empathizes with a victim's plight
question
fear of social blunders
answer
that dread of acting inappropriately or of making a foolish mistake witnessed by others. The desire to avoid ridicule inhibits effective responses to an emergency by members of a group
question
just-world hypothesis
answer
according to Lerner, people need to believe that the world is a just place where they get what they deserve. As evidence of undeserved suffering undermines this belief, people may conclude that victims deserve their fate
question
learning by vicarious experience
answer
acquiring a behavior after observing that another person was rewarded for it
question
personal costs of not helping
answer
Piliavin's view that not helping a victim in distress can be costly to a bystander (e.g. experiencing blame)
question
prosocial behavior
answer
acts that are positively valued by society
question
social learning theory
answer
the view championed by Bandura that human social behavior is not innate but learned from appropriate models
question
social responsibility norm
answer
the idea that we should help people who are dependent and in need. It is contradicted by another norm that discourages interfering in other people's lives
question
affiliative behavior
answer
behaviors which promote group cohesion (friendly/positive gestures), e.g. grooming, touching, and hugging.
question
companionate love
answer
the caring and affection for another person that usually arises from sharing time together
question
comparison level
answer
a standard that develops over time, allowing us to judge whether a new relationship is profitable or not
question
cost-reward ratio
answer
tenet of social exchange theory, according to which liking for another is determined by calculating what it will cost to be reinforced by that person
question
distributive justice
answer
the fairness of the outcome of a decision
question
equity theory
answer
a special case of social exchange theory that defines a relationship as equitable when the ratio of inputs to outcomes is seen to be the same by both partners
question
gain-loss hypothesis
answer
paradox of liking people more if they initially dislike us and then later likes us; and of liking them less if the sequence is reversed
question
minimax strategy
answer
in relating to others, we try to minimize the costs and maximize the rewards that accrue
question
passion love
answer
state of intense absorption in another person involving physiological arousal
question
proximity
answer
the factor of living close by i known to play an important role in the early stages of forming a friendship
question
reinforcement affect model
answer
model of attraction which postulates that we like people who are around when we experience a positive feeling (which itself is reinforcing
question
relationship dissolution model
answer
Duck's proposal of the sequence through which most long-term relationships proceed if they finally break down
question
three factor theory of love
answer
Hatfield and Walster distinguished three components of what we label 'love': a cultural concept of love, and appropriate person to love and emotional arousal
1 of

Unlock all answers in this set

Unlock answers
question
Social Psychology
answer
a scientific investigation of how the thoughts, feelings, and behavior of individuals are influenced by the actual, imagined, or implied presence of others
question
behaviorism
answer
an emphasis on explaining observable behavior in terms of reinforcement schedules
question
demand characteristics
answer
features of an experiment that seem to "demand" a certain response
question
experimental method
answer
intentional manipulation of independent variables in order to investigate effects on one or more dependent variables
question
experimental realism
answer
psychological impact of that manipulations in an experiment
question
experimental effect
answer
effect that is produced or influenced by clues to the hypothesis under examination, inadvertently given by the experimenter
question
external validity
answer
similarity between circumstances surrounding an experiment and circumstances encountered in everyday life
question
internal validity
answer
psychological impact of manipulations in an experiment
question
levels of explanation
answer
thoery of leadership in which effective leadership rests on the ability of the leader to develop good-quality personalized exchange relationships with individual members
question
metatheory
answer
set of interrelated concepts and principles concerning which theories or types of theory are appropriate
question
mundane realism
answer
similarity between circumstances surrounding an experiment and circumstances encountered in everyday life
question
neo-behaviorism
answer
one who attempts to explain observable behavior in terms of contextual factors and unobservable intervening constructs such as beliefs, feelings, and motives
question
radical behaviorism
