Social Psychology 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 explain someone's behavior by crediting either the situation (situational attribution) or the person's disposition (dispositional attribution)

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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 the situation and to overestimate the impact of personal disposition

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attitudes

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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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central route to persuasion

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occurs when interested people focus on the arguments and respond with favorable thoughts

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peripheral route to persuasion

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occurs when people are influenced by incidental cues, such as a speaker's attractiveness

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foot-in-the-door phenenomenon

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the tendency for people who have first agreed to a small request to comply later with a large 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 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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chameleon effect

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we unconsciously mimic others' expressions, postures and voice tones help us feel what they are feeling

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mood-linkage

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sharing up and down moods

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mood cognition

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reading or acting happy or sad causes the other person to feel that way

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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 facilitation

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stronger responses 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

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group polarization

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the enhancement of a group's prevailing inclinations through discussion within the groups

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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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social control

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the power of the situation

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personal control

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the power of the individual

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prejudice

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prejudgement; 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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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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blame-the-victim

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justify their actions of prejudice

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social identities

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associate ourselves with certain groups and contrast ourselves with others

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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 group

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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 else to blame

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other-race effect

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the tendency to recall faces of one's own race more accurately than faces of other races (also called cross-race effect and own-race bias)

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just-world phenomenon

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the tendency 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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aggression

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any physical or verbal behavior intended to hurt or destroy

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frustration-aggression principle

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

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social scripts

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mental tapes for how to act, provided by our culture

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Catharsis hypothesis

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the idea that we feel better if we "blow off steam" by venting our emotions

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mere exposure effect

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the phenomenon that repeated exposure to novel stimuli increases liking of them

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theory of attraction

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we will like those whose behavior is rewarding to us and we will continue relationships that offer more rewards than costs

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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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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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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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diffusion of responsibility

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a bystander does not feel responsible, because there are others around. The responsibility can fall to others in the group

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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 expectation that people will help those dependent upon them

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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 rationally pursuing their self-interest, 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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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 Initiatives in Tension-Reduction- a strategy designed to decrease international tensions