General Psychology Chapter 12 – Social Psychology – Flashcards

Raped and stabbed to death outside her apartment
Attack lasted about 30 minutes
At least 38 people saw or heard part of the attack – no one called or helped until the attack was over

How the presence of other people affects our behavior depending on who they are, how many, and what they’re doing

Changing one’s own behavior to more closely match actions of others

Participants placed in dark room with a single point of light on wall and asked how far light was moving.
Confederates gave estimates of how much light moved and actual participants guesses began to match theirs.
Shows individuals conform relatively quickly to a group standard.

Shows that when there’s a clear right answer, people tend to conform to other’s statements – even when it’s obvious that the answer is wrong.

Differences are nonexistent unless the situation involves behavior that is not private. In that case, women tend to show more conformity than men.

The need to act in ways that we feel will let us be liked and accepted by others

Take cues for how to behave from other people when we are in a situation that is not clear or ambiguous

Type of conformity where people go along with group’s ideas or opinions even when there is reason to think otherwise. “Don’t rock the boat” mentality.

Groups tend to become more extreme in their views over time.

Enhancement of an individual’s performance (positive) due to the presence of others. Likely to happen with tasks that are easy for us (running faster when people are watching you.)

The (negative) impairment of an individual’s performance due to the presence of other’s. Likely to happen with tasks that are difficult.

Tendency to exert less effort in a group task than in an individual task. “Someone else will do the work and I’ll still get credit for it” attitude.

Likelihood of someone helping is reduced as the number of bystanders increase

Responsibility is seen as being shared by the same group, so each person is less responsible. Goes along with the Bystander Effect.

The lessening of a person’s sense of personal identity and responsibility when gathered in a group

Figuring out how to get people to buy things that someone is selling

Occurs when people change their behavior as a result of another person or group asking or directing them to change.

Making a small request before making a larger request

Making a large request that is likely to be refused before making a smaller, more reasonable request

Obtaining commitment to a request, then increasing the cost.

People may have more trouble refusing unusual requests. “Can I have $1” vs “Can I have 17 cents”

Any group of people whose religious or philosophical beliefs and behavior are so different from that of mainstream organizations that they are viewed with suspicion and seen as existing on the fringes of socially acceptable behavior. Jim Jones and People’s Temple, Heaven’s Gate, the Manson Family.

Changing one’s behavior at the direct order of an authority figure

Teacher’s would deliver potentially fatal shocks to learners (actors) when the learner got a wrong answer for a word pair due to the leader’s of the study telling them to continue. Most continued to the end of the study, even when the learner wouldn’t respond and was receiving potentially fatal shock voltages.

Tendency to respond positively or negatively toward a certain idea, person, object, or situation.

The way a person feels toward the object, person, or situation.

Action that a person takes in regard to the person, object, or situation.

The way a person thinks about him or herself, an object, or a situation.

Emotional discomfort experienced when behaviors and beliefs don’t match

Instead of experiencing negative tension, people look at their own actions and then infer their attitudes from those actions

Forming of the first knowledge a person has about another person

Sets of assumptions people have about how different types of people, personalty traits, and actions are all related and form in childhood

(Heider) Way of explaining why things happen but also why people choose the particular explanations of behavior that they do.

When the cause of behavior is assumed to be from external sources

When the cause of behavior is assumed to come from within the individual

Tendency to make internal attributions regarding other people’s behaviors

Participants were given boring and repetitive tasks to complete and were asked to tell the next participant that the task was fun and were paid money to do so. People who were paid $1 said they truly enjoyed the task while those who were paid $20 didn’t say they truly enjoyed it.

Attribute behavior to the person (dispositional cause)

Attribute behavior to environment (situational cause)

Making internal attributions for other people’s behaviors while making external attributions for one’s own behavior

Making internal attributions for one’s successes while making external attributions for our failure

Positive or negative attitude about a group

Treating someone differently because they belong to a certain group

A group to which you feel you belong. Usually held in positive regard. Race, gender, religion, sports teams, etc.

Everyone not on the in-group, particularly those in a relted group

Perceptions, expectations, and beliefs about a group

Looking for evidence that supports what we already believe

Expecting something to happen helps make it happen

Sustained, close contact with groups/people of equal status

Unique way in which each individual thinks, acts, and feels throughout life

People have a very strong tendency to like people who like them

Intimacy, passion, commitment

Feelings of closeness that one has for another person or the sense of having close emotional ties to another. Not physical but psychological

Physical aspect of love. Emotional and sexual arousal a person feels toward the other person.

The decisions one makes about a relationship – short term vs. long term

Intimacy and passion are combined. Basis for a more lasting relationship

Intimacy and commitment are the main components of a relationship. Binding tie.

When one person hurts or tries to destroy another person deliberately with words or physical behavior

The pattern of behavior that is expected of a person who is in a particular social position

Helping someone in trouble with no expectation of reward and often without fear for one’s own safety

Study of how our bodies and brains work during social behavior