UNIT 9

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

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

Question 3

fundamental attribution error

Answer 3

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

Question 4

cognitive dissonance theory

Answer 4

we act to reduce discomfort (dissonance) we feel when two of our thoughts (cognitions) are inconsistent

Question 5

conformity

Answer 5

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

Question 6

social facilitation

Answer 6

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

Question 7

social loafing

Answer 7

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

Question 8

deindividuation

Answer 8

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

Question 9

group polarization

Answer 9

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

Question 10

groupthink

Answer 10

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

Question 11

culture

Answer 11

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

Question 12

norm

Answer 12

understood rule for accepted and expected behavior - norms prescribe “proper” behavior

Question 13

personal space

Answer 13

the buffer zone we like to maintain around our bodies

Question 14

ingroup

Answer 14

us - people with whom we share a common identity

Question 15

outgroup

Answer 15

them - those perceived as different or apart from our group

Question 16

ingroup bias

Answer 16

the tendency to favor our own group

Question 17

scapegoat theory

Answer 17

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

Question 18

other-race effect

Answer 18

the tendency to recall faces of one’s own race more accurately that faces of other races - as known as: cross-race effect or own-race bias

Question 19

frustration-aggression principle

Answer 19

frustration - the blocking of an attempt to schieve some goal - creates anger, which can generate aggression

Question 20

mere exposure effect

Answer 20

repeated exposure to novel stimuli increases liking of them

Question 21

passionate love

Answer 21

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

Question 22

companionate love

Answer 22

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

Question 23

equity

Answer 23

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

Question 24

self-disclosure

Answer 24

revealing intimate aspects of oneself to others

Question 25

altruism

Answer 25

unselfish regard for the welfare of others

Question 26

bystander effect

Answer 26

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

Question 27

social exchange theory

Answer 27

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

Question 28

reciprocity norm

Answer 28

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

Question 29

social-responsibility norm

Answer 29

people will help those dependent upon them

Question 30

conflict

Answer 30

perceived incompatibility of actions, goals, or ideas

Question 31

social trap

Answer 31

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

Question 32

self-fulfilling prophecy

Answer 32

a belief that leads to its own fulfillment

Question 33

attitude

Answer 33

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

Question 34

central route persuasion

Answer 34

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

Question 35

peripheral route persuasion

Answer 35

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

Question 36

foot-in-the-door phenomenon

Answer 36

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

Question 37

role

Answer 37

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

Question 38

normative social influence

Answer 38

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

Question 39

informational social influence

Answer 39

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

Question 40

prejudice

Answer 40

an unjustifiable (and usually negative) attitude toward a group and its members

Question 41

stereotype

Answer 41

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

Question 42

discrimination

Answer 42

unfustifiable negative behavior toward a group and its members

Question 43

just-world phenomenon

Answer 43

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

Question 44

aggression

Answer 44

any physical or verbal behavior intended to hurt or destroy

Question 45

superordinate goals

Answer 45

shared goals that override differences among people and require their cooperation

Question 46

GRIT

Answer 46

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

Question 47

social script

Answer 47

culturally modeled guide for how to act in various situations

Question 48

mirror-image perceptions

Answer 48

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