answer
one who explains observable behavior in terms of reinforcement schedules, without recourse to any intervening unobservable (cognitive) constructs
question
reductionism
answer
a phenomenon in terms of language an concepts of lower level analysis, usually with a loss of explanatory power
question
subject effects
answer
effects that are not spontaneous, owing to demand characteristics and/or participants wishing to please the experimenter
question
accentuation principle
answer
categorization accentuates perceived similarities within and differences between groups on dimensions that people believe are correlated with the categorization. The effect is amplified where the categorization and/or dimension had subjective importance, relevance, or value
question
motivated tactician
answer
a model of social cognition that characterizes people as having multiple cognitive strategies available, which they choose among on the basis of personal goals, motives, and needs
question
affect-infusion model
answer
cognition is infused with affect sich that social judgements reflect current mood
question
normative models
answer
ideal processes for making accurate social inferences
question
anchoring and adjustment
answer
a cognitive short-cut in which inferences are tied to initial standards or schemas
question
paired distinctiveness
answer
illusory correlation in which items are seen as belonging together because they share some unusual feature
question
attribution
answer
the process of assigning a cause to our own behavior, and that of others
question
peripheral traits
answer
traits that have an insignificant influence on the configuration of final impressions, in Asch's configural model of impression formation
question
availability heuristic
answer
a cognitive short-cut in which the frequency or likelihood of an event is based on how quickly instances or associations come to mind
question
personal constructs
answer
idiosyncratic and personal ways of characterizing other people
question
primacy
answer
an order of presentation effect in which earlier presented information has a disproportionate influence on social cognition
question
prototype
answer
cognitive representation of typical/ideal defining features of a category
question
recency
answer
an order of presentation effect in which later presented information has a disproportionate influence on social cognition
question
subtyping
answer
schema change as a consequence of schema inconsistent information, causing the formation of sub-categories
question
vividness
answer
an intrinsic property of a stimulus on its owen that makes it stand out and attract attention
question
base rate information
answer
pallid, factual, statistical information about an entire class of events
question
behavioral decision theory
answer
set of normative models (ideal processes) for making accurate social inferences
question
illusory correlation
answer
cognitive exaggeration of the degree of co-occurrence of two stimuli or events, or the perception of a co-occurrence where non exists
question
implicit personality theories
answer
idiosyncratic and personal ways of characterizing other people and explaining their behavior
question
bookkeeping
answer
gradual schema change through the accumulation of bits of schema-inconsistent information
question
central traits
answer
traits that have a disproportionate influence on the configuration of final impressions, Asch's configural model of impression formation
question
cognitive consistency
answer
a model os social categorization in which people try to reduce inconsistency among their cognitions, because they find inconsistency unpleasant
question
cognitive miser
answer
a model of social cognition that characterizes people as using the least complex and demanding cognitions that are able to produce generally adaptive behaviors
question
configural model
answer
Asch's Gestalt-based model of impression formation, in which central traits play a disproportionate role configuring the final impression
question
conversion
answer
sudden schema change as a consequence of gradual accumulation of schema inconsistent information
question
exemplars
answer
specific instance sof a member of a category
question
fuzzy sets
answer
categories are considered to be fuzzy sets of features organized around a prototype
question
Gestalt psychology
answer
perspective in which the whole influences constituent parts rather than vice versa
question
heuristics
answer
cognitive short-cuts that provide adequately accurate inferences for most of us most of the time
question
regression
answer
tendency for initial observations of instances from a category to be more extreme than subsequent observations
question
representativeness heuristic
answer
a cognitive short0cut in which instances are assigned to categories or types on the basis of overall similarity or resemblance to the category
question
schema
answer
