UNIT 14 —

Vocabulary Term Definition of Term Example Social psychology The scientific study of how we think about, influence, and relate to one another Attribution theory The theory that we explain Either a person is always angry or someone’s behavior by crediting they are angry because they were either the situation or the person’s just stung by a large jellyfish while disposition swimming… Fundamental attribution error The tendency for observers, when If someone cuts you off on the analyzing another’s behavior, to highway, you are more likely to say underestimate the impact of the they are always a bad driver than to situation and to overestimate the say they just forgot to check their impact of personal disposition blind spot that one time… Attitude Feelings, often influenced by our If you believe Harry Potter should be beliefs, that predispose us to a banned book, anyone you see respond in a particular way to wearing a Harry Potter T-shirt would objects, people and events likely be someone you wouldn’t like to talk to… Central route to Occurs when interested people focus People who are naturally analytical on the arguments and respond with or involved in an issue… favorable thoughts Peripheral route to persuasion Occurs when people are influenced Endorsements by respected people… by incidental cues, such as a speaker’s attractiveness. Foot-in-the-door phenomenon The tendency for people who have An activist may first ask one to sign first agreed to a small request to a petition, followed by a monetary comply later with a larger request request… Role A of explanations/norms about a Zimbardo’s Stanford Prison social position, defining how those in simulation the position ought to behave Cognitive dissonance theory The theory that we act to reduce the When our awareness of our attitudes discomfort/dissonance we feel when and our actions slash, we can reduce two of our thoughts are inconsistent the resulting dissonance by changing our attitudes Normative social influence Influence resulting from a person’s Asch’s experiments desire to gain approval or avoid disapproval Informational social influence Influence resulting from one’s After seeing slides 1 and 2, willingness to accept others’ participants judged which person in opinions about slide 2 was the same as in slide 1 (fig.16.3 – pp 683) Social facilitation Stronger responses on simple or A baseball team does better when well-learned tasks in the presence of they have an audience than when others they are practicing… Social loafing The tendency for people in a group During a group project, people don’t to exert less effort when pooling work as hard because their group their efforts toward attaining a will be held responsible as a whole common goal than when individually and they’re only partly responsible… accountable Deindividuation The loss of self-awareness and self- “Mob Mentality”… restraint occurring in group situations that foster arousal and anonymity The enhancement of a group’s After hearing why one’s is prevailing inclinations through the best, one is more likely to discussion within the group believe it… The mode of thinking that occurs Although your idea would look better when the desire for harmony in a and be easier, you don’t want to decision-making group overrides a cause tension in the group, so you realistic appraisal of alternatives say nothing about you idea… Prejudice An unjustifiable attitude toward a Generally involves stereotyped group and its members beliefs, negative feelings, and a predisposition to discriminatory action A generalized about a group of All Asian kids are great violinists… people Discrimination Unjustifiable negative behavior Colored v. White drinking fountains toward a group and its members before the Civil Rights Movement In-group “us” – people with whom we share a All students at Monona Grove common identity Out-group “them” – those perceived as All students at Mt. Horeb, etc. different or apart from our in-group In-group bias The tendency to favor our own group “Of course we’ll win state…” Scapegoat theory The theory that prejudice offers an The Jewish people during WWII were outlet for anger by providing scapegoats for the German people’s someone to blame anger… Other-race effect The tendency to recall faces of one’s Also called the cross-race effect or own race more accurately than faces the own-race bias of other races Just-world phenomenon The tendency for people to believe People get what they deserve and that the world is just deserve what they get Any physical or verbal behavior intended to hurt or destroy Frustration-aggression principle The principle that frustration – the After missing a shot, the golfer is blocking of an attempt to achieve more likely to become aggressive some goal – creates anger, which than if he had achieved his goal… can generate aggression Mere exposure effect The phenomenon that repeated One is more likely to fall in love with exposure to novel stimuli increases someone if they see them often than liking of them if they see them only once per year… Passionate love An aroused state of intense positive Usually present at the beginning of a absorption in another love relationship, but does not usually last Companionate love The deep affectionate attachment Growing old together happily… we feel for those with whom our lives are intertwined Equity A condition in which people receive Sarah is only half-interested in the from a relationship in proportion to relationship, and so is Brad, so what they give to it neither feels they are losing as much… Self-disclosure Revealing intimate aspects of Sharing the story of how your oneself to others younger brother threw a machete at you when you were nine, which is why you have an embarrassing scar across your back… Altruism Unselfish regard for the welfare of Hotel Rwanda example (pp 712) others The tendency for any given Although Mark is crying in a corner, bystander to be less likely to give aid no one stops to help him because if other bystanders are present others, not feeling responsible for Mark’s well-being, are not helping… Social exchange theory The theory that our social behavior is Helping Mark would make one late an exchange process, the aim or for work, which would have which is to maximize benefits and repercussions, although leaving him minimize costs there causes one’s self no harm… Reciprocity norm An expectation that people will help, Because Jenna loaned Bill money, not hurt, those who have helped she expects he will loan her money them later… Social-responsibility norm An expectation that people will help One is more likely to help a child or those dependent upon them elderly person that to help a teenager or middle-aged person… Conflict A perceived incompatibility of actions, goals or ideas Social trap A situation in which the conflicting Figure 16.17 on pp 715 parties, by each rationally pursuing their self-interest, become caught in mutually destructive behavior Mirror-image perceptions Mutual views often held by The “enemy” is cruel is a conflicting people rationalization made by both sides… Superordinate goals Shared goals that override Things like sporting events, which differences among people and require teamwork to succeed… require cooperation GRIT Graduated and Reciprocated A strategy designed to decrease Initiatives in Tension-Reduction international tensions

Name of Important Person What this person is known for Impact on Psychology Phillip Zimbardo Stanford Prison Study A toxic situation triggers degrading behaviors based on assigned or self- assigned roles Solomon Asch Conformity Experiments Severe discomfort comes from ~ Line Comparisons disagreeing with the responses of others, thus one is likely to agree even if they know the others are incorrect Stanley Milgram Obedience Experiments People display genuine distress ~ Shocks for Incorrect Answers when ordered to do something they find morally wrong, but most will continue to follow the orders of a more powerful figure Mahatma Gandhi India’s fight for independence from Consistent and persistent minority Britain in 1947 voice can sometimes sway the majority Kitty Genovese Rape and Murder Victim in NY Bystander effect (1964) Wesley Autrey Subway Hero Social-responsibility norm