Social Psychology Vocabulary – Flashcards
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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 tend to give a casual explanation for someone's behavior, often by crediting either the situation or the personal disposition
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Fundamental Attribution Error
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The tendency for observers, when analyzing another's behavior, to underestimate the impact of personal disposition; also known as the correspondence bias
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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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Cognitive Dissonance Theory
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The theory that we act to reduce the discomfort we feel when two of our thoughts are inconsistent (i.e. $1 vs. $20 and grasshopper experiment)
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Conformity
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Adjusting one's 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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Influence resulting from one's willingness to accept others' opinions about reality
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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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Group Polarization
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The enhancement of a group's prevailing attitudes through discussion within the group
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Groupthink
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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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Self-fulfilling Prophecy
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Occurs when one person's belief about others leads one to act in ways that induce the others to appear to confirm the belief
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Prejudice
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An unjustifiable (and usually negative) attitude toward a group and its members; usually involves stereotyped beliefs, negative feelings, and a predisposition to discriminatory action
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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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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 vice versa (good people are rewarded and bad people are punished)
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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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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 affectionate attachment we feel for those with whom our lives are intertwined
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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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Self-serving Bias
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A readiness to perceive oneself favorably
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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; mob mentality (i.e. Zimbardo's Prison Experiment)
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Solomon Asch
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Performed an experiment using three different length lines in 1956 showing that social pressure can influence conformity; 75% conformed to confederate's responses
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Stanley Milgram
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Conducted an experiment on obedience in 1963 where participants were told to administer "shocks" up to 450 volts to confederates
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Phil Zimbardo
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His prison study (1972) demonstrated deindividuation when the guards and prisoners assumed their roles sadistically
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Discrimination
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The behavior that affects members of a targeted group
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Bystander Effect
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Claims that behavior is influenced by the number of people available to intervene (i.e. Kitty Genovese)
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Deindividuation
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Giving up normal behavioral restraints to a group
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Group Polarization
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Occurs when a group supports a decision supported by the majority of a group following a discussion
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Cognitive Dissonance Theory
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Proposed by Leon Festinger in 1957; We are motivated to reduce the tension resulting from the lack of consistency in a person's attitudes/beliefs and behaviors
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Conformity
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Following a group's standards, methods or behavior as a result of unspoken group pressure (real or imagined)
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Obedience
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A form of compliance that occurs when people follow direct commands, usually from someone in a position of authority
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Stereotype
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Cognitive component of prejudices and discrimination
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Social Cognition
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The study of how information about people is processed and stored. It meets our needs to accurately perceive the world around us and perceive ourselves in a positive light.
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Self-fulfilling Prophecy
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Occurs when our expectations cause us to unconsciously act in a manner to bring about behaviors that confirm our expectations (i.e. Rosenthal and Jacobson)
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Internal Attribution
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Explains an outcome by looking within an individual; personal
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External Attribution
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Explains an outcome by looking outside an individual (i.e. fate, luck, chance, etc.); situational
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Social Facilitation
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There mere presence of others can improve performance on a well-practiced task; can be explained by arousal
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Social Inhibition
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The mere presence of others can impair performance on tasks that one is not particularly good at; can be explained by arousal
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Diffusion of Responsibility
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The tendency of individuals to think that others will help so they will not intervene
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Pluralistic Ignorance
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The tendence to do nothing because others are doing nothing
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Social Dilemmas
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Individual or group behavior that leads to a short term gain for the individual/group; can lead to disaster for all if everyone were to engage in the same behavior
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Prisoner's Dilemma
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Two people are separated and given a choice to confess/not; best option is for both to stay quiet although there is an advantage for the one who squals
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Commons Dilemma
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When individuals share a common want and there is a scarcity of that resource, individuals will take more of their fair share (i.e. energy consumption)
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Central route
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Attitude change involves carefully processing a message's content; need 1. motivation and 2. ability to process
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Peripheral route
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Devotes little attention to the actual content of the emssage and tends to be effected by persuasion cues such as confidence, attractiveness and other characteristics about the messenger (i.e. Jessica Simpson and Proactive)
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Self-perception Theory
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Bem (1972) said people infer their attitudes from their behavior
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Ingroup
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"us"; people with whom a person shares an identity
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Outgroup
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"them"; those believed to be different or separate from a person's ingroup
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Instrumental aggression
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Aggression used to gain some personal benefit
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Hormonal influences
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Women who have been given testosterone during pregnancy to prevent a miscarriage produce more aggressive children
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Drugs
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Alcohol, in particular, increases anti-social and aggressive behavior
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Modeling
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When you see violent behavior, you are more likely to carry out aggressive behavior (i.e. Albert Bandura's experiment with children and Bobo dolls)
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Environmental stress
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Heat, air pollution, noise, crowding, etc. increase aggression
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Proximity
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Individuals who live close together/have more frequent interactions are more likely to have a sustained relationship
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Similarity
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People are more likely to be attracted to others with common attitudes, beliefs and interests
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Mere Exposure Effect
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Repeated exposure to novel stimuli increases likeness of them
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Components of love
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1. Passion 2. Commitment 3. Intimacy
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Commitment
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Intent to maintain a relationship in spite of difficulties or costs that arise
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Intimacy
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Warmth, closeness and sharing within a relationship
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Types of love
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1. Romantic 2. Companionate 3. Fatuous 4. Consummate
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Romantic love
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High passion and intimacy, low commitment
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Companionate love
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High intimacy and commitment, low passion; deep affectionate attachment, develops as love matures, based on friendship and commitment
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Fatuous love
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High passion and commitment
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Consummate love
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High in passion, commitment and intimacy
