Social Psychology Overview

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Questions and Answers

What is the phenomenon where individuals exert less effort when working in a group due to unmonitored contributions called?

Evaluation apprehension

Group polarization

Social facilitation

Social loafing (correct)

Which term refers to an individual's dominant response in any given situation?

Self-censorship

Groupthink

Dominant response (correct)

Deindividuation

What is the focus of highly cohesive groups that can lead to faulty decision-making?

Enhanced individuation

Diminished self-regulation

Consensus over issues (correct)

Spotlight effect

How does Zajonc's theory explain the effect of others' presence on performance?

It enhances the emission of dominant responses. Signup and view all the answers

Which concept refers to the belief that one is the center of attention and that others are closely observing their behavior?

Spotlight effect Signup and view all the answers

What describes the tendency for group decisions to become more extreme than individual judgments?

Group polarization Signup and view all the answers

What phenomenon involves a reduced sense of personal identity leading to disinhibited behavior in groups?

Deindividuation Signup and view all the answers

What describes relationships where individuals feel a special responsibility for each other?

Communal relationships Signup and view all the answers

In approach/inhibition theory, how do high power individuals behave compared to low power individuals?

They pursue goals aggressively and make quick judgments. Signup and view all the answers

What motivates individuals to seek positive and ongoing interactions with others?

Need to belong Signup and view all the answers

What is the tit-for-tat strategy primarily designed to encourage?

Cooperation in social interactions Signup and view all the answers

Which term describes the tendency to believe that members of an outgroup are more similar to each other than members of one's ingroup?

Outgroup homogeneity effect Signup and view all the answers

What does the jigsaw classroom approach aim to achieve?

Reduction of group conflict Signup and view all the answers

What does the implicit association test (IAT) primarily assess?

Unconscious attitudes toward various stimuli Signup and view all the answers

Which condition is NOT necessary for positive contact between groups, according to the contact hypothesis?

Creation of a competitive environment Signup and view all the answers

What does the term 'modern racism' refer to?

Subtle prejudices existing with rejection of explicit racism Signup and view all the answers

What strategy can be used to mitigate stereotypes by creating subcategories?

Subtyping Signup and view all the answers

What is a key element of the realistic group conflict theory?

Competition for limited resources fosters group conflict Signup and view all the answers

What phenomenon occurs when individuals take pride in the achievements of their social group?

Basking in reflected glory Signup and view all the answers

What is the effect of priming in social psychology?

Presentation of information to activate a concept Signup and view all the answers

Which process explains the difficulty of recognizing faces from races other than one's own?

Own-race identification bias Signup and view all the answers

What is a common outcome of stereotype threat?

Increased validation of stereotypes Signup and view all the answers

What does ethnocentrism promote?

Preference for one's own cultural group over others Signup and view all the answers

What is a key characteristic of the minimal group paradigm?

Arbitrary group assignment creating group pride Signup and view all the answers

What theory suggests that individuals assess relationships based on costs and rewards?

Social exchange theory Signup and view all the answers

Which attachment style is characterized by discomfort over intimacy and closeness?

Avoidant attachment Signup and view all the answers

What is the term for people being motivated to pursue fairness in their relationships?

Equity theory Signup and view all the answers

Which concept describes the phenomenon where increased exposure to something leads to increased liking?

Mere exposure effect Signup and view all the answers

What aspect of attachment captures the level of concern about rejection and abandonment?

Anxiety dimension of attachment Signup and view all the answers

What does the investment model of commitment emphasize as crucial for maintaining a romantic relationship?

Satisfaction, lack of alternatives, and investments Signup and view all the answers

Which type of attachment may lead to a child becoming upset when a caregiver leaves but also rejecting the caregiver upon return?

Anxious-ambivalent attachment Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary focus of altruism?

Help others without regard for self Signup and view all the answers

What does the halo effect imply about attractive individuals?

They possess other positive qualities Signup and view all the answers

Which concept refers to the tendency to seek out partners who have characteristics that complement one's own?

Complementarity Signup and view all the answers

What is the term for the mistaken belief about how others feel or respond in a social situation?

Pluralistic ignorance Signup and view all the answers

What is the diffusion of responsibility in emergency situations?

Reduction of the urgency to help Signup and view all the answers

Which term describes help provided regularly to others without expecting compensation?

Volunteerism Signup and view all the answers

What is kin selection in the context of evolutionary biology?

Favoring genetic relatives' reproductive success Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Social Facilitation: The effect of others' presence on performance; it can enhance or hinder performance depending on the task. Presence of others increases arousal, leading to enhanced emission of 'dominant responses'.
Zajonc's Theory: The presence of others increases arousal, leading to the enhancement of dominant responses (the responses a person is most likely to make).
Evaluation Apprehension: Concern about how others may evaluate them; this can impact performance.
Social Loafing: Reduction of effort when working in a group setting compared to individual work, where individual contributions are not distinguishable.
Groupthink: When highly cohesive groups prioritize consensus over critical evaluation of ideas, leading to poor decision-making. Causes include self-censorship, shallow examination of alternatives, and a sense of invulnerability.
Group Polarization: Group decisions tend to be more extreme than individual decisions in the direction the group was already leaning.
Elements of Power: Include power, status, authority, and dominance.
Approach/Inhibition Theory: High-power individuals tend towards quick judgments and goals, while low-power individuals are more cautious.

