Psychology: From inquiry to understanding

Study of how people influence others behavior, beliefs, and attitudes

When we're deprived of social contact for a considerable length of time, we usually become lonely. i.e.

We humans have a biologically based need for interpersonal connections.

Theory that we seek to evaluate our abilities and beliefs by comparing them with those of others i.e. Comparing our values and beliefs with others

Outbreak of irrational behavior that is spread by social contagion

False stories repeated so many times that people believe them to be true

Enhancement of performance brought about by the presence of others

A worsening of performance in the presence of others

Process of assigning causes to behavior (However there are internal and external attributions) i.

e. Internal impulsive robbery and external being a robbery because the family is broke

Tendency to overestimate the impact of dispositonal influence on other people's behaviori.e. Overestimate the impact of someones enduring characteristics.

(On others' behavior) Meaning enduring characteristics, such as personality traits, attitudes, and intelligence

(On others' behavior) Meaning we attribute to little of their behavior to what's going on around them

Tendency of people to alter their behavior as a result of group pressurei.e. Altering your behavior as a result of group pressure

Tendency of people to engage in uncharacteristic behavior when they are stripped of their usual identitiesi.e. When people engage in atypical behavior when stripped of their usual identities

Emphasis on group unanimity at the expense of critical thinkingi.

e. When group members goes along with the majority (Thinking like your group)

Tendency of group discussion to strengthen the dominant positions held by individual group membersi.e. When group members strengthen the dominant position (If people are prejudice they become more prejudice when disusing racial issues)

Group of individuals who exhibit intense and unquestioning devotion to a single causei.e. A group that believes in the same thing strongly

Approach to convincing people to change their minds about something by first introducing reason why the perspective might be correct and then debunking themi.

e. Changing someones views by giving them a reason their belief seems to be correct which makes them create their own counterarguments

Adherence to instructions from those of higher authorityi.e. Listening to the instruction from a higher authority

Bystanders in emergencies typically want to intervene but often find themselves frozen, seemingly helpless to help.i.

e. Finding yourself frozen in an emergency

Error of assuming that no one in a group perceives things as we doi.e. Assuming that we're the only ones who think that the situation may be an emergency

Reduction in feelings of personal responsibility in the presence of othersi.e.

Presence of others makes each person feel less responsible for the outcome

Phenomenon whereby individuals become less productive in groups

Helping others for unselfish reasons

Learning about psychological research can change real-world behavior for the better

Belief that includes an emotional component

Personality trait that assesses the extent to which people's behavior reflects their true feelings and attitudesi.e. The extent to which peoples behavior reflects their true feelings and attitudes

Unpleasant mental experience of tension resulting from two conflicting thoughts or beliefsi.e.

Tension resulting from two conflicting thoughts or beliefs

Theory that we acquire our attitudes by observing our behaviors

Theory that we don't really change our attitudes, but report that we have so that our behaviors appear consistent with our attitudesi.e. We don't really change our attitudes, but report that we have so that our behaviors appear consistent with our attitudes

Persuasive technique involving making a small request before making a bigger onei.e.

making a small request before making a bigger one

Persuasive technique involving making an unreasonable large request before making the small request we're hoping to have grantedi.e. Making an large request before making the small request we're hoping to have granted

Persuasive technique in which the seller of a product starts by quoting a low sales price and then mentions all of the add-on costs once the customer has agreed to purchase the producti.e. quoting a low sales price and then mention all of the add-on costs once the customer has agreed to purchase the product

Persuasive technique in which we convince someone to perform a favor for us by telling them that they are free not to do it.i.

e. Convince someone to perform a favor for us by telling them that they are free not to do it.

The drawing of negative conclusions about a person, group of people, or situation prior to evaluating the evidence

A belief, positive or negative, about the characteristics of members of a group that is applied generally to most members of the group

Assumption that behaviors among individual members of a group are due to their internal dispositionsi.e.

Attributing the negative behavior of entire groups

Evolutionary principle that creates a predisposition toward distrusting anything or anyone unfamiliar different

Tendency to favor individuals within our group over those from outside our groupi.e. Favor individuals within our group over those from outside our group

Tendency to view all individuals outside our group as highly similar

Negative behavior toward members of out-groups

Claim that prejudice arises from a need to blame other groups for our misfortunesi.e.

Prejudice arises form a need to blame other groups for our misfortunes

Claim that our attributions and behaviors are shaped by a deep-seated assumption that the world is fair and all things happen for a reasoni.e. Need to believe to perceive the world as fair- to believe that all things happen for a reason

Unfounded negative belief of which we're aware regarding the characteristics of an out-groupi.e. Conscious belief regarding the characteristics of an out-group

Unfounded negative belief of which we're unaware regarding the characteristics of an out-groupi.

e. Unconscious belief regarding the characteristics of an out-group

Educational approach designed to minimize prejudice by requiring all children to make independent contributions to a shared project