Social & Developmental Psychology Flashcards
(105 cards)
Social psychology
the study of the social behavior of groups and individuals in the groups
Main social psychology points
1) the illusion of autonomy
2) collectivist vs. individualist context
3) Fundamental attribution error
4) propensity to conform and comply
Fundamental attribution error
we tend to attribute someone’s behavior to their personality traits rather than the situation they are placed in
ex: homeless man is lazy, not poorly affected by the economy
social cognition
how do individuals interpret social events
social influence
how do others affect an individual’s action
Features of social congition
the interpersonal nature of beliefs
opinion by social comparison
maintenance of cognitive consonance w the group
emotional content of opinions and attitudes
stereotypes and attribution errors
Situational attributions
involve factors external to the person we are observing
use situational attributions when we try to explain why someone did something
Dispositional attributions
focus on factors internal to the person we are observing
use dispositional attributions when we try to explain why someone did something
person perception
we rely on implicit theories of personality when we think about or remember other individuals
leave us vulnerable to stereotyping
Effects of stereotypes
can influence people’s behavior implicitly
Self-fulfilling prophecies
stereotype threat
Self-fulfilling prophecies
beliefs about how a person will behave that actually make the expected behavior more likely
Attitudes
attitudes are a combination of:
1) beliefs
2) feelings about the object/event
3) predisposition to act in accordance to these beliefs and feelings
Are attitude innate or learned? Permanent or subject to change?
Attitudes are learned, but they can be changed
4 ways to change attitudes
1) central route
2) periphereal route
3) intergroup contact
4) cognitive dissonance
Central route
change attitude through evidence and ration
we care about the issue so we seek this information
Periphereal route
change attitude through persuasion
we dont care about the issue so let others persuade
Intergroup contact
works to change attitudes about prejudice
Cognitive dissonance
inconsistency in one’s attitudes, actions, and feelings
try to align attitudes with actions
Self-perception theory
we know our own attitudes and feelings only by observing our own behaviors and deciding what caused them, similar to when we try to understand others
Conformity
a change in behavior due to explicit or implicit social behavior
3 forms of social influence
conformity
obedience
compliance
Informational influence
a reason for conformity based on people’s desire to be correct
Normative influence
a reason for conformity based on people’s desire to be liked (not to appear foolish)
Social referencing
general process of validating our reactions by checking on how others are behaving