Test Answers on Unit 13 – Flashcard
Flashcard maker : Ray Collins
social psychology
the scientific study of how we feel about, think about, and behave toward the other people around us, and how those people influence our thoughts, feelings, and behavior
social situation
the people with whom we are interacting
social cognition
the part of human thinking that helps us understand and predict the behavior of ourselves and others
attitudes
our enduring evaluations of people or things
interpersonal relationships
the behaviors of altruism, aggression, and conformity
social norms
the accepted beliefs about what we do or what we should do in particular social situations (such as the norm of binge drinking common on many college campuses)
indicator of health
youth, symmetry, and average faces
In this situation, the male subjects who were led to believe that they would be talking to an attractive female ____.
most likely had the expectation that she was extroverted and friendly
stereotyping
tendency to attribute personality characteristics to people on the basis of their external appearance or their social group memberships
prejudice
unfair, biased, intolerant attitude toward another group of people
discrimination
negative behaviors toward others based on prejudice
self-fulfilling prophecy
when our expectations about the personality characteristics of others lead us to behave in ways that make those beliefs come true
social identity
the positive emotions that we experience as a result of our group memberships
stereotype threat
concerns about confirming the expectation that they will not do well relative to individuals who belong to stereotypically high-performing groups
The notion that we shouldn’t be “colorblind” because we derive pride from desirable ingroup attributes is based on _____.
social identity theory
social identity theory
suggests that we derive our self-image and selfesteem, in part, from the groups to which we belong. Therefore, eliminating group identity would negate an important source of identity and esteem
The idea that people favor ingroups over outgroups because it enhances their self-esteem to do so is known as _____.
social identity
close relationships
the long-term intimate and romantic relationships that we develop with another person—for instance, in a marriage
interpersonal attraction
what makes people like, and even love, each other
self-disclosure
the tendency to communicate frequently, without fear of reprisal, and in an accepting and empathetic manner
proximity
the extent to which people are physically near us
mere exposure
the tendency to prefer stimuli (including but not limited to people) that we have seen more frequently
Inclusion of Other in the Self Scale
Arthur Aron and his colleagues assessed the role of closeness in relationships
intimate relationship
When the partners in a relationship feel that they are close, and when they indicate that the relationship is based on caring, warmth, acceptance and social support
interdependent relationship
close relationship in part because the couple rely on each other to meet important goals
Commitment
the feelings and actions that keep partners working together to maintain the relationship and is characterized by mutual expectations that the self and the partner will be responsive to each other’s needs
Responsiveness
One of the most important determinants of satisfaction in close relationships
What is supported by the research on social attraction?
“birds of a feather flock together”, people who are similiar like to hang out with one another.
causal attribution
The process of trying to determine the causes of people’s behavior, with the goal of learning about their personalities
dispositional attribution
the source or cause of the behavior was due to characteristics that reside within the individual
situational attribution
the behavior was caused primarily by the situation
self-serving attributions
judging the causes of our own behaviors in overly positive ways
fundamental attribution error (or correspondence bias)
The common tendency to overestimate the role of dispositional factors and overlook the impact of situations in judging others
Regina has just learned that her neighbor’s teenage son Anthony was involved in an automobile accident at a nearby intersection. She then remarked to her husband, “Well, Anthony’s recklessness has finally got him into trouble!”
Fundamental attribution error
Jeremy earned an A in his philosophy class and concluded that he had quite a talent for writing coherently and thinking logically. When he earned a C in his sociology class, he expressed dissatisfaction with the course content, the teaching ability of the professor, and the quality and clarity of the exams.
Self-serving attribution
Matt lost his job two months ago when his company downsized its operations; despite his efforts, he has not yet found another job. One of his neighbors stated that Matt is just like most unemployed people — irresponsible, unmotivated, and basically lazy.
Fundamental attribution error
Inferences that we make about the causes of our own and others’ behavior are termed ______________.
attributions
Attitude
our relatively enduring evaluations of people and things
Choose effective communicators.
Communicators who are attractive, expert, trustworthy, and similar to the listener are most persuasive.
Consider the goals of the listener.
If the listener wants to be entertained, then it is better to use a humorous ad; if the listener is processing the ad more carefully, use a more thoughtful one.
Use humor.
People are more easily persuaded when they are in a good mood.
Use classical conditioning.
Try to associate your product with positive stimuli such as funny jokes or attractive models.
Make use of the listener’s emotions.
Humorous and fear-arousing ads can be effective because they arouse the listener’s emotions.
Use the listener’s behavior to modify his or her attitude.
One approach is the foot-in-the-door technique. First ask for a minor request, and then ask for a larger request after the smaller request has been accepted.
self-monitoring
the tendency to regulate behavior to meet the demands of social situations
Self-perception
when we use our own behavior as a guide to help us determine our own thoughts and feelings
Cognitive dissonance
the discomfort we experience when we choose to behave in ways that we see as inappropriate
attitude: 3 parts
an affective component, consisting of our emotional reactions toward the attitude object (e.g., another person or a social issue); a cognitive component, consisting of our thoughts and beliefs about the attitude object, and a behavioral component, consisting of our actions or observable behaviors toward the attitude object
When emotions are aroused in an individual after being exposed to an object, we would say that the ____________ component of attitude is present.
affective component
Nicole asks herself, “Hmmm…do I like Thai food? I guess I do because I eat at a Thai restaurant at least two times a month.” The process reflected in this internal dialogue is best understood in terms of _____.
self-perception theory
Scott has always strongly believed that it is wrong to cheat. But after he cheats on a physics test, his attitude toward cheating becomes significantly less harsh. What best accounts for this attitude shift?