cognitive structure that represents knowledge about a concept or type of stimulus, including its attributes and the relations among those attributes
question
script
answer
a schema about an event
question
social cognition
answer
cognitive processes and structures that influence and are influenced by social behavior
question
social judge ability
answer
perception of whether it is socially acceptable to judge a specific target
question
social neuroscience
answer
the exploration of the neurological underpinnings of the processes traditionally examined by social psychology
question
actor observer effect
answer
tendency to attribute our own behaviors externally and others' behaviors internally
question
attributional style
answer
an individual (personality) predisposition to make a certain type of causal attribution for behavior
question
belief in a just world
answer
belief that the world i just and predictable place where food things happen to food people and bad things happen to bad people
question
causal schematic
answer
experience-based beliefs about how certain types of cause interact to produce effect
question
consensus information
answer
information about the extent to which other people react in the same way to a stimulus X
question
consistency information
answer
information about the extent to which a behavior Y always co-occurs with a stimulus X
question
correspondent inference
answer
causal attribution of behavior to underlying dispositions
question
covariation model
answer
Kelley's theory of causal attribution- people assign the cause of behavior to the factor that covaries most closely with the behavior
question
discounting
answer
if there is no consistent relationship between a specific cause and a specific behavior, that cause is discounted in favor of some other cause
question
distinctiveness information
answer
information about whether a person's reaction occurs only with one stimulus, or is a common reaction to many stimuli
question
external attribution
answer
assigning the cause of our own of others' behavior to external or environmental factors
question
false consensus effect
answer
seeing our own behavior as being more typical than it really is
question
fundamental attribution error
answer
bias in attributing another's behavior more to internal than to situational causes
question
hedonic relevance
answer
refers to behavior that has important direct consequences for self
question
illusion of control
answer
belief that we have more control over our world than we really do
question
intergroup attribution
answer
process of assigning the cause of one's own or others' behavior to group membership
question
internal attribution
answer
process of assigning the cause of our own or others' behavior to internal of dispositional factors
question
non-common effects
answer
effects of behavior that are relatively exclusive to that behavior rather than other behaviors
question
over-justification effect
answer
in the absence of obvious external determinants of our behavior, we assume that we freely choose the behavior because we enjoy it
question
personalism
answer
behavior that appears to be directly intended to benefit or harm oneself rather than others
question
self-handicapping
answer
publicly making advance external attributions for our anticipated failure or poor performance in a forthcoming event
question
self-perception theory
answer
Bem's idea that we gain knowledge of ourselves only by making self-attributions: for example, we infer our own attitudes from our own behavior
question
self-serving bias
answer
attributional distortions that protect of enhance self-esteem or the self-concept
question
ultimate attribution error
answer
tendency to attribute bad outgroup or good ingroup behavior internally, and to attribute good outgroup and bad ingroup behavior externally
question
acquiescent response sets
answer
tendency to agree with items in an attitude questionnaire. This leads to a ambiguity in interpretation if a high score on an attitude questionnaire can be obtained only by agreeing with all or most items
question
priming
answer
activation of accessible categories or schema in memory that influence how we process new information
question
attitude
answer
a relatively enduring organization of beliefs feelings and behavioral tendencies towards socially significant objects, groups, events, or symbols. A general feeling or evaluation - positive or negative- about some person, object, or issue
question
attitude formation
answer
the process of forming our atitudes mainly from our own experiences, the influence of others, and our emotional reactions
question
automatic activation
answer
according to Fazio, attitudes that have a strong evaluative link to situational cues are more likely to come automatically to mind from memory
question
balance theory
answer
