AP Psychology Social Psychology Vocabulary

feelings, often influenced by our beliefs, that predispose us to respond in a particular way to objects, people, and events.

the theory that we explain someone's behavior by crediting either the situation or the person's disposition.

occurs when interested people focus on the arguments and respond with favorable thoughts.

the theory that we act to reduce the discomfort we feel when two of our thoughts are inconsistent

the tendency for people who have first agreed to a small request to comply later with a larger request

the tendency for observers, when analyzing others' behavior, to underestimate the impact of the situation and to overestimate the impact of personal disposition.

occurs when people are influenced by incidental cues, such as a speaker's attractiveness.

a set of expectations (norms) about a social position, defining how those in the position ought to behave.

the scientific study of how we think about, influence, and relate to one another.

adjusting our behavior or thinking to coincide with a group standard.

influence resulting from one's willingness to accept others' opinions about reality.

influence resulting from a person's desire to gain approval or avoid disapproval.

the enduring behaviors, ideas, attitudes, values, and traditions shared by a group of people and transmitted from one generation to the next.

the loss of self-awareness and self-restraint occurring in group situations that foster arousal and anonymity.

the enhancement of a group's prevailing inclinations through discussion within the group.

the mode of thinking that occurs when the desire for harmony in a decision-making group overrides a realistic appraisal of alternatives.

an understood rule for accepted and expected behavior

improved performance on simple or well-learned tasks in the presence of others.

the tendency for people in a group to exert less effort when pooling their efforts toward attaining a common goal than when individually accountable.

in social psychology, unjustifiable negative behavior toward a group and its members.

the tendency to favor our own group.

"Us"--people with whom we share a common identity.

the tendency for people to believe the world is just and that people therefore get what they deserve and deserve what they get.

the tendency to recall faces of one's own race more accurately than faces of other races.

"Them"--those perceived as different or apart from our ingroup.

an unjustifiable and usually negative attitude toward a group and its members.

the theory that prejudice offers an outlet for anger by providing someone to blame.

a generalized (sometimes accurate but often overgeneralized) belief about a group of people.

any physical or verbal behavior intended to hurt or destroy.

the principle that frustration--the blocking of an attempt to achieve some goal--creates anger, which can generate aggression.

culturally modeled guide for how to act in various situations.

the deep affectionate attachment we feel for those with whom our lives are intertwined.

a condition in which people receive from a relationship in proportion to what they give to it.

the phenomenon that repeated exposure to novel stimuli increases liking of them.

an aroused state of intense positive absorption in another, usually present at the beginning of a love relationship.

revealing intimate aspects of oneself to others.

unselfish regard for the welfare of others.

the tendency for any given bystander to be less likely to give aid if other bystanders are present.

a perceived incompatibility of actions, goals, or ideas.

a strategy designed to decrease international tensions.

mutual 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.

an expectation that people will help, not hurt, those who have helped them.

a belief that leads to its own fulfillment.

the theory that our social behavior is an exchange process, the aim of which is to maximize benefits and minimize costs.

a situation in which the conflicting parties, by each rationally pursuing their self-interest rather than the good of the group, become caught in mutually destructive behavior.

an expectation that people will help those needing their help.

shared goals that override differences among people and require their cooperation.