Social Psychology Flashcards

Fundamental Attribution Error

• Overemphasizes personality traits in others, disregarding situational factors. Example: perceiving a woman yelling at her child as poor parenting.

Central Route to Persuasion

• Involves logical reasoning and evidence-based arguments to persuade. Example: presenting rational justifications to parents for an allowance increase.

Peripheral Route to Persuasion

• Relies on superficial cues, such as appearance and emotional appeals. Example: dressing nicely and expressing love before asking for more allowance.

Foot-in-the-Door Phenomenon

• Initial small requests lead to larger subsequent requests. Example: a friend begins by borrowing earrings and then asks for a dress and shoes.

Cognitive Dissonance

• Psychological discomfort arising from conflicting beliefs or self-perception. Example: feeling confused after believing oneself to be a great basketball player but not making the team.

Automatic Mimicry

• Unconscious imitation of others' actions or behaviors. Example: yawning in response to seeing someone else yawn.

Obedience

• Compliance with direct commands from authority figures. Example: following a parent's instruction to take out the trash.

Normative Social Influence

• Conforming to group expectations to fit in despite personal preferences. Example: dyeing hair red to avoid feeling different from friends.

Informational Social Influence

• Adopting the behavior of others when unsure of the correct action. Example: merging lanes in traffic based on others’ actions without understanding the reason.

Deindividuation

• Loss of self-awareness in groups, leading to behaviors uncharacteristic of the individual. Example: singing loudly at a concert due to the dark and crowded atmosphere.

Social Facilitation

• Improved performance in front of an audience, particularly for well-practiced tasks. Example: nailing a difficult piano piece at a recital due to heightened adrenaline.

Social Loafing

• Individuals exert less effort when working in a group compared to working alone. Example: a family not maintaining a clean living room due to each member doing less than their share.

Group Polarization

• Group discussions intensify opinions, leading to stronger consensus. Example: a jury's initial mixed feelings about a verdict become adamant after deliberation.

Groupthink

• Poor decision-making as a result of group pressure to conform. Example: agreeing to a classmate's thesis without adequate critique to maintain harmony.

Prejudice

• Preconceived negative judgment towards a group based on stereotypes. Example: an older individual distrusting youths due to assumptions about their work ethic.

Stereotype

• Generalized belief about a group that may not accurately reflect reality. Example: assuming immigrant families are hardworking based solely on their background.

Discrimination

• Unfair treatment based on group attributes such as gender. Example: a teacher consistently calling on male students more than females.

Just-World Phenomenon

• Belief that people get what they deserve, leading to rationalization of social inequalities. Example: refusing to support charity based on the assumption that the poor are inherently lazy.

Ingroup Bias

• Preference for members of one's own group over outsiders. Example: a child choosing to play with boys rather than girls.

Scapegoat Theory

• Blaming a group or individual for problems, often unjustly. Example: attributing a sports loss to the goalie's performance alone.

Mere Exposure Effect

• Increasing preference for something due to repeated exposure. Example: growing fond of a show after watching several episodes.

Self-Disclosure

• Sharing personal information to deepen relationships. Example: feeling closer to friends after revealing secrets in a game.

Equity

• Fair distribution of resources or responsibilities leads to healthier relationships. Example: parents dividing household chores equally to foster mutual respect.

Frustration-Aggression Principle

• Frustration leads to aggressive behavior towards others. Example: a child lashing out at a dog for taking a toy.

Bystander Effect

• Individuals are less likely to help a victim when others are present. Example: observing a person stranded with a flat tire but assuming others will assist.

Social Exchange Theory

• Individuals evaluate the costs and benefits of social interactions. Example: considering time and potential rewards before agreeing to babysit.

Reciprocity Norm

• The expectation to return favors or kindness. Example: feeling obligated to donate to a charity after receiving free items.

Social Responsibility Norm

• The belief in helping those in need. Example: donating to a collection for the less fortunate.

Social Trap

• Short-term individual benefits lead to long-term collective harm. Example: overfishing results from individual fishers exceeding limits, leading to a decline in fish population.

Superordinate Goals

• Shared goals that promote cooperation between individuals or groups. Example: siblings uniting to persuade parents to adopt a pet.

Explore key concepts in social psychology through this flashcard quiz. Each card presents critical terms and their definitions, helping you understand social phenomena such as attribution errors and routes to persuasion. Perfect for anyone looking to deepen their knowledge in social psychology.