according to Heider, people prefer attitudes that are consistent with each other, over those that re inconsistent. A person tries to maintain consistency in attitudes to, and relationships with, other people, and elements of the environment
question
Bogus pipeline technique
answer
a measurement technique that leads people to believe that a lie detector can monitor their emotional responses , thus measuring their true attitudes
question
relative homogeneity effect
answer
tendency to see outgroup members as all the same, and ingroup members as more differentiated
question
self-efficacy
answer
expectations that we have about our capacity to succeed in particular tasks
question
sociocognitive model
answer
attitude theory highlighting an evaluative component Knowledge of an object is represented in memory along with a summary of how to appraise it
question
unobtrusive measures
answer
observational approaches that neither intrude on the processes being studied nor cause people to behave unnaturally
question
cognitive consistency theories
answer
a group of attitude theories stressing that people try to maintain internal consistency, order, and agreement among their various cognitions
question
expectancy-value model
answer
direct experience with an attitude object informs a person how much that object should be liked or disliked in the future
question
mere exposure effect
answer
repeated exposure to an object results in greater attraction to that object
question
multiple-act criterion
answer
term for a general behavioral index based on an average or combination of several specific behaviors
question
terror management theory
answer
the notion that the most fundmental human motivation is to reduce the terror of the inevitability of death. Self-esteem may be centrally implicated in effective terror management
question
theory of planned behavior
answer
modification by Azjen of the theory of reasoned action. It suggests that predicting a behavior from an attitude measure is improved if people believe they have control over that behavior
question
theory of reasoned action
answer
Fishbein and Azjen's model of the links between attitude and behavior. A major feature is the proposition that the best way to predict a behavior is to ask whether the person intends to do it
question
three-component attitude model
answer
an attitude consists of cognitive, affective, and behavioral components. This threefold division had an ancient heritage, stressing thought, feeling, and action as basic to human experience
question
two-component attitude model
answer
and attitude consists of a mental readiness to act. It also guides evaluative (judgmental) responses
question
unidimensionality
answer
a Guttman scale is cumulative: that is, agreement with the highest-scoring item implies agreement with all lower-scoring items
question
one-component attitude model
answer
an attitude consists of affect towards or evaluation of an object
question
audience
answer
intended target of a persuasive communication
question
cognitive dissonance
answer
state of psychological tension, produced by simultaneously having two opposing cognitions. People are motivated to reduce the tension, often by changing or rejecting one of the cognitions. festinger proposed that we seek harmony in our attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors, and try to reduce tension from inconsistency among these elements
question
effort justification
answer
a special case of cognitive dissonance: inconsistency is experienced when a person makes a considerable effort to achieve a modest goal
question
elaboration likelihood model
answer
Petty and Cacioppo's model of attitude change: when people attend to a message carefully, they use a central route to process it; otherwise they use a peripheral route. This model competes with the heuristic-systematic model
question
forewarning effects
answer
advance knowledge that one is to be the target of a persuasion attempt. Forewarning often produces resistance to persuasion
question
Heuristic-systematic model
answer
Chaiken's model of attitude change: when people attednd toa message carefully, they use systematic processing; otherwise they process information by using heuristics, or 'mental short-cuts'. This model competes with the elaboration likelihood model
question
induced compliance
answer
a special case of cognitive dissonance: inconsistencies are experienced when a person is persuaded to behave in a way that is contrary to an attitude
question
inoculation
answer
a way of making people resistant to persuasion. By providing them with a diluted counterargument, they can build up effective refutations to a later, stronger argument
question
post-decisional conflict
answer
the dissonance associated with behaving in a counter-attitudinal way. dissonance can be reduced by bringing the attitude into line with the behavior
question
reactance
answer
Brehm's theory that people try to protect their freedom to act. When they perceive that this freedom has been curtailed, they will act to regain it.
