Psych 5

the concept of consensual validation explains why people tend to be attracted to others due to

similarity

the central question in making an attribution is whether the cause of behavior is due to _____ or _____ factors

situational; dispositional

aggression

social behavior with the objective of harming someone, either physically or verbally; linked to lower levels of serotonin; genes are important in understanding the biological basis

Stanley Milgram

social psychologist interested in how susceptible people can be to following orders; interested if americans would be as likely as germans were to obey commands to harm another person; electric shock experiment

social identity theory

states that our social identities are a crucial part of our self-image and a valuable source of positive feelings about ourselves

vulnerability-stress hypothesis (diathesis-stress model)

suggesting that preexisting conditions- such as genetic characteristics, personality dispositions, or experiences- may put a person at rick of developing a psychological disorder

social cognition

the are of social psychology that explores how people select, interpret, remember, and use social information; the way people think when in social situations

DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders)

the first major classification of psychological disorders in the US

groupthink

the impaired group decision making that occurs when making the right decision is less important than maintaining group harmony

informational social influence

the influence other people have on us because we want to be right

normative social influence

the influence others have on us because we want them to like us

reactance

the motivation to reject attempts to control us; a person feels that someone or something is taking away his or her choices

mere exposure effect

the phenomenon that the more we encounter someone or something, the more probable it is that we will start liking the person or thing even if we do not realize we have seen it before

social comparison

the process by which we evaluate our thoughts, feelings, behaviors, and abilities in relation to others; tells us what our distinctive characteristics are and aids us in building an identity

group polarization effect

the solidification and further strengthening of an individual's position as a consequence of a group discussion or interaction

social psychology

the study of how people think about, influence, and relate to other people; interested in how individuals influence group and how groups influence individuals; focus on the immediate social situation to understand what causes people to behave as they do

risky shift

the tendency for a group decision to be riskier than the average decision made by the individual group members; after group discussion, people start to move toward riskier choice than their first decision

bystander effect

the tendency for an individual to be less likely to help in an emergency when other people are present

ethnocentrism

the tendency to favor one's own ethnic group over other groups

self-objectification

the tendency to see oneself as an object in others' eyes

self-serving bias

the tendency to take credit for our successes and to deny responsibility for our failures when we make attributions about our own behavior

affectionate/companionate love

the type of love that occurs when individuals desire to have the other person near and have a deep, caring affection for the person

social identity

the way we define ourselves in terms of our group membership; ethnicity and religion, personal relationships, vocations and avocations, political affiliations, and stigmatized groups

anxiety disorders

uncontrollable fears, disproportionate to the actual danger the person might be in, and disruptive of ordinary life

attribution theory

views people as motivated to discover the underlying causes of behavior as part of their effort to make sense of the behavior; varies along 3 dimensions

controllable/uncontrollable causes

we perceive that people have power over some causes but not others

anorexia nervosa

western cultures, especially US; involves a relentless pursuit of thinness through starvation and can eventually lead to death

social facilitation

when an individual's performance improves because of the presence of others

deindividuation

when being part of a group reduces personal identity and erodes the sense of personal responsibility

upward social comparisons

when we compare ourselves to those who are better off than we are

stable/unstable causes

whether the cause of behavior is relatively enduring and permanent or temporary influences attributions

central route

works by engaging the audience thoughtfully with a sound, engaging someone thoughtfully with a logical argument

self-perception theory

Daryl Bem's take on how behavior influences attitudes; individuals make inferences about their attitudes by observing their behavior

1951 classic experiment on conformity conducted by who?

Soloman Asch

conformity

a change in a person's behavior to coincide more closely with a group standard

trichotillomania

a disorder in which the person compulsively pulls at his or her hair, from the scalp, eyebrows, and other body areas

post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

a disorder that develops through exposure to a traumatic event that has overwhelmed the person's abilities to cope; symptoms include flashbacks, problems with memory and concentration, and impulsive behavior

body dysmorphic disorder

a distressing preoccupation with imagined or slight flaws in one's physical appearance

stereotype

a generalization about a group's characteristics that does not consider any variations from one individual to another; are a natural extension of the limits on human cognitive processing and our reliance on concepts in cognitive processing

outgroup

a group that has special value in comparison with other groups

mood

a key aspect of prosocial behavior

excoriation disorder

a particular compulsion, picking at one's skin, sometimes to the point of injury

somatic symptom disorder

a person experiences one or more bodily (somatic) symptoms and experiences excessive thoughts and feelings about these symptoms

panic disorder

a person experiences recurrent, sudden onsets of terror, often without warning and with no specific cause; can cause severe palpitations, extreme shortness of breath, chest pains, trembling, sweating, dizziness, and a feeling of helplessness

confederate

a person purposely placed in a study by the experimenter in order to manipulate the situation the participants must engage in

