/
Social Psychology Key Terms
Save to my account
Sign up
Social Psychology Key Terms
Social Psychology Key Terms
Study
1
Question
What does the term "person perception" refer to in this text?
Page 1
Answer
how we form impressions of ourselves and others, including attributions of behavior.
2
Question
What does the term "attribution theory" mean according to the text?
Page 1
Answer
the theory that we explain someone’s behavior by crediting either the situation (a situational attribution) or the person’s stable, enduring traits (a dispositional attribution).
3
Question
What is the definition of the "fundamental attribution error" in this text?
Page 1
Answer
the tendency for observers, when analyzing others’ behavior, to underestimate the impact of the situation and to overestimate the impact of personal disposition.
4
Question
What does the term "actor-observer bias" refer to in this text?
Page 1
Answer
the tendency for those acting in a situation to attribute their behavior to external causes, but for observers to attribute others’ behavior to internal causes. This contributes to the fundamental attribution error (which focuses on our explanations for others’ behavior).
5
Question
What does the term "prejudice" mean according to this text?
Page 1
Answer
an unjustifiable and usually negative attitude toward a group and its members. Prejudice generally involves negative emotions, stereotyped beliefs, and a predisposition to discriminatory action.
6
Question
What does the term "stereotype" refer to in the text?
Page 1
Answer
a generalized (sometimes accurate but often overgeneralized) belief about a group of people.
7
Question
How does the text define "discrimination"?
Page 1
Answer
unjustifiable negative behavior toward a group or its members.
8
Question
What does the term "just-world phenomenon" mean in this text?
Page 1
Answer
the tendency for people to believe the world is just and that people therefore get what they deserve and deserve what they get.
9
Question
What does the term "social identity" refer to in this text?
Page 1
Answer
the "we" aspect of our self-concept; the part of our answer to "Who am I?" that comes from our group memberships.
10
Question
What does the term "ingroup" mean according to the text?
Page 1
Answer
"us"—people with whom we share a common identity.
11
Question
What does the term "outgroup" refer to in this text?
Page 1
Answer
"them"—those perceived as different or apart from our ingroup.
12
Question
What does the term "ingroup bias" mean in this text?
Page 2
Answer
the tendency to favor our own group.
13
Question
How does the text define "scapegoat theory"?
Page 2
Answer
the theory that prejudice offers an outlet for anger by providing someone to blame.
14
Question
What is the "other-race effect" as described in the text?
Page 2
Answer
the 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 bias.
15
Question
What does the term "attitudes" refer to in this text?
Page 2
Answer
feelings, often influenced by our beliefs, that predispose us to respond in a particular way to objects, people, and events.
16
Question
What does the term "foot-in-the-door phenomenon" mean according to the text?
Page 2
Answer
the tendency for people who have first agreed to a small request to comply later with a larger request.
17
Question
How does the text define a social "role"?
Page 2
Answer
a set of expectations (norms) about a social position, defining how those in the position ought to behave.
18
Question
What does the term "cognitive dissonance theory" refer to in this text?
Page 2
Answer
the theory that we act to reduce the discomfort (dissonance) we feel when two of our thoughts (cognitions) are inconsistent. For example, when we become aware that our attitudes and our actions clash, we can reduce the resulting dissonance by changing our attitudes.
19
Question
What is the definition of "persuasion" in this text?
Page 2
Answer
changing people’s attitudes, potentially influencing their actions.
20
Question
What does "peripheral route persuasion" mean according to the text?
Page 2
Answer
occurs when people are influenced by incidental cues, such as a speaker’s attractiveness.
21
Question
How does the text define "central route persuasion"?
Page 2
Answer
occurs when interested people’s thinking is influenced by considering evidence and arguments.
22
Question
What are "norms" as defined in this text?
Page 2
Answer
a society’s understood rules for accepted and expected behavior. Norms prescribe "proper" behavior in individual and social situations.
23
Question
What does the term "conformity" mean in this text?
Page 2
Answer
adjusting our behavior or thinking to coincide with a group standard.
24
Question
What is "normative social influence" according to the text?
Page 3
Answer
influence resulting from a person’s desire to gain approval or avoid disapproval.
25
Question
How does the text define "informational social influence"?
Page 3
Answer
influence resulting from a person’s willingness to accept others’ opinions about reality.
26
Question
What does the term "obedience" mean in this text?
Page 3
Answer
complying with an order or a command.
27
Question
What is the definition of "social facilitation" in this text?
Page 3
Answer
in the presence of others, improved performance on simple or well-learned tasks, and worsened performance on difficult tasks.
28
Question
How does the text define "social loafing"?
Page 3
Answer
the tendency for people in a group to exert less effort when pooling their efforts toward attaining a common goal than when individually accountable.
29
Question
What does the term "deindividuation" refer to in the text?
Page 3
Answer
the loss of self-awareness and self-restraint occurring in group situations that foster arousal and anonymity.
30
Question
What is "group polarization" as defined in the text?
Page 3
Answer
the enhancement of a group’s prevailing inclinations through discussion within the group.