question
reciprocity principle
answer
the law of doing unto others as they do to you. it can refer to an attempt to gain compliance by first doing someone a favor, or to mutual aggression or mutual attraction
question
self-affirmation theory
answer
the theory that people reduce the impact of threat to their self concept by focusing on and affirming their competence in some other area
question
BIRGing
answer
Basking in reflected glory - that is, namedropping to link yourself with desirable people or groups and thus improve other people's impression of you
question
depersonalization
answer
the perception and treatment of self and others not as unique individual persons but as prototypical embodiments of a social group
question
impression management
answer
people's use of various strategies to get other people to view them in a positive light
question
looking-glass self
answer
the self derived from seeing ourselves as others see us
question
metacontrast principle
answer
the prototype of a group is that position within the group that has the largest ratio of differences to ingroup positions and differences to outgroup positions
question
regulatory focus theory
answer
a promotion focus causes people to be approach-oriented in constructing a sense of self; a prevention focus causes people to be more cautious and avoidant in constructing a sense of self
question
self-categorization theory
answer
Turner and associates' theory of how the process of categorizing oneself as a group member produces social identity and group and intergroup behaviors
question
self-discrepancy theory
answer
Higgins' theory about the consequences of making actual-ideal and actual-ought self comparisons that reveal self discrepancies
question
self-evaluation maintenance model
answer
people who are constrained to make esteem-damaging upward comparisons can underplay or deny similarity to the target, or they can withdraw from their relationship with the target
question
self-monitoring
answer
carefully controlling how we present ourselves. There are situational differences and individual differences in self-monitoring
question
self-presentation
answer
a deliberate effort to act in ways that create a particular impression, usually favorable, of ourselves
question
self-regulation
answer
strategies that we use to match our behavior to an ideal or ought standard
question
self-verification
answer
seeking out information that verifies and confirms what we already know about ourselves
question
social comparison theory
answer
comparing our behaviors and opinions with those of others in order to establish the correct or socially approved way of thinking and behaving
question
social identity
answer
that part of the self-concept that derives from our membership of social groups
question
social identity theory
answer
theory of group membership and intergroup relations based on self-categorization, social comparison, and the construction of a shared self-definition in terms of ingroup-defining properties
question
symbolic interactionism
answer
theory of how the self emerges from human interaction, which involves people trading symbols (through language and gesture) that are usually consensual, and represent abstract properties rather than concrete objects
question
autokinesis
answer
optical illusion in which a pinpoint of light shining in complete darkness appears to move about
question
conformity
answer
deep-seated, private, and enduring change in behavior and attitudes due to group pressure
question
dual-process dependency model
answer
general model of social influence in which two separate processes operate - dependency on others for social approval and for information about reality
question
foot-in-the-door tactic
answer
multiple-request technique to gain compliance, in which the focal request is preceded by a smaller request that is bound to be accepted
question
informational influence
answer
an influence to accept information from another as evidence about reality
question
low-ball tactic
answer
technique for inducing compliance in which a person who agrees to a request still feels committed after finding that there are hidden costs
question
minority influence
answer
social influence processes whereby numerical or power minorities change the attitudes of the majority
question
normative influence
answer
and influence to conform with the positive expectation of others. to gain social approval or to avoid social disapproval
question
reference group
answer
Kelley's term for a group thats is psychologically significant for our behavior and attitudes
question
compliance
answer
superficial, public, and transitory change in behavior and expressed attitudes in response to requests, coercion, or group pressure
question
conversion effect
answer
when minority influence brings about a sudden and dramatic internal and private change in the attitudes of a majority
question
door-in-the-face tactic
answer
multiple-request technique to gain compliance, in which the focal request is preceded by a larger request that is bound to be refused
question
genetic model
answer
Moscovici's early focus on how social conflict between minority and majority can change the attitudes and behaviors of the majority
question
ingratiation
answer
strategic attempt to get someone to like you in order to obtain compliance with a request
question
referent informational influence
answer
pressure to conform with a group norm that defines oneself as a group member
question
audience effect
answer
impact on individual task performance of the presence of others
question
cohesiveness
answer
the property of a group that affectively binds people, as group members, to one another and to the group as a whole, giving the group a sense of solidarity and oneness
