Social Psychology

Question 1

the subfield of psychology that explores the effects of the social world on the behavior and mental processes of individuals and groups

Answer 1

social psychology

Question 2

mental processes associated with people’s perceptions of and reactions to other people

Answer 2

social cognition

Question 3

the way one thinks of oneself

Answer 3

self-concept

Question 4

the evaluations people make of their worth as human beings

Answer 4

self-esteem

Question 5

using other people as a basis of comparison for evaluating oneself

Answer 5

social comparison

Question 6

categories of people with whom individuals compare themselves

Answer 6

reference groups

Question 7

the beliefs we hold about the groups to which we belong

Answer 7

social identity

Question 8

the processes through which people interpret information about others, draw inferences about them, and develop mental representations of them

Answer 8

social perception

Question 9

generalizations about categories of objects, places, events, and people

Answer 9

schemas

Question 10

a process in which an initial impression causes us to bring out behavior in another that confirms the impression

Answer 10

self-fulfilling prophesy

Question 11

the process of explaining the causes of people’s behavior, including our own

Answer 11

attribution

Question 12

a bias toward attributing the behavior of others to internal factors

Answer 12

fundamental attribution error

Question 13

the tendency to attribute other people’s behavior to internal causes while attributing one’s own behavior to external causes

Answer 13

actor-observer effect

Question 14

the tendency to attribute one’s successes to internal characteristics while blaming one’s failures on external causes

Answer 14

self-serving bias

Question 15

a tendency toward a particular cognitive, emotional, or behavioral reaction to objects in one’s environment

Answer 15

attitude

Question 16

a model of attitude change suggesting that people can change their attitudes through a central route (by considering an argument’s content) or through a peripheral route (by relying on irrelevant persuasion cues)

Answer 16

elaboration likelihood model

Question 17

a theory that attitude change is driven by efforts to reduce tension caused by inconsistencies between attitudes and behaviors

Answer 17

cognitive dissonance theory

Question 18

false assumptions that all members of some group share the same characteristics

Answer 18

stereotypes

Question 19

a positive or negative attitude toward people in certain groups

Answer 19

prejudice

Question 20

differential treatment of people in certain groups: the behavioral component of prejudice

Answer 20

social discrimination

Question 21

the idea that stereotypes and prejudice toward a group will diminish as contact with the group increases

Answer 21

contact hypothesis

Question 22

the notion that people are most likely to form committed relationships with those who are similar to themselves in physical attractiveness

Answer 22

matching hypothesis

Question 23

learned, socially-based rules that prescribe what people should or should not do in various situations

Answer 23

social norms

Question 24

a psychological state occurring in group members that results in loss of individuality and a tendency to do things not normally done when alone

Answer 24

deindividuation

Question 25

changing one’s behavior or beliefs to match those of others, generally as a result of real or imagined (though unspoken) group pressure

Answer 25

conformity

Question 26

adjusting one’s behavior because of a direct request

Answer 26

compliance

Question 27

changing behavior in response to a demand from an authority figure

Answer 27

obedience

Question 28

an act that is intended to hurt another person

Answer 28

aggressive behavior (aggression)

Question 29

a proposition that frustration always leads to some form of aggressive behavior

Answer 29

frustration-aggression hypothesis

Question 30

the study of the effects of the physical environment on people’s behavior and mental processes

Answer 30

environmental psychology

Question 31

any act that is intended to benefit another person

Answer 31

prosocial behavior (helping behavior)

Question 32

an unselfish concern for another’s welfare

Answer 32

altruism

Question 33

a theory attributing people’s prosocial behavior to their efforts to reduce unpleasant arousal in the face of someone’s need or suffering, while also considering the costs involved

Answer 33

arousal cost-reward theory

Question 34

a phenomenon in which the chances that someone will help in an emergency decreases as the number of people present increases

Answer 34

bystander effect

Question 35

a theory suggesting that people help others because they feel empathy toward them

Answer 35

empathy-altruism helping theory

Question 36

any type of behavior in which people work together to attain a goal

Answer 36

cooperation

Question 37

any type of behavior in which individuals try to attain a goal while denying others access to that goal

Answer 37

competition

Question 38

what occurs when a person or group believes that another person or group interferes with the attainment of a goal

Answer 38

conflict

Question 39

situations in which actions that produce rewards for one individual will produce negative consequences for all if they are adopted by everyone

Answer 39

social dilemmas

Question 40

a phenomenon in which the presence of others improves a person’s performance

Answer 40

social facilitation

Question 41

a reduction in performance due to the presence of other people

Answer 41

social interference

Question 42

exerting less effort when performing a group task than when performing the same task alone

Answer 42

social loafing

Question 43

leaders who provide close supervision, lead by giving directions, and generally discourage group discussion

Answer 43

task-motivated leaders

Question 44

leaders who provide loose supervision, ask for group members’ ideas, and are generally concerned with subordinates’ feelings

Answer 44

relationship-motivated leaders

Question 45

a pattern of thinking that renders group members unable to evaluate realistically the wisdom of various options and decisions

Answer 45

groupthink