Chapter 13 Flashcards
(39 cards)
Social Psychology
Study of how people influence others’ behaviour, beliefs and attitudes
Social Comparison Theory
Theory that we seek to evaluate our abilities and beliefs by comparing them with those of others
Mass Hysteria
Outbreak of irrational behaviour that is spread by social contagion
Attribution
Process of assigning causes to behaviour
Fundamental Attribution Error
Tendency to overestimate the impact of dispositional influences on other people’s behaviour
Conformity
Tendency of people to alter their behaviour as a result of group pressure
Deindividuation
Tendency of people to engage in uncharacteristic behaviour when they are stripped of their usual identities
Groupthink
Emphasis on group unanimity at the expense of critical thinking
Group Polarization
Tendency of group discussion to strengthen the dominant positions held by individual group members
Cult
Group of individuals who exhibit intense and unquestioning devotion to a single cause
Inoculation Effect
Approach to convincing people to charge their minds about something by first introducing reasons why the perspective might be correct and then debunking them
Obedience
Adherence to instructions from those of higher authority
Pluralistic Ignorance
Error of assuming that no one in a group perceives things as we do
Diffusion of Responsibility
Reduction in feelings of personal responsibility in the presence of others
Social loafing
Phenomenon whereby individuals become less productive in groups
Altruism
Helping others for unselfish reasons
Enlightenment Effect
learning about psychological research can change real-world behaviour for the better
Aggression
Behaviour intended to harm others, either verbally or physically
Relational Aggression
Form of indirect aggression, prevalent in girls, involving spreading rulers, gossiping, and nonverbal put downs for he purpose of social manipulation
Attitude
Belief that includes an emotional component
Self-Monitoring
Personality trait that assesses the extent to which people’s behaviour reflects their true feelings and attitudes
Cognitive Dissonance
Unpleasant mental experience of tension resulting from two conflicting thoughts or beliefs
Self-Perception Theory
Theory that we acquire our attitudes by observing our behaviours
Impression Management Theory
Theory that we don’t really change our attitudes, but report that we have so that our behaviours appear consistent with our attitudes