Social Psychology Flashcards

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Questions and Answers

What is the fundamental attribution error?

Overvaluing personal characteristics over situational influences.

Considering context before judging someone's actions.

Assuming a bad action reflects a person's character. (correct)

Ignoring the influence of situational factors. (correct)

What is the central route to persuasion?

Outlining logical reasons for a change.

What is the peripheral route to persuasion?

Using emotional appeals and surface-level cues.

What does the foot-in-the-door phenomenon involve?

Getting someone to agree to a small request, then making a larger request. Signup and view all the answers

What is cognitive dissonance?

Feeling discomfort from holding conflicting beliefs or behaviors. Signup and view all the answers

What is automatic mimicry?

Unconsciously imitating the behaviors of others. Signup and view all the answers

What does obedience mean in a social context?

Following the directives of someone in authority. Signup and view all the answers

What is normative social influence?

Changing behavior to fit in with a group. Signup and view all the answers

What is informational social influence?

Conforming to others when unsure about how to act. Signup and view all the answers

What does deindividuation refer to?

Loss of self-awareness in a group context. Signup and view all the answers

What is social facilitation?

Improved performance in the presence of others. Signup and view all the answers

What is social loafing?

Decreased effort when working in a group. Signup and view all the answers

What is group polarization?

Tendency for group discussion to enhance group opinion. Signup and view all the answers

What is groupthink?

A style of thinking where harmony overrides realistic appraisal. Signup and view all the answers

What is prejudice?

Irrational negative or positive judgment about a group. Signup and view all the answers

What does stereotype mean?

Oversimplified generalized belief about a group. Signup and view all the answers

What is discrimination in a social context?

Unjust treatment of different categories of people. Signup and view all the answers

What does the just-world phenomenon refer to?

Belief that the world is fair and people get what they deserve. Signup and view all the answers

What is ingroup bias?

Favoring members of one's own group over others. Signup and view all the answers

What does scapegoat theory explain?

Blaming an outgroup for problems to relieve pressure on oneself. Signup and view all the answers

What is the mere exposure effect?

Increased preference with repeated exposure. Signup and view all the answers

What does self-disclosure mean?

Sharing personal information with others. Signup and view all the answers

What is equity in social psychology?

Fairness in relationships. Signup and view all the answers

What does the frustration-aggression principle state?

Frustration leads to aggressive behavior. Signup and view all the answers

What is the bystander effect?

Tendency to be less likely to help when others are present. Signup and view all the answers

What is social exchange theory?

Weighing costs and benefits in social interactions. Signup and view all the answers

What is the reciprocity norm?

Expectation to return favors or benefits. Signup and view all the answers

What does the social responsibility norm imply?

Expectation to help those in need. Signup and view all the answers

What is a social trap?

A situation where individuals act in their own interest to the detriment of the group. Signup and view all the answers

What are superordinate goals?

Goals that require cooperation to achieve. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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Description

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.