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AP Psychology - Social Psychology Flashcards

Advanced Placement Psychology
Enterprise High School, Redding, CA
All terms from Myers Psychology for AP (BFW Worth, 2011)

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6572950657Social Psychologythe scientific study of how we think about, influence, and relate to one another.0
6572950658Attribution Theorythe theory that we explain someone's behavior by crediting either the situation or the person's disposition.1
6572950659Fundamental 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.2
6572950660Attitudefeelings, often influenced by our beliefs, that predispose us to respond in a particular way to objects, people, and events.3
6572950661Central Route Persuasionattitude change path in which interested people focus on the arguments and respond with favorable thoughts.4
6572950662Peripheral Route Persuasionattitude change path in which people are influenced by incidental cues, such as a speaker's attractiveness.5
6572950663Foot-in-the-Door Phenomenonthe tendency for people who have first agreed to a small request to comply later with a larger request.6
6572950664Rolea set of expectations (norms) about a social position, defining how those in the position ought to behave.7
6572950665Cognitive 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 discomfort by changing our attitudes.8
6572950666Conformityadjusting one's behavior or thinking to coincide with a group standard.9
6572950667Normative Social Influenceinfluence resulting from a person's desire to gain approval or avoid disapproval.10
6572950668Informational Social Influenceinfluence resulting from one's willingness to accept others' opinions about reality.11
6572950669Social Facilitationstronger responses on simple or well-learned tasks in the presence of others.12
6572950670Social Loafingthe tendency for people in a group to exert less effort when pooling their efforts toward attaining a common goal than when individually accountable.13
6572950671Deindividuationthe loss of self-awareness and self-restraint occurring in group situations that foster arousal and anonymity.14
6572950672Group Polarizationthe enhancement of a group's prevailing inclinations through discussion within the group.15
6572950673Groupthinkthe mode of thinking that occurs when the desire for harmony in a decision-making group overrides a realistic appraisal of alternatives.16
6572950674Culturethe enduring behaviors, ideas, attitudes, values and traditions shared by a group of people and transmitted from one generation to the next17
6572950675Norman understood rule for accepted and expected behavior. They prescribe "proper" behavior.18
6572950676Personal Spacethe buffer zone we like to maintain around our bodies.19
6572950677Prejudicean unjustifiable (and usually negative) attitude toward a group and its members. It generally involves stereotyped beliefs, negative feelings, and a predisposition to discriminatory action.20
6572950678Stereotypea generalized (sometimes accurate but often overgeneralized) belief about a group of people.21
6572950679Discrimination(Social) unjustifiable negative behavior toward a group and its members.22
6572950680Ingroup"Us"—people with whom we share a common identity.23
6572950681Outgroup"Them"—those perceived as different or apart from our ingroup.24
6572950682Ingroup Biasthe tendency to favor our own group.25
6572950683Scapegoat Theorythe theory that prejudice offers an outlet for anger by providing someone to blame.26
6572950684Other-Race Effectthe tendency to recall faces of one's own race more accurately than faces of other races. Also called the cross-race effect and the own-race bias27
6572950685Just-World Phenomenonthe tendency for people to believe the world is just and that people therefore get what they deserve and deserve what they get.28
6572950686Aggressionphysical or verbal behavior intended to hurt someone.29
6572950687Frustration-Aggression Principlethe principle that frustration—the blocking of an attempt to achieve some goal—creates anger, which can generate aggression.30
6572950688Mere Exposure Effectthe phenomenon that repeated exposure to novel stimuli increases liking of them.31
6572950689Passionate Lovean aroused state of intense positive absorption in another, usually present at the beginning of a love relationship.32
6572950690Companionate Lovethe deep affectionate attachment we feel for those with whom our lives are intertwined.33
6572950691Equitya condition in which people receive from a relationship in proportion to what they give to it.34
6572950692Self-Disclosurerevealing intimate aspects of oneself to others.35
6572950693Altruismunselfish regard for the welfare of others.36
6572950694Bystander Effectthe tendency for any given bystander to be less likely to give aid if other bystanders are present.37
6572950696Reciprocity Norman expectation that people will help, not hurt, those who have helped them.38
6572950697Social-Responsibility Norman expectation that people will help those dependent upon them.39
6572950698Conflicta perceived incompatibility of actions, goals, or ideas.40
6572950699Social Trapa situation in which the conflicting parties, by each rationally pursuing their self-interest, become caught in mutually destructive behavior.41
6572950700Mirror-Image Perceptionsmutual views often held by conflicting people, as when each side sees itself as ethical and peaceful and views the other side as evil and aggressive.42
6572950701Self Fulfilling Prophecya belief that leads to its own fulfillment43
6572950704Diffusion of Responsibilityreduction in feelings of personal burden in the presence of others44
6572950705Ethnocentricismevaluation of other cultures according to the standards and customs of one's own culture45
6572950706ComplianceConforming to a request or demand46

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