Attributions
The perspective that behavior is determined by internal factors like personality traits.
What is Dispositionism?
A group’s expectation of what is appropriate and acceptable behavior for its members.
What is a Social Norm?
The discomfort felt when our behaviors and beliefs don't align.
What is Cognitive Dissonance?
When group members modify their opinions to align with a perceived group consensus, often leading to poor decisions.
What is Groupthink?
A specific belief or overgeneralized assumption about individuals based solely on their group membership.
What is a Stereotype?
The tendency to overemphasize internal factors and underestimate the situation when judging others.
What is the Fundamental Attribution Error?
A person’s knowledge about the sequence of events expected in a specific setting (like a "mental script" for a restaurant).
What is a Script?
This route to persuasion uses logic and facts to change a person's mind.
What is the Central Route?
The reduction of individual effort when working in a group where individual performance isn't being evaluated.
What is Social Loafing?
The phenomenon where a witness does not help a victim because they assume someone else will.
What is the Bystander Effect (or Diffusion of Responsibility)?
This bias explains why we take credit for our successes but blame the situation for our failures.
What is the Self-Serving Bias?
Solomon Asch’s study found that 76% of people did this at least once to go along with the group.
What is Conformed?
This concept suggests we value goals more if we had to work incredibly hard or suffer to achieve them.
What is Justification of Effort?
The "strengthening" of an original group attitude after the group discusses its shared views.
What is Group Polarization?
This type of aggression is motivated by feelings of anger with the intent to cause pain.
What is Hostile Aggression?
This phenomenon describes how our overall impression of someone (e.g., "they are pretty") influences our gut feeling about their character.
What is the Halo Effect?
This type of influence occurs when people conform because they believe the group is competent and has the correct information.
What is Informational Social Influence?
Persuading someone to do a small favor first to make them more likely to do a large favor later.
What is the Foot-in-the-door Technique?
A sense of anonymity in a group that can lead to a reduction in accountability (often seen in riots).
What is Deindividuation?
Voluntary behavior with the intent to help other people.
What is Prosocial Behavior?
The belief that "people get what they deserve," often leading to victim-blaming.
What is the Just-World Hypothesis?
In the Milgram study, this percentage of participants shocked a "learner" all the way to 450 volts.
What is 65%?
The route to persuasion that relies on celebrity endorsements or "coolness" rather than data.
What is the Peripheral Route?
This effect describes how being watched by an audience can actually improve your performance on a simple task.
What is Social Facilitation?
The selfless helping of others even when the costs outweigh the benefits.
What is Altruism?