Swarthmore College Psychology Final Exam Social Pscyhology
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Social Psychology
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the scientific study of how we think about, influence, and relate to one another.
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attribution theory
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the theory that we explain someone's behavior by credit- ing either the situation or the person's disposition.
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fundamental attribution error
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the tendency for observers, when analyzing others' behavior, to underestimate the im- pact of the situation and to overestimate the impact of personal disposition.
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attitude
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feelings, often influenced by our beliefs, that predispose us to respond in a particular way to objects, people, and events.
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peripheral route persuasion
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occurs when people are influenced by incidental cues, such as a speaker's attractiveness.
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central route persuasion
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occurs when interested people focus on the arguments and respond with favorable thoughts.
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foot-in-the-door phenomenon
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the tendency for people who have first agreed to a small request to comply later with a larger request.
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role
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a set of expectations (norms) about a social position, defining how those in the position ought to behave.
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cognitive dissonance theory
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the theory that we act to reduce the dis- comfort (dissonance) we feel when two of our thoughts (cognitions) are incon- sistent. For example, when we become aware that our attitudes and our actions clash, we can reduce the resulting dis- sonance by changing our attitudes.
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conformity
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adjusting our behavior or thinking to coincide with a group standard.
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normative social influence
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influence resulting from a person's desire to gain approval or avoid disapproval.
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informational social influence
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influ- ence resulting from one's willingness to accept others' opinions about reality.
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social facilitation
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improved perfor- mance on simple or well-learned tasks in the presence of others.
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social loafing
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the tendency for people in a group to exert less effort when pooling their efforts toward attaining a common goal than when individually accountable.
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deindividuation
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the loss of self- awareness and self-restraint occurring in group situations that foster arousal and anonymity.
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group polarization
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the enhancement of a group's prevailing inclinations through discussion within the group.
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group think
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groupthink the mode of thinking that occurs when the desire for harmony in a decision-making group overrides a realistic appraisal of alternatives.
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stereotype
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a generalized (sometimes accurate but often overgeneralized) belief about a group of people.
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discrimination
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unjustifiable negative behavior toward a group and its members.
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just-world phenomenon
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the ten- dency for people to believe the world is just and that people therefore get what they deserve and deserve what they get
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ingroup
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\"us\"—people with whom we share a common identity.
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outgroup
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\"them\"—those perceived as different or apart from our ingroup.
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ingroup bias
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the tendency to favor our own group.
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scapegoat theory
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the theory that prejudice offers an outlet for anger by providing someone to blame.
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social script
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culturally modeled guide for how to act in various situations.
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mere exposure effect
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the phenom- enon that repeated exposure to novel stimuli increases liking of them.
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passionate love
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an aroused state of intense positive absorption in another, usually present at the beginning of a love relationship.
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companionate love
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the deep affec- tionate attachment we feel for those with whom our lives are intertwined.
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equity
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a condition in which people receive from a relationship in proportion to what they give to it.
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self-disclosure
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the act of revealing intimate aspects of oneself to others.
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altruism
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unselfish regard for the welfare of others
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bystander effect
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the tendency for any given bystander to be less likely to give aid if other bystanders are present.
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social exchange theory
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the theory that our social behavior is an exchange process, the aim of which is to maximize benefits and minimize costs.
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reciprocity norm
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an expectation that people will help, not hurt, those who have helped them.
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social-responsibility norm
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an expec- tation that people will help those needing their help.
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conflict
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a perceived incompatibility of actions, goals, or ideas.
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social trap
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a situation in which the conflicting parties, by each pursuing their self-interest rather than the good of the group, become caught in mutually destructive behavior.
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mirror-image perceptions
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mutual views often held by conflicting people, as when each side sees itself as ethical and peaceful and views the other side as evil and aggressive.
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self-fulfilling prophecy
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a belief that leads to its own fulfillment.
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superordinate goals
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shared goals that override differences among people and require their cooperation.
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GRIT
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Graduated and Reciprocated Initia- tives in Tension-Reduction—a strategy designed to decrease international tensions.
