Chapter 17 attitudes

Fundamental attribution error

assumption that others act predominantly on the basis of their dispositions

Cognitive-dissonance theory

view that we are motivated to make our cognitions or beliefs consistent with each other and with our behavior

Prejudice

attitude toward a group that leads people to evaluate members of that group negatively

Attitude-discrepant behavior

behavior inconsistent with an attitude that may have the effect of modifying an attitude

Evaluation apprehension

concern that others are evaluation our behavior

Selective exposure

deliberately seeking and attending to information that is consistent with one's attitudes

Selective avoidance

diverting one's attention from information that is inconsistent with one's attitudes

Social psychology

field of psychology that studies the nature and causes of behavior and mental processes

Stereotype

fixed, conventional idea about a group

Consensus

general agreement

Discrimination

hostile behavior that is directed against groups toward whom one is prejudiced

Central route

in persuasive arguments, providing substantive information about the issues involved

Foot-in-the-door technique

method for inducing compliance in which a small request is followed by a larger request

Social loafing

process by which a person's performance decreases when other members of a group engage in similar behavior apparently because the person believes that strenuous effort is unnecessary

Social decision scheme

rules for predicting the final outcome of group decision making

Diffusion of responsibility

spreading or sharing of responsibility for a decision or behavior within a group

Polarization

taking an extreme position or attitude on an issue

Actor-observer effect

tendency to attribute our own behavior to situational factors but to attribute the behavior of others to dispositional factors

Bystander effect

tendency to avoid helping other people in emergencies when other people are also present and apparently capable of helping

Primacy effect

tendency to evaluate others in terms of first impressions

Attribution

A belief concerning why people behave in a certain way

Social perception

a subfield of social psychology that studies the ways in which we form and modify impressions of others

Social norms

explicit and implicit rules that reflect social expectations and influence the ways people behave in social situations

A-B problem

issue of how well we can predict behavior on the basis of attitudes

Social facilitation

process by which a person's performance increases when other members of a group engage in similar behavior

Deindividuation

process by which group members may discontinue self-evaluation and adopt group norms and attitudes

Attribution process

process by which people draw inferences about the motives and traits of others

Groupthink

process in which a group members are influenced by cohesiveness and a dynamic leader to ignore external realities as they make decisions

Recency effect

tendency to evaluate others in terms of the most recent impression

Risky shift

tendency to make riskier decisions as a member of a group than as an individual acting independently

Conform

to change one's attitudes or overt behavior to adhere to social norms

Fear appeal

type of persuasive communication that influences behavior on the basis of arousing fear instead of rational analysis of the issues

Altruism

unselfish concern for the welfare of others

Elaboration likelihood model

view that persuasive messages are evaluated in the basis of central and peripheral cues

Dispositional attribution

assumption that a person's behavior is determined by internal causes such as personal traits

Social influence

area of social psychology that studies the ways in which people influence the thoughts, feelings, and behavior of others

Peripheral route

associating viewpoints with tangential issues such as who endorses a product, rather than with the qualities of the product itself

Situational attribution

assumption that a person's behavior is determined by external circumstances such as the social pressure found in a situation

Attitude

an enduring mental representation of a person, place, or thing that typically evokes an emotional response and related behavior

Effort justification

tendency to seek justification for strenuous efforts

Self-serving bias

tendency to view one's successes as stemming from internal factors and one's failures as stemming from external factors