Psych ch.18 Flashcards
(45 cards)
social psychology
the scientific study of how we think about, influence, and relate to one another.
attribution theory
the theory that we explain someone’s behavior by crediting either the situation or the person’s disposition
fundamental attribution error
he tendency for observers, when analyzing another’s behavior, to underestimate the impact of the situation and to overesti- mate the impact of personal disposition.
attitude
feelings, often influenced by our beliefs, that predispose us to respond in a particular way to objects, people, and events.
central route to persuasion
occurs when interested people focus on the arguments and respond with favorable thoughts.
peripheral route to persuasion
occurs when people are influenced by incidental cues, such as a speaker’s attractiveness.
foot-in-the-door phenomenon
the tendency for people who have first agreed to a small request to comply later with a larger request.
::role
a set of explanations (norms) about a social position, defining how those in the position ought to behave.
cognitive dissonance theory
the theory that we act to reduce the dis- comfort (dissonance) we feel when two of our thoughts (cognitions) are incon- sistent. For example, when our aware- ness of our attitudes and of our actions clash, we can reduce the resulting disso- nance by changing our attitudes.
conformity
adjusting one’s behavior or thinking to coincide with a group standard.
::normative social influence
influence resulting from a person’s desire to gain approval or avoid disapproval.
informational social influence
influ- ence resulting from one’s willingness to accept others’ opinions about reality.
social facilitation
stronger responses on simple or well-learned tasks in the presence of others.
social loafing
the tendency for peo- ple in a group to exert less effort when pooling their efforts toward attaining a common goal than when individually accountable.
deindividuation
the loss of self- awareness and self-restraint occurring in group situations that foster arousal and anonymity.
group polarization
the enhancement of a group’s prevailing inclinations through discussion within the group.When people of similar views form a group together, discussion within the group makes their views more extreme.
groupthink
the mode of thinking that occurs when the desire for harmony in a decision-making group overrides a real- istic appraisal of alternatives.
prejudice
an unjustifiable (and usually negative) attitude toward a group and its members. Prejudice generally involves stereotyped beliefs, negative feelings, and a predisposition to discrim- inatory action.
stereotype
a generalized (sometimes accurate but often overgeneralized) belief about a group of people.
discrimination
unjustifiable negative behavior toward a group and its members.
ingroup
“Us”—people with whom we share a common identity.
outgroup
“Them”—those perceived as different or apart from our ingroup.
ingroup bias
the tendency to favor our own group.
scapegoat theory
the theory that prejudice offers an outlet for anger by providing someone to blame.
