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AP 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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9286978353Social Psychologythe scientific study of how we think about, influence, and relate to one another.0
9286978354Attribution Theorythe theory that we explain someone's behavior by crediting either the situation or the person's disposition.1
9286978355Fundamental 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
9286978356Attitudefeelings, often influenced by our beliefs, that predispose us to respond in a particular way to objects, people, and events.3
9286978357Central Route Persuasionattitude change path in which interested people focus on the arguments and respond with favorable thoughts.4
9286978358Peripheral Route Persuasionattitude change path in which people are influenced by incidental cues, such as a speaker's attractiveness.5
9286978359Foot-in-the-Door Phenomenonthe tendency for people who have first agreed to a small request to comply later with a larger request.6
9286978360Rolea set of expectations (norms) about a social position, defining how those in the position ought to behave.7
9286978361Cognitive 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
9286978362Conformityadjusting one's behavior or thinking to coincide with a group standard.9
9286978363Normative Social Influenceinfluence resulting from a person's desire to gain approval or avoid disapproval.10
9286978364Informational Social Influenceinfluence resulting from one's willingness to accept others' opinions about reality.11
9286978365Social Facilitationstronger responses on simple or well-learned tasks in the presence of others.12
9286978366Social 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
9286978367Deindividuationthe loss of self-awareness and self-restraint occurring in group situations that foster arousal and anonymity.14
9286978368Group Polarizationthe enhancement of a group's prevailing inclinations through discussion within the group.15
9286978369Groupthinkthe mode of thinking that occurs when the desire for harmony in a decision-making group overrides a realistic appraisal of alternatives.16
9286978370Culturethe enduring behaviors, ideas, attitudes, values and traditions shared by a group of people and transmitted from one generation to the next17
9286978371Norman understood rule for accepted and expected behavior. They prescribe "proper" behavior.18
9286978372Personal Spacethe buffer zone we like to maintain around our bodies.19
9286978373Prejudicean 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
9286978374Stereotypea generalized (sometimes accurate but often overgeneralized) belief about a group of people.21
9286978375Discrimination(Social) unjustifiable negative behavior toward a group and its members.22
9286978376Ingroup"Us"—people with whom we share a common identity.23
9286978377Outgroup"Them"—those perceived as different or apart from our ingroup.24
9286978378Ingroup Biasthe tendency to favor our own group.25
9286978379Scapegoat Theorythe theory that prejudice offers an outlet for anger by providing someone to blame.26
9286978380Other-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
9286978381Just-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
9286978382Aggressionphysical or verbal behavior intended to hurt someone.29
9286978383Frustration-Aggression Principlethe principle that frustration—the blocking of an attempt to achieve some goal—creates anger, which can generate aggression.30
9286978384Mere Exposure Effectthe phenomenon that repeated exposure to novel stimuli increases liking of them.31
9286978385Passionate Lovean aroused state of intense positive absorption in another, usually present at the beginning of a love relationship.32
9286978386Companionate Lovethe deep affectionate attachment we feel for those with whom our lives are intertwined.33
9286978387Equitya condition in which people receive from a relationship in proportion to what they give to it.34
9286978388Self-Disclosurerevealing intimate aspects of oneself to others.35
9286978389Altruismunselfish regard for the welfare of others.36
9286978390Bystander Effectthe tendency for any given bystander to be less likely to give aid if other bystanders are present.37
9286978391Social Exchange Theorythe theory that our social behavior is an exchange process, the aim of which is to maximize benefits and minimize costs.38
9286978392Reciprocity Norman expectation that people will help, not hurt, those who have helped them.39
9286978393Social-Responsibility Norman expectation that people will help those dependent upon them.40
9286978394Conflicta perceived incompatibility of actions, goals, or ideas.41
9286978395Social Trapa situation in which the conflicting parties, by each rationally pursuing their self-interest, become caught in mutually destructive behavior.42
9286978396Mirror-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.43
9286978397Self Fulfilling Prophecya belief that leads to its own fulfillment44
9286978398Superordinate Goalsshared goals that override differences among people and require their cooperation.45
9286978399Graduated and Reciprocated Initiatives in Tension Reduction (GRIT)Graduated and Reciprocated Initiatives in Tension-Reduction—a strategy designed to decrease international tensions.46
9286978401Diffusion of Responsibilityreduction in feelings of personal burden in the presence of others47
9286978402Ethnocentricismevaluation of other cultures according to the standards and customs of one's own culture48
9286978403ComplianceConforming to a request or demand49
9287076334Dispositional Attribution TheoryExplaining one's behavior by assuming the behaviors exhibited are of common personality traits.50
9287076335Situational Attribution TheoryExplaining one's behavior by taking into account the situation or environment that they person is displaying the behavior.51
9287078742Door-in-the-faceIn order to obtain something, you first request something exaggerated, with intentions of being denied, so the real thing you want doesn't seem so extreme in comparison.52
9287078743Outgroup homogenityAssuming others in a group (the outgroup) are very similar, but you can appreciate the differences within your ingroup.53
9287081773Obedience to AuthorityStanley Milgram tested this theory and found that 2/3 of average people were willing to administer a potentially fatal shock to a stranger.54
9287081774Asch ExperimentTesting conformity, this psychologists use clear examples to test how often others agreed with strangers, even when they knew they were wrong.55
9287089211Catharsis HypothesisThat aggressive or sexual urges are relieved by "releasing" aggressive or sexual energy56
9287089212False-Consensus EffectOverestimation of how much other people share our beliefs and behaviors57
9287093724Overjustification EffectGetting a reward for doing something that was intrinsically rewarding (it was fun to do all on its own) was now seen as totally different because they were getting rewarded for it58

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