question
contingency theory
answer
theories of leadership that consider the leadership effectiveness of particular behaviors or behavioral styles to be contingent on the nature of the leadership situation
question
coordination loss
answer
deterioration is group performance compared with individual performance, due to problems in coordinating behavior
question
drive theory
answer
Zajonc's theory that te physical presence of members of the same species instinctively causes arousal that motivates performance of habitual behavior patterns
question
free rider effect
answer
gaining the benefits of group membership by avoiding costly obligations of membership and by allowing other members to incur those costs
question
idiosyncrasy credit
answer
Hollander's transactional theory, that followers reward leaders for achieving group goals by allowing them to be relatively idiosyncratic
question
production blocking
answer
reduction in individual creativity and productivity in brainstorming groups due to interruptions and turn taking
question
risky shift
answer
tendency for group discussion to produce group decisions that are more risky than the mean of members' pre-discussion opinions, but only if the pre-discussion mean already favored risk
question
cultural values theory
answer
the view that people in groups use members' opinions about the position valued in the wider culture, and then adjust their views in that direction for social approval reasons
question
distraction-conflict theory
answer
the physical presence of members of the same species causes drive because people are distracting and produce conflict between attending to the task and attending the the audience
question
evaluation apprehension model
answer
the argument that physical presence of members of the same species cause drive because people have learned to be apprehensive about being evaluated
question
great person theory
answer
perspective on leadership that attributes effective leadership to innate or acquired individual characteristics
question
group polarization
answer
tendency for a group discussion to produce extreme group decisions than the mean of members' pre-discussion opinions, in the direction favored by the mean
question
groupthink
answer
a mode of thinking i highly cohesive groups in which the desire to reach unanimous agreement overrides the motivation to adopt proper rational decision-making procedures
question
mere presence
answer
refers to an entirely passive and unresponsive audience that is only physically present
question
persuasive arguments theory
answer
view that people in groups are persuaded by novel information that supports their initial position, and this become more extreme in their endorsement of their initial position
question
Ringelmann effect
answer
individual effort on a task diminishes as group size increases
question
situational control
answer
Fiedler's classifications of task characteristics in terms of how much control effective task performance requires
question
social compensation
answer
increased effort on a collective task to compensate for other group members' actual, perceived, and anticipated lack of effort or ability
question
social decision schemes
answer
explicit or implicit decision'making rules that relate individual opinions to a final group decision
question
social facilitation
answer
an improvement in the performance of well-learned easy tasks and a deterioration in the performance of poorly learned, difficult tasks in the mere presence of members of the same species
question
social impact
answer
the effect that other people have on our attitudes and behaviors, usually as a consequence of factors such as group size and temporal and physical immediacy
question
social loafing
answer
a reduction in individual effort when working on a collective task (one in which our outputs are pooled with those of other group members) compared with working either alone or on actively (our outputs are not pooled)
question
task-oriented leader
answer
a leader who is concerned more with getting the job done than with workers' feelings and relationships
question
transactive memory
answer
group members have a shared memory for who within the group remembers what and is the expert on what
question
collective behavior
answer
the behavior of people en masse - such as in a crowd, protest, or riot
question
cognitive alternatives
answer
belief that the status quo is unstable and illegitimate, and that social competition with the dominant group is the appropriate strategy to improve social identity
question
contact hypothesis
answer
the view that bringing members of opposing social groups together will improve intergroup relations and reduce prejudice and discrimination
question
deindividuation
answer
process whereby people lose their sense of socialized individual identity and engage in unsocialized, often antisocial, behaviors
question
egoistic relative deprivation
answer
a feeling of personally having less than we feel we are entitled to, relative to our aspirations or to other individuals
question
emergent norm theory
answer
collective behavior is regulated by norms based on distinctive behavior that arises in the initially normless crowd
question
ethnocentrism
answer
evaluative preference for all aspects of our own group relative to other groups
question
fraternalistic relative deprivation
answer
sense that our group had less than it is entitled to, relative to its aspirations or to other groups
question
intergroup behavior
answer
behavior among individuals that is regulated by those individuals' awareness of and identification with different social groups
question
intergroup differentiation
