AP Notes, Outlines, Study Guides, Vocabulary, Practice Exams and more!

AP Psychology Chapter 18

These terms are matched to Myers 8th edition of Psychology chapter 18.

Terms : Hide Images
6940926social psychologythe scientific study of how we think about, influence, and relate to one another.
6940927attribution theorysuggests how we explain someone's behavior-- by crediting either the situation or the person's disposition.
6940928fundamental attribution errorthe tendency for observers, when analyzing another's behavior, to underestimate the impact of the situation and to overestimate the impact of personal disposition.
6940929attitudefeelings, often based on our beliefs, that predispose us to respond in a particular way to objects, people, and events.
6940930cognitive dissonance theorythe theory that we act to reduce the discomfort (dissonance) we feel when two of our thoughts (cognitions) are inconsistent. For example, when our awareness of our attitudes and of our actions clash, we can reduce the resulting dissonance by changing our attitudes.
6940931conformityadjusting one's behavior or thinking to coincide with a group standard.
6940932normative social influenceinfluence resulting from a person's desire to gain approval or avoid disapproval.
6940933informational social influenceinfluence resulting from one's willingness to accept others' opinions about reality.
6940934social facilitationstronger responses on simple or well-learned tasks in the presence of others.
6940935social loafingthe tendency for people in a group to exert less effort when pooling their efforts toward attaining a common goal than when individually accountable.
6940936deindividuationthe loss of self-awareness and self-restraint occurring in group situations that foster arousal and anonymity.
6940937group polarizationthe enhancement of a group's prevailing inclinations through discussion within the group.
6940938groupthinkthe mode of thinking that occurs when the desire for harmony in a decision-making group overrides a realistic appraisal of alternatives.
6940939prejudicean unjustifiable (and usually negative) attitude toward a group and its members. generally involves stereotyped beliefs, negative feelings, and a predisposition to discriminatory action.
6940940stereotypea generalized (sometimes accurate but often overgeneralized) belief about a group of people.
6940941discriminationin classical conditioning, the learned ability to distinguish between a conditioned stimulus and stimuli that do not signal an unconditioned stimulus.
6940942ingroup"Us"--people with whom one shares a common identity.
6940943outgroup"Them"--those perceived as different or apart from one's ingroup.
6940944ingroup biasthe tendency to favor one's own group.
6940945scapegoat theorythe theory that prejudice offers an outlet for anger by providing someone to blame.
6940946aggressionany physical or verbal behavior intended to hurt or destroy. (pp. 127, 749)
6940947conflicta perceived incompatibility of actions, goals, or ideas.
6940948social trapa situation in which the conflicting parties, by each rationally pursuing their self-interest, become caught in mutually destructive behavior.
6940949mere exposure effectthe phenomenon that repeated exposure to novel stimuli increases liking of them.
6940950passionate lovean aroused state of intense positive absorption in another, usually present at the beginning of a love relationship.
6940951companionate lovethe deep affectionate attachment we feel for those with whom our lives are intertwined.
6940952equitya condition in which people receive from a relationship in proportion to what they give to it.
6940953altruismunselfish regard for the welfare of others.
6940954bystander effectthe tendency for any given bystander to be less likely to give aid if other bystanders are present.
6940955social exchange theorythe theory that our social behavior is an exchange process, the aim of which is to maximize benefits and minimize costs.
6940956reciprocity norman expectation that people will help, not hurt, those who have helped them.
6940957superordinate goalsshared goals that override differences among people and require their cooperation.
6940958GRITGraduated and Reciprocated Initiatives in Tension-Reduction-- strategy designed to decrease international tensions.

Need Help?

We hope your visit has been a productive one. If you're having any problems, or would like to give some feedback, we'd love to hear from you.

For general help, questions, and suggestions, try our dedicated support forums.

If you need to contact the Course-Notes.Org web experience team, please use our contact form.

Need Notes?

While we strive to provide the most comprehensive notes for as many high school textbooks as possible, there are certainly going to be some that we miss. Drop us a note and let us know which textbooks you need. Be sure to include which edition of the textbook you are using! If we see enough demand, we'll do whatever we can to get those notes up on the site for you!