Social Psychology

Question 1

social psychology

Answer 1

the scientific study of how we think about, influence, and relate to one another

Question 2

attribution theory

Answer 2

the theory that we explain someone’s behavior by crediting either the situation or the person’s disposition.

Question 3

fundamental attribution theory

Answer 3

the tendency for observers, when analyzing another’s behavior, to underestimate the impact of the situation and to overestimate the impact of personal disposition.

Question 4

attitude

Answer 4

feelings, often influenced by our beliefs, that predispose us to respond in a particular way to objects, people, and events.

Question 5

Central route persuasion

Answer 5

attitude change path in which interested people focus on the arguments and respond with favorable thoughts.

Question 6

peripheral route persuasion

Answer 6

attitude change path in which people are influenced by incidental cues, such as a speaker’s attractiveness.

Question 7

foot-in-the-door phenomenon

Answer 7

the tendency for people who have first agreed to a small request to comply later with a larger request.

Question 8

role

Answer 8

a set of expectations (norms) about a social position, defining how those in the position ought to behave.

Question 9

cognitive dissonance theory

Answer 9

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 awareness of our attitudes and of our actions clash, we can reduce the resulting dissonance by changing our attitudes.

Question 10

conformity

Answer 10

adjusting one’s behavior or thinking to coincide with a group standard

Question 11

normative social influence

Answer 11

influence resulting from a person’s desire to gain approval or avoid disapproval

Question 12

informal social influence

Answer 12

influence resulting from one’s willingness to accept others’ opinions about reality

Question 13

social facilitation

Answer 13

stronger responses on simple or well-learned tasks in the presence of others

Question 14

social loafing

Answer 14

the tendency for people in a group to exert less effort when pooling their efforts toward attaining a common goal than when individually accountable

Question 15

deindividuation

Answer 15

the loss of self-awareness and self-restraint occurring in group situations that foster arousal and anonymity

Question 16

group polarization

Answer 16

the enhancement of a group’s prevailing inclinations through discussion within the group

Question 17

groupthink

Answer 17

the mode of thinking that occurs when the desire for harmony in a decision-making group overrides a realistic appraisal of alternatives

Question 18

culture

Answer 18

the enduring behaviors, ideas, attitudes, values, and traditions shared by a group of people and transmitted from one generation to the next

Question 19

norm

Answer 19

an understood rule for accepted and expected behavior. Norms prescribed “proper” behavior.

Question 20

personal space

Answer 20

the buffer zone we like to maintain around our bodies

Question 21

prejudice

Answer 21

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.

Question 22

stereotype

Answer 22

a generalized (sometimes accurate but often overgeneralized) belief about a group of people

Question 23

discrimination

Answer 23

unjustifiable negative behavior toward a group and its members

Question 24

ingroup

Answer 24

“Us”- people with whom we share a common identity

Question 25

outgroup

Answer 25

“them”- those perceived as different or apart from our ingroup

Question 26

ingroup bias

Answer 26

the tendency to favor our own group

Question 27

scapegoat theory

Answer 27

the theory that prejudice offers an outlet for anger by providing someone to blame

Question 28

other-race theory

Answer 28

the tendency to recall faces of one’s own race more accurately than faces of other races. Also called the cross-race effect and the own-race bias.

Question 29

just-world phenomenon

Answer 29

the tendency for people to believe the world is just and that people therefore get what they deserve and deserve what they get

Question 30

aggression

Answer 30

any physical or verbal behavior intended to hurt or destroy.

Question 31

frustration-aggression principle

Answer 31

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

Question 32

mere exposure effect

Answer 32

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

Question 33

passionate love

Answer 33

an aroused state of intense positive absorption in another, usually present at the beginning of a love relationship

Question 34

companionate love

Answer 34

the deep affectionate attachment we feel for those with whom our lives are intertwined

Question 35

equity

Answer 35

a condition in which people receive from a relationship in proportion to what they give to it

Question 36

self-disclosure

Answer 36

revealing intimate aspects of oneself to others

Question 37

altruism

Answer 37

unselfish regard for the welfare of others

Question 38

bystander effect

Answer 38

the tendency for any given bystander to be less likely to give aid if other bystanders are present

Question 39

social exchange theory

Answer 39

the theory that our social behavior is an exchange process, the aim of which is to maximize benefits and minimize costs

Question 40

reciprocity norm

Answer 40

an expectation that people will help, not hurt, those who have helped them

Question 41

social-responsibility norm

Answer 41

an expectation that people will help those dependent upon them

Question 42

conflict

Answer 42

a perceived incompatibility of actions, goals, or ideas

Question 43

social trap

Answer 43

a situation in which the conflicting parties, by each rationally pursuing their self-interest, become caught in mutually destructive behavior.

Question 44

mirror-image perceptions

Answer 44

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

Question 45

self-fulfilling prophecy

Answer 45

a belief that leads to its own fulfillment

Question 46

superordinate goals

Answer 46

shared goals that override differences among people and require their cooperation

Question 47

GRIT

Answer 47

Graduated and Reciprocated Initiatives and Tension-Reduction- a strategy designed to decrease international tensions.