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1. attribution theory

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the theory that we tend to give a causal explanation for someone's behavior, often by crediting either the situation or the person's disposition

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a. dispositional

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attribution of behavior to internal dispositions

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b. situational

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attribution of behavior to external situations

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c. Harold Kelley

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We make a decision based on consistency, consensus, and distinctiveness (how similar this situation is to another situation)

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d. fundamental attribution error

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the tendency for observers, when analyzing another's behavior, to underestimate the impact o the situation and to overestimate the impact of personal disposition

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e. self-serving bias

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a readiness to perceive oneself favorably

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f. self-fulfilling prophecy (include Rosenthal effect)

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a prediction that causes itself to come true due to the simple fact that the prediction was made; this happens because our beliefs influence our reactions. The Rosenthal Effect refers to the phenomenon in which a prediction can become a self-fulfilling prophecy of the subject's behavior

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2. attitudes (affective [emotional responses] & cognitive [what a person thinks])

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a belief and feeling that predisposes one to respond in a particular way to objects, people, and events

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a. La Piere (1934)

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proved that attitudes might predict behavior, but usually the attitudes don't endure

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3. persuasion

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a symbolic process in which communicators try to convince other people to change their attitudes or behaviors regarding an issue through the transmission of a message in an atmosphere of free issue

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a. mere exposure effect

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tendency to develop a preference for things merely because they are familiar with them

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b. other ways of persuasion

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fear, central root to persuasion (focus on facts ; content of message), position of authority, expert on a subject, likeable or trustworthy

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4. compliance

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refers to changing one's behavior due to the request or direction of another person

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a. 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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b. door-in-the-face

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a compliance technique, where the persuader attempts to convince the respondent to comply by making a large request that the respondent will most likely turn down, in order for them to ultimately agree to the small request

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c. cognitive dissonance theory

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the theory that we act to reduce the discomfort (dissonance) we feel when two of our thoughts (cognitions) are inconsistent. For example, when our awareness of our attitudes and of our actions clash, we can reduce the resulting dissonance by changing our attitudes

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5. conformity

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adjusting one's behavior or thinking to coincide with a group standard

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a. Solomon Asch (1955)

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devised a simple test to study conformity; "Which of the three comparison lines is equal to the standard line?"

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b. normative social influence

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influence resulting from a person's desire to gain approval or avoid disapproval

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c. informational social influence

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influence resulting from one's willingness to accept others' opinions about reality

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d. other factors of conformity

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group size (4 or more= optimum), appearance of unanimity in the group, gender, social status/culture

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e. Stanley Milgrim

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Experimented with a controversial task, which was basically to teach and then test the learner on a list of word pairs; the learner is to be punished for wrong answers w/ increasingly higher voltage shocks- revealed a high rate of conformity to the end

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6. group dynamics

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emphasis on how groups affect our behavior

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a. social facilitation

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improved performance of tasks in the presence of others; occurs with simple or well-learned tasks but not with tasks that are difficult or not yet mastered

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b. social inhibition

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a restraint on person's feelings and expressions in the belief that others may disapprove of their behavior

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c. 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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d. 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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e. group polarization

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the enhancement of a group's prevailing attitudes through discussion within the group

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f. groupthink (Irving Janis)

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the mode of thinking that occurs when the desire for harmony in decision-making group overrides a realistic appraisal of alternatives

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-mind guard

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members protect the group and the leader from info. that is problematic or contradictory the group's cohesiveness, view, and/or decisions

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g. resolutions of conflicts (4)

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-maximize outcome for everyone involved (cooperative orientation) -maximize outcome for other people (altruistic orientation) -maximize outcome for self (individualistic orientation) -maximize outcome for themselves at the expense of other people (competitive orientation)

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7. antisocial behavior

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refers to hostility toward society or the established values of society

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a. prejudice

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an unjustifiable (and usually negative) attitude toward a group and its members. Prejudice generally involves stereotyped beliefs, negative feelings, and a predisposition to discriminatory action

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-sterotypes

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a generalized (sometimes accurate but often overgeneralized) belief about a group of people

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b. ingroup

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"Us"- people with whom one shares a common identity

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b. outgroup

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"Them"- those perceived as different or apart from one's ingroup

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c. scapegoat theory

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the theory that prejudice offers an outlet for anger by providing someone to blame

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-illusory correlation

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the belief that there's some relationship between events, variables, etc. , even though none exists

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d. working together vs. contact hypothesis

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This hypothesis refers to the belief that prejudices can be lessened or eliminated by direct contact between groups

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e. just-world phenomenon

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the tendency of people to believe the world is just and that people therefore get what they deserve and deserve what they get

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8. aggression

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any physical or verbal behavior intended to hurt or destroy

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a. hostile aggression

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act of aggression stemming from a feeling of anger and intended to cause pain or injury

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b. instrumental aggression

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an act of aggression that intends to hurt someone, but as a means to a goal other than causing pain

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c. biological reasons for aggression

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genes influence human aggression; the brain has neural systems that facilitate aggression, making it more likely, given the presence of provocation and the absence of deterrents. And it has a frontal lobe system for inhibiting damaged, inactive, or disconnected; low levels of the neurotransmitter serotonin, higher-than-average testosterone levels, and alcohol all induce aggressive responses to frustration

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d. frustration-aggression principle

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the principle that frustration- the blocking of an attempt to achieve some goal- creates anger, which can generate aggression

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f. dehumanization

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a psychological process whereby opponents view each others as less than human and thus not deserving of moral consideration

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g. Philip Zimbardo (Stanford prison experiment)

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concluded that people will readily conform to the social roles they're expected to play, especially if the roles are as strongly stereotyped as those of the prison guards. Therefore, the roles that people play can shape their behavior and attitudes

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h. social traps

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a situation in which the conflicting parties, by each rationally pursuing their self-interest, become caught in mutually destructive behavior

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9. attraction influences (4)

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proximity, physical attractiveness, similarity, reciprocal liking

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a. 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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b. companionate love (equity)

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the deep affectionate attachment we feel for those with whom our lives are intertwined; equity is a condition in which people receive from a relationship in proportion to what they give to it

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c. self-disclosure

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revealing intimate aspects of oneself to others

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10. altruism

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unselfish regard for the welfare of others

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a. 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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b. diffusion of responsibility

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a phenomenon whereby a person is less likely to take responsibility for action or inaction when others are present

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c. pluralistic ignorance

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refers to when members of a group mistakenly believe that everyone in the group feels a certain way or holds a certain belief

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d. Kitty Genovese murder

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proved the existence of the bystander effect

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11. 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

AP Psychology Unit 7B: Social Psychology terms – Flashcards

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