AP Psychology: Social Psychology (Modules 56-59)

Studies how we think about, influence and relate to one another

We explain someone’ behavior by crediting either the situation or the person’s disposition

Overestimating the influence of personality and underestimating the influence of the sitaution

A readiness to perceive oneself favorably

Feelings, often influenced by our beliefs, that predispose us to respond tin a particular way to objects, people and events

Occurs when people are influenced by incidental cues, such as a speaker’s attractiveness

Occurs when interested people focus on the arguments and respond with favorable routes

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

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

Zimbardo organized a prison simulation in which some assumed the role of the prisoner and others the role of prison guard. The guards became increasingly hostile and aggressive to the prisoners to the point where prisoners were no longer safe and the experiment had to end early.

We act to reduce the discomfort we feel when two of our thoughts are inconsistent.

Ex. The US invasion of Iraq was justified by the perceived threat of weapons of mass destruction. When weapons of mass destruction weren’t found, many revised their purpose – to spread democracy throughout the Middle East and liberate oppressed people.

The tendency to unconsciously mimic others’ expressions, postures and voice tones to feel what others are feeling

Adjusting one’s behavior or thinking to coincide with a group standard

Asch presented a standard line and a set of comparison lines to a group. People were supposed to identify the comparison line that was identical to the standard line. Though the answer was fairly obvious, then confederates gave the same wrong answer, the participant showed discomfort for not agreeing and was more likely to provide the wrong answer.

Influence resulting form a person’s desire to gain approval or avoid disapproval

Influence resulting from one’s willingness to accept others’ opinions about reality

Milgrim seemingly randomly assigned teacher and learner roles, when in actuality, learners were taking up by confederates. “Teachers” were supposed to “teach” by shocking learners at higher and higher voltages. Shocks weren’t actually administered; the learners only pretended. When learners showed distress and the experimenter asked teachers to continue, they did.

Teachers, having administering lower voltage shocks, figured they could comply to the experimenter’s commands – what’s a little more shock?

Stronger response 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

People feel less accountable and view their contributions as dispensable.

The loss of self-awareness and self-restraint occurring in group situations that foster arousal and anonymity – abandon normal restraints to power of the group

Ex. Cyberbullying

The enhancement of a group’s prevailing inclinations through discussion within the group

Thinking that occurs when the desire for harmony in a decision-making group overrides a realistic discussion of alternatives

Social control is the power of the situation while personal control is the power of the individual.

The power of one or two individuals to sway majorities

An unjustifiable (and usually negative) attitude toward a group and its members

Stereotyped beliefs, negative feelings and a predisposition to discriminatory action

A generalized belief about a group of people

Unjustifiable negative behavior toward a group and its members

"us" -- people with whom we share a common identity

"them" -- people perceived and different or apart from our ingroup

The tendency to favor our own group

Prejudice offers an outlet for anger by providing someone to blame

Tendency to recall faces of one's own race more accurately than faces of other races

Tendency for people to believe that the world is just and people get what they deserve (Ex. conservative political perspective)

The tendency to believe, after learning an outcome, that one would have foreseen it

Any physical or verbal behavior intended to hurt or destroy

Genetic, neural and biochemical

Testosterone

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

A series of behaviors, actions, and consequences that are expected in a particular situation or environment

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

People like those whose behavior is rewarding to them or whom they associate with rewarding events

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

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

Revealing intimate aspects of oneself to others

Unselfish regard for the welfare of others

Kitty Genovese was stabbed to death while her neighbors watched. (bystander effect)

The tendency for any given bystander to be less likely to give aid if others are present

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

An expectation that people will help those dependent upon them

A perceived incompatibility of actions, goals or ideas

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

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

When such contact is noncompetitive and between parties of equal status, such as retail clerks working the same shift.

Shared goals that override differences among people and require their cooperation

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