answer
behavior that emphasizes differences between our own group and other groups
question
minimal group paradigm
answer
experimental methodology to investigate the effect of social categorization alone on behavior
question
prisoner's dilemma
answer
two-person game in which both parties are torn between competition and cooperation and, depending on mutual choices, both can win or both can lose
question
realistic conflict theory
answer
Sherif's theory of intergroup conflict that explains intergroup behavior in terms of the nature of goal relations between groups
question
relative deprivation
answer
a sense of having less than we feel entitled to
question
relative homogeneity effect
answer
tendency to see outgroup members as all the same, and ingroup members as more differentiated
question
social change belief system
answer
belief that intergroup boundaries are impermeable. Therefore, a lower status individual can improve social identity only by challenging the legitimacy of the higher-status group's position
question
social mobility belief system
answer
belief that intergroup boundaries are permeable. This, it is possible for someone to pass from a lower-status into a higher-status group to improve social identity
question
superordinate goals
answer
goals that both groups desire but that can be achieved only by both groups cooperating
question
altruism
answer
a special form of helping behavior, sometimes costly, that shows concern for fellow human beings and is performed without expectation of personal gain
question
bystander-calculus model
answer
in attending to an emergency, the bystander calculates the perceived costs and benefits of providing help compared with those associated with not helping
question
bystander intervention
answer
this occurs when an individual breaks out of the role of a bystander and helps another person in an emergency
question
diffusion of responsibility
answer
tendency of an individual to assume that others will take responsibility (as a result, no one does). This is a hypothesized cause of the bystander effect
question
empathetic concern
answer
an element in Batson's theory of helping behavior. In contrast to personal distrust (which may lead us to flee from the situation), it includes feelings of warmth, being soft-hearted, and having compassion for a person in need
question
empathy costs of not helping
answer
Piliavin's view that failing to help can cause distress to a bystander who empathizes with a victim's plight
question
fear of social blunders
answer
that dread of acting inappropriately or of making a foolish mistake witnessed by others. The desire to avoid ridicule inhibits effective responses to an emergency by members of a group
question
just-world hypothesis
answer
according to Lerner, people need to believe that the world is a just place where they get what they deserve. As evidence of undeserved suffering undermines this belief, people may conclude that victims deserve their fate
question
learning by vicarious experience
answer
acquiring a behavior after observing that another person was rewarded for it
question
personal costs of not helping
answer
Piliavin's view that not helping a victim in distress can be costly to a bystander (e.g. experiencing blame)
question
prosocial behavior
answer
acts that are positively valued by society
question
social learning theory
answer
the view championed by Bandura that human social behavior is not innate but learned from appropriate models
question
social responsibility norm
answer
the idea that we should help people who are dependent and in need. It is contradicted by another norm that discourages interfering in other people's lives
question
affiliative behavior
answer
behaviors which promote group cohesion (friendly/positive gestures), e.g. grooming, touching, and hugging.
question
companionate love
answer
the caring and affection for another person that usually arises from sharing time together
question
comparison level
answer
a standard that develops over time, allowing us to judge whether a new relationship is profitable or not
question
cost-reward ratio
answer
tenet of social exchange theory, according to which liking for another is determined by calculating what it will cost to be reinforced by that person
question
distributive justice
answer
the fairness of the outcome of a decision
question
equity theory
answer
a special case of social exchange theory that defines a relationship as equitable when the ratio of inputs to outcomes is seen to be the same by both partners
question
gain-loss hypothesis
answer
paradox of liking people more if they initially dislike us and then later likes us; and of liking them less if the sequence is reversed
question
minimax strategy
answer
in relating to others, we try to minimize the costs and maximize the rewards that accrue
question
passion love
answer
state of intense absorption in another person involving physiological arousal
question
proximity
answer
the factor of living close by i known to play an important role in the early stages of forming a friendship
question
reinforcement affect model
answer
model of attraction which postulates that we like people who are around when we experience a positive feeling (which itself is reinforcing
question
relationship dissolution model
answer
Duck's proposal of the sequence through which most long-term relationships proceed if they finally break down
question
three factor theory of love
answer
Hatfield and Walster distinguished three components of what we label 'love': a cultural concept of love, and appropriate person to love and emotional arousal
Get an explanation on any task
Get unstuck with the help of our AI assistant in seconds
New