ATTRIBUTION THEORY
AND PERSON PERCEPTION
AND PERSON PERCEPTION
This term refers to explanations we create for why people behave the way they do, whether it's due to personal traits or external situations.
What is attribution?
This mental shortcut allows people to quickly categorize others based on generalized beliefs, sometimes leading to biases and inaccurate assumptions.
What is a stereotype?
This unwritten rule or expectation influences how people behave in specific social settings, such as shaking hands when meeting someone.
What are social norms?
This Freudian defense mechanism occurs when a person refuses to accept a painful or uncomfortable reality, such as insisting they don’t have a drinking problem despite evidence to the contrary.
What is denial?
This concept states that people are motivated to maintain a stable internal state, like keeping body temperature and hunger levels balanced.
What is homeostasis?
This cognitive bias occurs when we explain our own behavior based on the situation but attribute others' actions to their personality.
What is actor/observer bias?
This cognitive bias leads people to believe that individuals in an "out-group" are all alike, while those in their "in-group" are more diverse.
What is out-group homogeneity bias?
This phenomenon occurs when individuals in a group setting put in less effort because they assume others will pick up the slack.
What is social loafing?
According to Carl Rogers, this concept refers to accepting someone completely and without judgment, which is crucial for personal growth.
What is unconditional positive regard?
This law suggests that people perform best on tasks when they experience moderate levels of arousal, rather than too little or too much.
What is the Yerkes-Dodson Law?
If you believe that success is due to hard work and failure is due to lack of effort, you have this type of locus of control.
What is internal locus of control?
The belief that people get what they deserve and deserve what they get, which can lead to victim-blaming, is known as this phenomenon.
What is the just-world phenomenon?
According to this theory of persuasion, people are more likely to be influenced by logical arguments and critical thinking when they are highly motivated and involved in an issue.
What is the central route of the elaboration likelihood model?
Albert Bandura’s social cognitive theory suggests that behavior, personal factors, and the environment all influence each other in shaping personality. What is his theory called?
What is reciprocal determinism?
A college student chooses to take an advanced calculus course even though it won’t boost their GPA or help them get a scholarship. They take it purely because they enjoy solving complex problems and mastering new skills. This example demonstrates this type of motivation.
What is intrinsic motivation?
When we interpret events with a tendency to see positive outcomes as personal achievements and negative ones as external faults, we are demonstrating this bias.
What is self-serving bias?
When someone maintains their belief even when presented with contradictory evidence, they are engaging in this psychological process, often strengthened by confirmation bias.
What is belief perseverance?
A group of executives all agree on a risky business decision without critically evaluating alternatives because they fear disrupting harmony. This flawed decision-making process is known as this.
What is groupthink?
A child who is scolded by their parent for misbehaving later takes out their frustration by yelling at their younger sibling. This is an example of this defense mechanism.
What is displacement?
While hiking in the woods, Jake suddenly spots a snake on the trail. His heart starts racing, his palms sweat, and he immediately jumps back. Which part of his brain is responsible for processing this fear response?
What is the amygdala?
Sarah sees a coworker arrive late to a meeting and immediately assumes they are lazy and irresponsible, rather than considering that traffic or an emergency may have delayed them. This judgment demonstrates a key concept in this psychological theory.
What is dispositional attribution theory?
James donates to an environmental charity but frequently flies on private jets. Feeling uncomfortable about this contradiction, he changes his attitude and starts advocating for greener travel. His internal tension and attitude shift demonstrate this psychological theory.
What is cognitive dissonance?
While walking through a crowded city street, Mia sees a man collapse on the sidewalk. She hesitates to help, assuming that someone else will step in. As more people pass by without acting, Mia feels even less responsible for intervening. This situation illustrates which psychological phenomenon.
What is the bystander effect?
Despite years of research, critics argue that personality assessments based on this Freudian method—such as the Rorschach inkblot test—lack reliability and validity because they rely on subjective interpretation rather than objective measures.
What are projective tests?
When someone sees a bear in the woods, their body reacts by simultaneously feeling fear and experiencing a racing heart. This theory of emotion, which contradicts the James-Lange theory, explains how these processes happen at the same time.
What is the Cannon-Bard theory?