unit 4 part 1 vocab

Question 1

Solomon Asch

Answer 1

studied conformity, found that individuals would conform even if they knew it was wrong

Question 2

attribution theory

Answer 2

the theory that we explain someone’s behavior by crediting either the situation (a situational attribution) or the person’s stable, enduring traits (a dispositional attribution)

Question 3

fundamental attribution error

Answer 3

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

Question 4

actor-observer bias

Answer 4

the tendency for those acting in a situation to attribute their behavior to external causes, but for observers to attribute others’ behavior to internal causes. This contributes to the fundamental attribution error (which focuses on our explanations for others’ behavior)

Question 5

just world phenomenon

Answer 5

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

Question 6

social identity

Answer 6

the “we” aspect of our self-concept; the part of our answer to “Who am I?” that comes from our group memberships

Question 7

ingroup bias

Answer 7

the tendency to favor our own group

Question 8

scapegoat theory

Answer 8

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

Question 9

central route persuasion

Answer 9

occurs when interested people’s thinking is influenced by considering evidence and arguments

Question 10

normative social influence

Answer 10

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

Question 11

informational social influence

Answer 11

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

Question 12

outgroup homogeneity bias

Answer 12

the tendency to assume that the members of other groups are very similar to each other, particularly in contrast to the assumed diversity of the membership of one’s own group

Question 13

Stanley Milgram

Answer 13

wanted to see how the German soldiers in WWII fell to obedience; wanted to see how far individuals would go to be obedient to authority and commands; shock study

Question 14

social facilitation

Answer 14

in the presence of others, improved performance on simple or well-learned tasks, and worsened performance on difficult tasks

Question 15

social loafing

Answer 15

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 16

deindividuation

Answer 16

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

Question 17

group polarization

Answer 17

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

Question 18

groupthink

Answer 18

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

Question 19

mere exposure effect

Answer 19

the tendency for repeated exposure to novel stimuli to increase our liking of them

Question 20

foot in the door phenomenon

Answer 20

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

Question 21

cognitive dissonance theory

Answer 21

the theory that we act to reduce the discomfort (dissonance) we feel when two of our thoughts (cognitions) are inconsistent. For example, when we become aware that our attitudes and our actions clash, we can reduce the resulting dissonance by changing our attitudes

Question 22

peripheral route persuasion

Answer 22

occurs when people are influenced by incidental cues, such as a speaker’s attractiveness

Question 23

self disclosure

Answer 23

the act of revealing intimate aspects of ourselves to others

Question 24

altruism

Answer 24

unselfish regard for the welfare of others

Question 25

John Darley

Answer 25

worked with Bibb Latane; studied diffusion of responsibility and bystander effect

Question 26

Bibb Latane

Answer 26

worked with John Darley; focused on social loafing and diffusion of responsibility

Question 27

bystander effect

Answer 27

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

Question 28

social exchange theory

Answer 28

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

Question 29

social responsibility norm

Answer 29

an expectation that people will help those needing their help

Question 30

social trap

Answer 30

a situation in which two parties, by each pursuing their self-interest rather than the good of the group, become caught in mutually destructive behavior

Question 31

mirror image perceptions

Answer 31

mutual views often held by conflicting parties, as when each side sees itself as ethical and peaceful and views the other side as evil and aggressive

Question 32

self fulfilling prophecy

Answer 32

a belief that leads to its own fulfillment

Question 33

superordinate goals

Answer 33

shared goals that override differences among people and require their cooperation

Question 34

GRIT

Answer 34

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

Question 35

psychodynamic theories

Answer 35

theories that view personality with a focus on the unconscious mind and the importance of childhood experiences

Question 36

passionate love

Answer 36

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

Question 37

companionate love

Answer 37

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

Question 38

equity

Answer 38

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

Question 39

collective unconscious

Answer 39

Carl Jung's concept of a shared, inherited reservoir of memory traces from our species' history

Question 40

terror management theory

Answer 40

a theory of death-related anxiety; explores people's emotional and behavioral responses to reminders of their impending death

Question 41

Thematic Apperception Test (TAT)

Answer 41

a projective test in which people express their inner feelings and interests through the stories they make up about ambiguous scenes

Question 42

projective test

Answer 42

a personality test, such as the TAT or Rorschach, that provides ambiguous images designed to trigger projection of one's inner dynamics and explore the preconscious and unconscious mind

Question 43

Rorschach inkblot test

Answer 43

a projective test designed by Hermann Rorschach; seeks to identify people's inner feelings by analyzing how they interpret 10 inkblots

Question 44

humanistic theories

Answer 44

theories that view personality with a focus on the potential for healthy personal growth

Question 45

Carl Rogers

Answer 45

founded person-centered therapy, theory that emphasizes the unique quality of humans especially their freedom and potential for personal growth, and unconditional positive regard

Question 46

unconditional positive regard

Answer 46

a caring, accepting, nonjudgmental attitude, which Carl Rogers believed would help clients develop self-awareness and self-acceptance. (also known as unconditional regard)

Question 47

self concept

Answer 47

all our thoughts and feelings about ourselves in answer to the question, "Who am I?"

Question 48

trait

Answer 48

a characteristic pattern of behavior or a disposition to feel and act in certain ways, as assessed by self-report inventories and peer reports

Question 49

personality inventory

Answer 49

a questionnaire (often with true-false or agree-disagree items) on which people respond to items designed to gauge a wide range of feelings and behaviors; used to assess selected personality traits

Question 50

psychoanalysis

Answer 50

(1) Freud's theory of personality that attributes thoughts and actions to unconscious motives and conflicts; the techniques used in treating psychological disorders by seeking to expose and interpret unconscious tensions. (2) Sigmund Freud's therapeutic technique. Freud believed the patient's free associations, resistances, dreams, and transferences — and the analyst's interpretations of them — released previously repressed feelings, allowing the patient to gain self-insight

Question 51

Sigmund Freud

Answer 51

founder of psychoanalysis

Question 52

unconscious

Answer 52

according to Freud, a reservoir of mostly unacceptable thoughts, wishes, feelings, and memories. according to contemporary psychologists, information processing of which we are unaware

Question 53

free association

Answer 53

in psychoanalysis, a method of exploring the unconscious in which the person relaxes and says whatever comes to mind, no matter how trivial or embarrassing

Question 54

id

Answer 54

a reservoir of unconscious psychic energy that, according to Freud, strives to satisfy basic sexual and aggressive drives. the id operates on the pleasure principle, demanding immediate gratification

Question 55

ego

Answer 55

the partly conscious, "executive" part of personality that, according to Freud, mediates among the demands of the id, the superego, and reality. the ego operates on the reality principle, satisfying the id's desires in ways that will realistically bring pleasure rather than pain

Question 56

superego

Answer 56

the partly conscious part of personality that, according to Freud, represents internalized ideals and provides standards for judgment (the conscience) and for future aspirations

Question 57

empirically derived test

Answer 57

a test (such as the MMPI) created by selecting from a pool of items those that discriminate between groups

Question 58

Big Five Factors

Answer 58

five traits — openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism — that describe personality. (also called the five-factor model)

Question 59

social cognitive theory

Answer 59

exploring the interaction between people's traits (including their thinking) and their social context

Question 60

Albert Bandura

Answer 60

best known for his social learning theory, the concept of self efficacy, and the bobo doll experiments; stated that people profit from the mistakes/successes of others

Question 61

behavioral approach

Answer 61

focuses on the effects of learning on our personality development