Social Psychology Chapter 16 Examples

Study Notes

Studies how individuals think, influence, and relate to each other in different social contexts.

Attribution Theory

Explains how we attribute behaviors to traits or situational factors. Example: attributing Dink's grouchy behavior to her personality rather than her lack of sleep.

Fundamental Attribution Error

Tendency to overemphasize personal characteristics and underestimate situational factors in others' behavior. Example: assuming Dink is grouchy without considering her circumstances.

Attitude

A person's evaluation of others can influence feelings and behaviors. Example: believing someone is mean may lead to unfriendly actions toward them.

Central Route Persuasion

Involves convincing someone through strong, relevant arguments. Example: a restaurant promoting food quality in ads to persuade viewers.

Peripheral Route Persuasion

Persuasion through superficial cues rather than focusing on the content. Example: restaurant ads featuring attractive models instead of food quality.

Foot-In-The-Door Phenomenon

The tendency to agree to smaller requests makes it easier to agree to larger ones later. Example: Dink agreeing to a monthly car payment makes her more likely to accept additional features.

Role

Expected behavior patterns in specific social contexts. Example: Dink adapting to her new role as a college student at Harvard over time.

Cognitive Dissonance Theory

The discomfort from holding conflicting beliefs or attitudes leads to rationalization. Example: Americans redefining the war's purpose to reduce dissonance after failing to find WMDs.

Conformity

Adopting behaviors, attitudes, or beliefs to align with group norms. Example: a junior high student going along with older peers’ incorrect answer in a math discussion.

Changing behavior to fit in and avoid rejection. Example: Dink discarding old shoes to conform to popular trends.

Seeking guidance from others when unsure. Example: individuals turning to police for advice in ambiguous or crisis situations.

Increased performance on tasks when being observed by a group. Example: Dink racing faster due to the support and presence of a cheering audience at her ostrich racing events.

Description

Explore key concepts of social psychology through flashcards in this chapter. Understand how we think, influence, and relate to others in various social contexts. Dive into Attribution Theory and more to enhance your comprehension of these critical social dynamics.