Cognitive dissonance theory
Brian listens to music while studying for his economics test. While he studies, he nods his head in tune with the music. Over time, Brian realizes he likes economics a lot more than he initially liked it. Which theory best explains why?
Self-perception theory .
Altruism
any behavior that is designed to increase another person’s welfare, and particularly those actions that do not seem to provide a direct reward to the person who performs them
Reciprocal altruism
the principle that, if we help other people now, those others will return the favor should we need their help in the future
social responsibility norm
we should try to help others who need assistance, even without any expectation of future paybacks
Diffusion of responsibility
when we assume that others will take action and therefore we do not take action ourselves
The concept of altruism refers to ____.
unselfish behavior that benefits others without regard to consequences for the self
Kitty Genovese was brutally murdered in front of several eyewitnesses who did not intervene or call for help. According to social psychologists, this failure to assist Kitty was due to _____.
a diffusion of responsibility
Aggression
behavior that is intended to harm another individual
displaced aggression
aggression that is directed at an object or person other than the person who caused the frustration
Catharsis
the idea that observing or engaging in less harmful aggressive actions will reduce the tendency to aggress later in a more harmful way
desensitization
the tendency over time to show weaker emotional responses to emotional stimuli
culture of honor
The social norm that condones and even encourages responding to insults with aggression
Which of these actions, according to research, should be most successful in reducing the degree of aggression that Paul would use against you in retaliation?
You have Paul read a crime story intended to activate his prefrontal cortex.
Adam grew up in a “culture of honor.” Research suggests that relative to someone who did not grow up in this kind of culture, Adam is more likely to aggress ____.
when someone calls his girlfriend ugly
Higher levels of aggression
is associated with high levels of testosterone, alcohol, frustration, catharsis, pain, violent media, heat negative affect, and inflated self-esteem
conformity
a change in beliefs or behavior that occurs as the result of the presence of the other people around us
informational conformity
We conform not only because we believe that other people have accurate information and we want to have knowledge
normative conformity
we want to be liked by others
obedience
The tendency to conform to those in authority
minority influence
cases in which a smaller number of individuals is able to influence the opinions or behaviors of the larger group
psychological reactance
a strong emotional reaction that leads people to resist pressures to conform
After their recent test, Carl hears each of his friends say the test was too difficult. Carl knows the test was actually easy, as most people passed it. However, because he doesn’t want to make a scene, Carl agrees with his friends.
Normative conformity
Before registering for the next semester, Karen asks her friends about a professor she doesn’t know. They all say the professor is a great teacher. Consequently, Karen assumes that this person is a great teacher and enrolls in the course
Informational conformity
Lucy publicly agrees with her seventh-grade classmates that parents should allow 13-year-olds to date. Later that day, she writes in her diary that she actually believes parents should prohibit kids from dating until they are at least 16 years old.
Normative conformity
In Sherif’s studies, participants were shown a point of light in a completely darkened room. The participants were asked to judge the light’s movement daily for four days. The results showed that the participants ____.
gradually converged to a group norm
An important difference between Asch’s study in which participants judged the length of lines and Sherif’s study in which participants judged the movement of light was that ____.
There was an obviously correct answer in judging the length of lines, but that was not so in judging the movement of light
One reason that people are willing to obey persons in authority who order them to engage in destructive behaviors is that ____.
the authority figure relieves those who obey of responsibility for their actions
A possible reason why authority figures can be so successful in getting obedience for horrific tasks is that they ______.
begin their persecution gradually
The most fundamental lesson to be learned from Milgram’s study of obedience is that ___.
even ordinary people, who are not usually hostile, can become agents of destruction
The classic “shock” study of obedience is associated with ______.
Milgram
Approximately _______ of the participants in Milgram’s experiment were willing to deliver the maximum shock level to the participant.
65%
Four steps on helping behavior, or altruism
The first step is for the person to notice that there is an emergency. The second step is for the person to interpret the event as an emergency. The third step is for the person to assume some responsibility for the emergency. The fourth step is for the person to know the appropriate form of response to the emergency.
social facilitation
The tendency to perform tasks better or faster in the presence of others
social inhibition
The tendency to perform tasks more poorly or more slowly in the presence of others
group process
the events that occur while the group is working on the task
group process gain
When the outcome of group performance is better than we would expect given the individuals who form the group
group process loss
when the group outcome is worse than we would have expected given the individuals who form the group
social loafing
a group process loss that occurs when people do not work as hard in a group as they do when they are working alone
Jason is exceptionally good at ping-pong. According to the research, good players such as Jason, who know they are being watched when they play, perform ______.
better than good players who do not know they are being watched
Groupthink
a phenomenon that occurs when a group made up of members who may be very competent and thus quite capable of making excellent decisions nevertheless ends up, as a result of a flawed group process and strong conformity pressures, making a poor decision
illusion of group productivity
The tendency for group members to overvalue the productivity of the groups they work in
Techniques That Can Be Used to Improve Group Performance
Provide rewards for performance. Keep group member contributions identifiable. Maintain distributive justice (equity). Keep groups small. Create positive group norms. Improve information sharing. Allow plenty of time. Set specific and attainable goals.
Imagine a group of corporate managers are experiencing groupthink. Which of the following is a symptom of this phenomenon?
When reaching a consensus is valued over critically evaluating the facts
