Psychology Ch. 17 – Flashcards

Scientific study of how people's thoughts and feelings and actions are affected by others

Process of changing attitudes

Evaluations of a person, behavior, belief, or concept

1. Message course 2. Characteristics of the message 3. Characteristics of the target

Message interpretation characterized by thoughtful consideration of the issues and arguments used to persuade. Need for cognition. For highly motivated & involved people

Message interpretation characterized by consideration the sources and related general information rather than of the message itself. For uninvolved, unmotivated, board, or distracted people. when nature of message is less important

attitude influences behavior. strength varies. generally, people strive for consistency between the two

Occurs when a person holds two contradictory attitudes or thoughts(cognitions). when our attitudes and behaviors are opposed we experience tension. to relieve us of this tension we bring our attitudes cover to our actions.

The way people understand and make sense of others and themselves

Sets of cognitions about people and social experiences. organize information stored in memory. represent in our mind the way the social word operates. framework to recognize, organize, and recall, information relating to social stimuli such as people and groups

Process by which an individual organizes information about another person to form an overall impression of that person.

Seeks to explain how we decide, on the basis of samples of an individual's behavior, that the specific causes of that person's behavior are

1. Notice something(unusual) is happening 2. Try to interpret the event 3. Form initial explanation of the event 4. Depending on time, cognitive resources, and motivation, we may accept or modify the initial explanation 5. May try out several possibilities in the problem formation & resolution stage 6. Reach a final explanation

Perceived causes of behavior that are based on environmental factors

Perceived causes of behavior that are based on initial traits or personality traits or personality factors

Phenomenon in which an initial understanding that a person has positive traits is used to infer other uniformly positive characteristics

thinking of people as being similar to oneself even when meeting them for the first time

tendency to attribute success to personal factors and attribute failure to factors outside oneself

Tendency to exaggerate the importance of personality characteristics in producing others' behavior, minimizing the influence of the environment

A worldview that promotes interdependence

A worldview that emphasizes personal identity and the uniqueness of the individual

Process by which the actions of an individual or group affect the behavior of others

Two or more people who interact with one another perceive themselves as part of a group are independent

Change in behavior or attitudes brought about by a desire to follow the beliefs or standards of other people

(Social rank) of a persona is critical

A gouger member whose dissenting views make nonconformity to the group easier

Type of thinking in which group members share such strong motivation to achieve consensus that they lose the ability to critically evaluate alternative points of view

behaviors that are associated with people in a given position

Behavior that occurs in response to direct social pressure

Tendency for people who have first agree to a small request to comply later with a larger request

tendency for people who have first refused a larger request to comply later with a to a small request

offered a deal at an inflated price then immediately after the initial offer an incentive discount or bonus is offered to clinch the deal

the social expectation that people will respond to teach other kindly by returning benefits for benefits

change in behavior in response to the commands of others

1. The legitimacy of the authority figure 2 Whether or not the authority figure was supported by a prestigious institution 3. The distance of the victim 4. The lack of role models for defiance

Refers to improved performance on a task in the presence of others

decline in performance on a task in the presence of others

Tendency of an individual in a group to exert less effort toward attaining a common goal than when tested individually

A greater individual effort when working in a group

Loss of self awareness and self restraint in group situations that foster arousal and anonymity

Enhances group's prevailing attitudes through discussion

Set of generalized beliefs and expectations about a specific group and its members

A negative (or positive) evaluation of a group and its members

Behavior directed toward individuals on the basis of their membership in a particular group

Provides information about stereotypes to children as well as adults

Suggest that we use group membership as source of pride and self worth

Viewing the world from their own perspective and judging others in terms of their group membership

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

Seeks to identify the neural basis of social behavior(Amygdala)

Ingenious measure of prejudice that permits a more accurate assessment of people's discrimination between members of different groups

Increase contact between the target of stereotyping and the holder of the stereotype. make values and norms against prejudice more conspicuous. provide information about the targets of stereotyping.

Obstacles to performance that can stem from ones awareness of society's stereotypes regarding minority group members

Behavior that intends to help or benefit someone

Having positive feelings such as liking and loving for others

Proximity mere exposure Similarity(reciprocity of liking effect) Physical attractiveness

Geographic nearness is a powerful predictor of attraction

Repeated exposure to novel stimuli increases their attraction

Having similar views between individuals causes the bond of attraction to strengthen

A tendency for to like those that like us

People who are physically attractive are more popular than those who are physically unattractive, if all other factors are equal

Love is not a simply liking of a greater quantity. love is qualitatively different psychological state

Passion Fascination exclusiveness sexual desire intense caring

Represents a state intense absorption in someone. An aroused state of intense positive absorption in another usually present at the beginning of a love relationship

Strong affection we have for those with whom our lives are deeply involved. Spouse, parents, children, family members, close friends

Intentional injury of or harm to another person

Discharging built up aggressive energy

blocking of an attempt to achieve some goal, creates anger, which can generate aggression

Tendency for people to feel that responsibility for acting is shared among those present

1. Noticing a person, event, or situation that may require help 2. Interpreting the event as one that requires help 3. Assuming responsibility for helping 4. Deciding on and implementing the form of helping

Tendency for any given bystander to be less likely to give aid if other bystanders are present

Helping behavior that requires self sacrifice

1. Look again at the anger provoking situation from the perspective of others 2. Minimize the importance of the situation 3. Fantasize about getting even but do not act on it 4. Relax