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Social Psychology Flashcards

AP Psychology Social Psychology

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726790664social psychologythe scientific study of how we think about, influence, and relate to one another0
726790665attribution theorythe theory that we explain someone's behavior by crediting either the situation or the person's disposition1
726790666fundamental attribution errorthe tendency for observers, when analyzing another's behavior, to underestimate the impact of the situation and to overestimate the impact of personal disposition2
726790667attitudefeelings, often influenced by our beliefs, that predispose us to respond in a particular way to objects, people, and events3
726790668foot-in-the-door phenomenonthe tendency for people who have first agreed to a small request to comply later with a larger request4
726790669cognitive 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 attitudes5
726790670conformityadjusting one's behavior or thinking to coincide with a group standard6
726790671normative social influenceinfluence resulting from a person's desire to gain approval or avoid disapproval7
726790672informational social influenceinfluence resulting from one's willingness to accept others' opinions about reality8
726790673social facilitationstronger responses on simple or well-learned tasks in the presence of others9
726790674social loafingthe tendency for people in a group to exert less effort when pooling their efforts toward attaining a common goal than when individually accountable10
726790675deindividuationthe loss of self-awareness and self-restraint occurring in group situations that foster arousal and anonymity11
726790676group polarizationthe enhancement of a group's prevailing inclinations through discussion within the group12
726790677groupthinkthe mode of thinking that occurs when the desire for harmony in a decision-making group overrides a realistic appraisal of alternatives13
726790678prejudicean unjustifiable (and usually negative) attitude toward a group and its members. Prejudice generally involves stereotyped beliefs, negative feelings, and a predisposition to discriminatory action.14
726790679stereotypea generalized (sometimes accurate but often overgeneralized) belief about a group of people15
726790680discriminationunjustifiable negative behavior toward a group and its members16
726790681ingroup"Us" - people with whom one shares a common identity17
726790682outgroup"them"—those perceived as different or apart from one's ingroup18
726790683ingroup biasthe tendency to favor our own group19
726790684scapegoat theorythe theory that prejudice offers an outlet for anger by providing someone to blame20
726790685just-world phenomenonthe tendency of people to believe the world is just and that people therefore get what they deserve and deserve what they get21
726790686aggressionphysical or verbal behavior intended to hurt someone22
726790687frustration-aggression principlethe principle that frustration- the blocking of an attempt to achieve some goal- creates anger which can generate aggression23
726790688conflicta perceived incompatibility of actions, goals, or ideas24
726790689social trapa situation in which the conflicting parties, by each rationally pursuing their self-interest, become caught in mutually destructive behavior25
726790690mere exposure effectthe phenomenon that repeated exposure to novel stimuli increases liking of them26
726790691equitya condition in which people receive from a relationship in proportion to what they give to it27
726790692self-disclosurerevealing intimate aspects of oneself to others28
726790693altruismunselfish regard for the welfare of others29
726790694bystander effectthe tendency for any given bystander to be less likely to give aid if other bystanders are present30
726790695social exchange theorythe theory that our social behavior is an exchange process, the aim of which is to maximize benefits and minimize costs31
726790696reciprocity norman expectation that people will help, not hurt, those who have helped them32
726790697social-responsibility norman expectation that people will help those dependent upon them33
726790698GRITGraduated and Reciprocated Initiatives in Tension-Reduction, strategy designed to decrease international tensions34
726790699Philip Zimbardo1970s Stanford prison experiment; showed the effects of role-playing and that eventually (and it doesn't take long) you stop acting and actually become that "role"35
726790700Solomon Aschdid experiments to show conformity; 1/3 of people conformed to the wrong answer in his "visual perception" tests36
726790701Leon Festingerproposed cognitive dissonance theory37
726790702Stanly Milgramdid obedience experiments with teacher and learner "shock" experiments; showed people will obey commanding, authoritative, legitimate figures even though the commands being made can be odd or stressful38
726790703self-serving biasa readiness to perceive oneself favorably39
726790704central route to persuasionoccurs when interested people focus on the arguments and respond with favorable thoughts40

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