Social Psychology Flashcards
(51 cards)
the scientific study of how we think about, influence, and relate to one another
social psychology
the theory that we explain someone’s behavior by crediting either the situation or the person’s disposition
ex: Juliet seldom talks while Jack talks nonstop. We assume that must be the type of people they are (shy and outgoing).
attribution theory
the tendency for observers, when analyzing others’ behavior, to underestimate the impact of the situation and to overestimate the impact of personal disposition
ex: We assume Jack is outgoing and Juliet is shy, but we fail to account for the influence of situations. Jack may be as quiet as Juliet and Juliet is the lead in the school musical.
fundamental attribution error
feelings, often influenced by our beliefs, that predispose us to respond in a particular way to objects, people, and events
attitude
occurs when people are influenced by incidental cues
ex: Leonardo DiCaprio urges action to counter climate change, and people act because they find him attractive/he’s a celebrity
peripheral route persuasion
occurs when interested people focus on the arguments and respond with favorable thoughts
ex: when an ad focuses on effective arguments, some people focus on that because they are naturally analytical and involved in an issue (less superficial)
central route persuasion
the tendency for people who have first agreed to a small request to comply later with a larger request
ex: giving a sample of a product so that the customer will come back and buy more; when a friend asks for a small amount of money in hopes that you will eventually give a larger amount
foot-in-the-door phenomenon
a set of expectations (norms) about a social position, defining how those in the position ought to behave
role
the theory that we act to reduce the discomfort (dissonance) we feel when two of our thoughts (cognitions) are inconsistent
ex: when we become aware that our attitudes and our actions clash, we can reduce the resulting dissonance by changing our attitudes
cognitive dissonance theory
understood rules for an expected behavior
norms
adjusting our behavior or thinking to coincide with a group standard
conformity
influence resulting from a person’s desire to gain approval or avoid disapproval
ex: conforming to society due to peer pressure
normative social influence
influence resulting from one’s willingness to accept others’ opinions about reality
ex: in an election, you vote for the party everyone else is voting for, because you feel that it’s right
informational social influence
improved performance on simple or well-learned tasks in the presence of others (due to arousal)
ex: a basketball player makes 70% of their hoops alone, but 80% when others are watching
social facilitation
the tendency for people in a group to exert less effort when pooling their efforts toward attaining a common goal than when individually accountable
ex: a blindfolded student is told to tug on a rope with three other people; because he believed those three other people were there, he tried less hard than he did when he was alone
social loafing
the loss of self-awareness and self-restraint occurring in group situations that foster arousal and anonymity
ex: when students were asked to give electric shocks, they gave twice as much when wearing masks
deindividuation
the enhancement of a group’s prevailing inclinations through discussion within the group
ex: after a group discussion, people who support a war become even more supportive
group polarization
the mode of thinking that occurs when the desire for harmony in a decision-making group overrides a realistic appraisal of alternatives
ex: unwillingness to speak out about unfair practices in a business to keep peace
groupthink
the enduring behaviors, ideas, attitudes, values, and traditions shared by a group of people and transmitted from one generation to the next
culture
an unjustifiable (and usually negative) attitude toward a group and its members; generally involves stereotyped beliefs, negative feelings, and a predisposition to discriminatory action
prejudice
a generalized (sometimes accurate but often overgeneralized) belief about a group of people
stereotype
unjustifiable negative behavior toward a group and its members
discrimination
the tendency for people to believe the world is just and that people therefore get what they deserve and deserve what they get
ex: can lead to blaming the victim (“It was her fault because she was flirting, wearing revealing clothing, should’ve done xyz, etc)
just-world phenomenon
“us” people with whom we share a common identity
ex: family, friends, anyone associated with your circle
ingroup
