AP PSYCHOLOGY: (UNIT 9) SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY

Social Psychology

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

Attribution Theory

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

Fundamental Attribution Error

The tendency to manipulate how you saw the situation because of ones own bias

Attitudes

Patterns of feelings and beliefs about other people, ideas, or objects that are based on a person's past experiences, shape his or her future behavior, and are evaluative in nature.

Central Route Persuasion

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

Peripheral Route Persuasion

occurs when people are influenced by incidental cues, such as a speaker's attractiveness (Men would be easily swayed by a curvy, bottom-heavy woman than another man)

Foot-in-the-Door Phenomenon

the tendency for people who have first agreed to a small request to comply later with a larger request (It's like escalating a situation from 0-100... just when you ask for money, then you ask for food, then you ask for a place to stay, then you ask to borrow their car to escape a heist... it's just the little things before leading to a huger thing!)

Role

a set of expectations (norms) about a social position, defining how those in the position ought to behave (You are to be normal, and not what we deem as crazy, when you're out in public. Is that why parent's usually punish their child when they act completely out of the ordinary to what we call our societal roles?)

Cognitive Dissonance Theory

the 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 attitudes (Or rather than that confusing example, when we deem a situation as discomforting, we try to run away from it or situate ourselves in a maladaptive attitude. Like dealing with wavering friends, you would suddenly grow silent and independent when dealing with these friends to finally 'reduce' the discomfort from your friend's presence)

Conformity

Adjusting one's behavior or thinking to coincide with a group standard. (Something that we should all stop doing, in my opinion. However, it is just like when you're in the popular crowd, when you were once a nerdy guy. When you are put into this group, you try to coincide with how they act so... they ridicule their nerdy friends with his/her crowd)

Normative Social Influence

where a persons conforms to be a part of the group

Informational Social Influence

where a person conforms because they believe someone else is right or to gain knowledge

Social Facilitation

Stronger responses on simple or well-learned tasks in the presence of others

Social Loafing

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

Deindividuation

perceived loss of individuality that occurs when one is part of a group

Group Polarization

Occurs when a group of like minded people reinforce others opinions, they become more extreme as the are discussed

Groupthink

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

Culture

Beliefs, customs, and traditions of a specific group of people. (Collectivism and Individualism comes to mind; they were raised in two different sets of cultures, each striving for a different set of goals)

Norm

Principles of right action, binding upon the members of a group and serving to guide, control, or regulate proper and acceptable behavior.

Personal Space

the buffer zone we like to maintain around our bodies (What every parent needs sometimes. Something we cherish when dealing with strangers.)

Prejudice

A rigid attitude that is based on group membership and predisposes an individual to feel, think or act in a negative way toward another person or group. (It's like viewing as all Japanese-Americans are a spy from WWII which lead people to believe that they are spies and send them to internment camps)

Stereotype

A generalized belief about a group of people (Believing that Asians are good as math or smart in general) (I mean look at me smh.)

Discrimination

Behaving differently, usually unfairly, toward the members of a group. (Being homophobic towards a homosexual)

Ingroup

"Us" - people with whom one shares a common identity (A group of best friends, or family)

Outgroup

"them" - those perceived as different or apart from our ingroup (Another group of friends, the popular crowd)

Ingroup Bias

the tendency to favor our own group (Because we perceive the other group as disgusting, we like our group better.)

Scapegoat Theory

the theory that prejudice offers an outlet for anger by providing someone to blame (Like Ronald Weasley from Harry Potter, he would blame the Slytherins on everything BECAUSE he has something against them, and views them as these dark wizards"

Other-Race Effect

the tendency to recall faces of one's own race more accurately than faces of other races (like seeing the skin-color, or their hair structure, or their body structure, we all could distinguish that they belong to another 'race')

Just-World Phenomenon

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

Aggression

Any physical or verbal behavior intended to hurt or destroy. (Reeling in for an attack or something stimulating the amygdala)

Frustration-Aggression Principle

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

Mere Exposure Effect

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

Passionate Love

an aroused state of intense positive absorption in another, usually present at the beginning of a love relationship (The budding of a relationship between a girl and a boy, where they share intimate hugs and kisses (opp: Companion Love))

Companion Love

Contains intimacy and commitment; basically a long term friendship. (your loyal but you do not want to kiss their face every second of the day.)

Equity

A condition in which people receive from a relationship in proportion to what they give to it. (We expect them to be as loyal as you are to them in terms of a relationship)

Self-Disclosure

revealing intimate aspects of oneself to others (It's like telling your mom or dad that you're being bullied, and you do not want them to judge you for being a social outcast...)

Altruism

Unselfish regard for the welfare of others (When you sacrifice a weekend for a friend who is depressed and needs a friend.)

Bystander Effect

The tendency for any given bystander to be less likely to give aid if other bystanders are present (we see a crowd of people gathering around a fight, we do not step in to stop it because everyone else are just watching it).

Social Exchange Theory

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

Reciprocity Norm

an expectation that people will help, not hurt, those who have helped them (You did something for them, like saving their butts from detention, and you expect them to no longer bully or annoy you for the rest of their high school years)

Social-Responsibility Norm

an expectation that people will help those dependent upon them (The child and parent relationship?)

Conflict

A struggle between opposing forces (An inner-war. Like figuring out what to wear in the morning, what to eat for lunch, or whether to work out)

Social Trap

a situation in which the conflicting parties, by each rationally pursuing their self-interest, become caught in mutually destructive behavior

Mirror-Image Perceptions

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 (The battle for Jerusalem, both sided believed they are more well-deserved of the land more than the other)

Self-Fulfilling Prophecy

a belief that leads to its own fulfillment (Like human physiological needs?)

Superordinate Goals

shared goals that override differences among people and require their cooperation

GRIT

Graduated and Reciprocated Initiatives in Tension-Reduction-a strategy designed to decrease international tensions