Unit 4- Social Psych and Personality (Maiden) Flashcards
Unit 4 (43 cards)
Fundamental Attribution Error
The tendency for observers to, when analyzing another’s behavior, to underestimate the impact of the situation and to overestimate the impact of personal disposition
Ex: He is late because he is unmotivated
Self-serving bias
Our normal tendency to perceive ourselves favorably, as when viewing
Ex: I’m late because I have a lot of work to do
Foot-in-the-Door
Tendency for people who have first agreed to a small request to comply later with a larger request
Ex: Agreeing to a free trial makes you more likely to buy the product
Door-in-the-Face
tendency for people to comply to a smaller request after rejecting an initially large request
Ex: Asking for $100 assuming you’ll be rejected and then asking for $20 which you’ll more likely to get
Cognitive Dissonance
Discomfort when attitudes and behavior don’t match; we act to reduce this discomfort we feel when our actions are inconsistent with our thoughts
Group Polarization
The idea that groups tend to make decisions that are more extreme compared to the original thoughts of individual group members
Ex: After a discussion about racism, members of the group who are racist will defend their attitudes far more strongly than they would have beforehand
Groupthink
Reasoning that occurs when the desire for harmony in the decision-making group overrides a realistic appraisal of alternatives
Ex: The challenger disaster was another effect where NASA officials disregarded engineer’s concern and decided to launch the shuttle
Social Facilitation
Improved performance on simple or well-learned tasks in the presents of others
Ex: student might study better in a library than at home, as the presence of other students and the environment can help them focus
Asch conformity experiment
Individuals often conform to the opinions of a group, even when the group’s opinion is clearly wrong, due to peer pressure and the desire to fit in
Ex: When one student leaves the classroom, the teacher has everyone else stand up when the student returns and sits down
Milgram Shocking Experiment
People will likely follow orders, even harmful ones, when instructed by an accepted authority figure
Bystander effect
Tendency for any given bystander to be less likely to give aid if other bystanders are present
Ex: people might hesitate to help someone who has fallen on the sidewalk, assuming someone else will step in
Deindividuation
Loss of self-awareness and self-restraint occurring in a group that foster arousal and anonymity
Ex: online trolling
Social Loafing
Tendency for people in a group to exert less effort when pooling efforts toward a common goal than if they were individually accountable
Ex: A student in a group project who does minimal work, assuming others will carry the load
Instinct
There is a genetic basis for unlearned, species-typical behavior
Ex: birds building nests or infants rooting for a nipple
Drive-Reduction
A physiological need (food/water) creates an aroused psychological drive (hunger/thirst) that motivates a drive-reducing behavior (eat/drink)
Ex: If you are thirsty drink water
Optimal Arousal
Our need to maintain an optimal level of arousal motivates behaviors that meet no physiological need
Ex: our yearning for stimulation and our hunger for info.
Set Point
Humans have a predetermined body weight range that their bodies strive to maintain
Intrinsic motivation
When we find participation in an activity personally rewarding and fulfilling
Ex: If you participate in a sport because you enjoy it rather than to win awards or competitions
Extrinsic Motivation (incentive theory)
When we participate in an activity to gain a reward to avoid punishment
Ex: studying hard to earn a good grade
Stress- General Adaptation Theory
Describes the process your body goes through when you are exposed to any kind of stress, positive or negative
Ex: encountering a bear while on a hike
Id
Pleasure principle demands immediate gratification
Ex: when your stomach is empty at work, the id demands you to fill your stomach and eat up
Ego
Reality principle
Ex: waiting for a meeting to end before getting a snack, despite feeling hungry
Superego
Morality principle
Ex: when a person feels guilty for wanting to cheat on a test, even though they know the could get away with it
Defense Mechanisms
Tactics that reduce/redirect anxiety by distorting reality
Ex: denial, repression, projection and displacement