Deindividuation: Reduced sense of individual identity, leading to diminished self-regulation when in a large group.
Individuation: Emphasizes individuality and careful action in line with personal values.
Spotlight Effect: Belief that others are paying more attention to one's actions than they actually are.
Need to Belong: A strong motivation for humans to form relationships and maintain connections with others.
Communal Relationship: Strong sense of responsibility for one another; interactions are based on need.
Exchange Relationship: Relationship focused on mutual benefit and trade; often short-term.
Social Exchange Theory: Relationships are based on assessment of costs and rewards, driving evaluations of relationships.
Comparison Level: Expectations about what individuals should expect to get out of a relationship.
Comparison Level for Alternatives: Expectations about what they could get out of other relationships.
Equity Theory: Ideal relationships emphasize fairness and equality of contributions and rewards.
Attachment Theory: Early childhood attachments influence patterns of relating in later relationships.
Anxiety Dimension of Attachment: Worry about rejection and abandonment in relationships.
Avoidance Dimension of Attachment: Comfort level with intimacy and dependence.
Secure Attachment: Characterized by trust and intimacy in relationships.
Avoidant Attachment: Characterized by discomfort with closeness and intimacy.
Anxious-Ambivalent Attachment: Characterized by extreme reactions to separation and reunion.
Functional Distance: Layout of an environment that encourages or discourages interactions between people.
Mere Exposure Effect: Increased liking for something based on repeated exposure.
Similarity and Attraction: Attraction to those with similar backgrounds or characteristics.
Complementarity: Attraction to those with traits that fulfill one's own deficits or needs.
Halo Effect: Positive characteristics in one area affecting evaluation in other areas.
Gender and Attractiveness: Attractiveness is often more important for women than men in relationships.
Reproductive Fitness: The capacity to pass one's genes to future generations.

Helping Behavior

Investment Model of Commitment: Commitment in relationships is influenced by satisfaction, lack of alternatives, and investments in the relationship.
Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse: Key factors that predict divorce by damaging relationships: criticism, defensiveness, stonewalling, and contempt.
Altruism: Prosocial behavior with no expectation of reward and concern for the consequences for others.
Social Reward: Helping in exchange for tangible or intangible rewards.
Personal Distress: Helping to reduce one's own distress when observing another person's distress.
Empathic Concern: Helping due to understanding and sharing the feelings of another person in need.
Volunteerism: Regular assistance to others without compensation.
Bystander Intervention: Assistance provided by a witness in a crisis or emergency.
Diffusion of Responsibility: Reduced individual responsibility to intervene when others are present.
Pluralistic Ignorance: Misunderstanding of others' perspectives or beliefs, creating a false impression of what others believe.
Kin Selection: Evolutionary behavior that favors gene-related individuals, even when it has costs to the individual.

Intergroup Relations

Reciprocal Altruism: Helping others with the expectation of future reciprocation.
Prisoner's Dilemma: Game theory model illustrating conflict between cooperation and self-interest.
Reputation: Social judgment and perception of an individual's trustworthiness and cooperation in social interactions.
Tit-for-Tat Strategy: Cooperation initially, and then repeating the opponent's last action in subsequent interactions.
Stereotype: Oversimplified beliefs about groups, often negative and inflexible.
Prejudice: Negative attitude toward a group and its members.
Discrimination: Negative behavior toward a group and its members.
Modern Racism: Implicit prejudice and discriminatory behavior disguised as non-prejudice.
Implicit Association Test (IAT): Tool to identify implicit attitudes or stereotypes toward different groups.
Priming: Presentation of information to activate a particular concept or belief to guide subsequent thoughts and behaviors.
Affect Misattribution Procedure (AMP): Technique to measure implicit attitudes, by eliciting emotions and attributing them to stimuli.
Realistic Conflict Theory: Intergroup conflict arises when groups compete over scarce resources.
Ethnocentrism: Favoritism towards one's own group and negativity towards other groups.
Superordinate Goals: Shared goals that require cooperation between groups to achieve.
Jigsaw Classroom: Educational approach minimizing prejudice by requiring students to work together and contribute to a shared project.
Minimal Group Paradigm: Experimental method to investigate factors affecting group formation and intergroup prejudice using arbitrary group assignments.
Social Identity Theory: People gain self-esteem through their group memberships and pride in their groups.
Basking in Reflected Glory (BIRG): Tendency to affiliate with successful groups or individuals to enhance self-esteem.
Paired Distinctiveness: Tendency to associate two distinctive events, which may be erroneous.
Subtyping: Explanation for exceptions of stereotypes by creating a new category of a stereotype for an exception.
Outgroup Homogeneity Effect: Perception that members of outgroups are more similar than members of ingroups.
Own-Race Identification Bias: Better recognition of one's own race compared to other races.
Stereotype Threat: Fear of confirming negative stereotypes about one's group, which may impact performance.
Contact Hypothesis: Prejudice can be reduced through contact between members of different groups under certain conditions. Positive contact requires equal status, shared goals, necessary cooperation, community support, one-on-one contact.

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Description

Explore key concepts in social psychology including social facilitation, Zajonc's theory, and social loafing. Understand how group dynamics affect individual performance and decision-making through phenomena like groupthink and group polarization.