explicit racism

a person's conscious and openly shared attitude, which might be measured using a questionnaire

empathy

a person's feeling of oneness with the emotional state of another

autism spectrum disorder

a range of neurodevelopmental disorders involving impaired social interaction and communication, repetitive behavior, and restricted interests

biopsychosocial model

abnormal behavior can be influenced by biological factors, psychological factors, and sociocultural factors

specific phobia

an anxiety disorder in which an individual has an irrational, overwhelming, persistent fear of a particular object or situation

stereotype threat

an individual's fast-acting, self-fulfilling fear of being judged based on a negative stereotype about his or her group

social anxiety disorder (SAD)/ social phobia

an intense fear of being humiliated or embarrassed in social situations

prejudice

an unjustified negative attitude toward an individual based on the individual's membership in a particular group

discrimination

an unjustified negative or harmful action toward a member of a group simply because the person belongs to that group

implicit racism

attitudes that exist on a deeper, hidden level

biological approach

attributes psychological disorders to organic, internal causes; focuses on the brain, genetic factors, and neurotransmitter functioning as the sources of abnormality

social exchange theory

based on the notion of social relationships as involving an exchange of goods, the objective of which is to minimize costs and maximize benefits; most important predictor of a relationship's success is equity

obedience

behavior that complies with the explicit demands of the individual in authority

abnormal behavior

behavior that is deviant, maladaptive, or personally distressful over a relatively long period of time

stanford prison experiment 1971

by philip zimbardo; stopped after 6 days; primarily explored obedience

bipolar disorder

characterized by extreme mood swings that include one or more episodes of mania- an overexcited, unrealistically optimistic state

Koro disorder

china and southeast asia; involves the terrifying belief that one's genetalia are retracting into one's abdomen

if an individual perceives that another's actions are unfair or intentionally hurt, aggression in more likely to occur. this is an example of a ______ factor in aggression

cognitive

heuristics

cognitive shortcuts, such as stereotypes, which enable us to make decisions rapidly

effort justification

coming up with a rationale for the amount of work we put into getting something, typically by increasing the value associated with things that are difficult to attain

downward social comparisons

comparing ourselves with others who are less fortunate

hoarding disorder

compulsive collecting, poor organization skills, and difficulty discarding, but also cognitive deficits in information-processing speed, decision making, and procrastination

medical model

describes psychological disorders as medical diseases with a biological origin

generalized anxiety disorder

different from such everyday feelings of anxiety for at least six months and are unable to specify the reasons for the anxiety; nervous most of the time and worry a great deal; may suffer from fatigue, muscle tension, stomach problems, and difficulty sleeping

depressive disorders

disorders in which the individual suffers from depression- an unrelenting lack of pleasure in life

social loafing

each person's tendency to exert less effort in a group because of reduced accountability for individual effort

psychological approach

emphasizes the contributions of experiences, thoughts, emotions, and personality characteristics in explaining psychological disorders

sociocultural approach

emphasizes the social contexts in which a person lives, including the individual's culture

investment model

examines the ways that commitment, investment, and the availability of attractive alternative partners predict satisfaction and stability in relationships

self-fulfilling prophecy

expectations cause individuals to act in ways that serve to make the expectations come true

persistent depressive disorder

experience less extreme depressive mood for over two months; sleep problems, hopelessness, poor concentration, and lack of energy

positive illusions

favorable views of the self that are not necessarily rooted in reality

Amok disorder

from malaysia, philippines, and africa; involves sudden, uncontrolled outbursts of anger in which the person may injure or kill someone, often found in males who are emotionally withdrawn before the onset of the disorder, after the attack on someone, the individual feels exhausted and depressed and does not remember the rage and attack

frustration-aggression hypothesis

frustration always leads to aggression

altruism

giving to another person with the ultimate goal of benefiting that person, even if it incurs a cost to oneself

egoism

helping another person for personal gain, such as to feel good or avoid guilt

elaboration likelihood model

identifies two pathways of persuasion: a central route and peripheral route

social contagion

imitative behavior involving the spread of actions, emotions, and ideas

attention-deficit/ hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)

individual exhibits one or more of the following: inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity

ingroup

individuals invariably think of the group to which they belong

internal/external causes

internal attributions are causes inside and specific to the person, such as his or her traits and abilities; external attributions are causes outside the person, such a social pressure, aspects of the social situation, the weather, and luck

cognitive dissonance

introduced by Festinger; the psychological discomfort caused by two inconsistent thoughts; we feel uneasy when we notice an inconsistency between what we believe and what we do

major depressive disorder (MDD)

involves a significant depressive episode and depressed characteristics, such as lethargy and hopelessness, for at least two weeks; impairs daily functioning, and it has been called the leading cause of disability in the US

obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)

involves anxiety-provoking thoughts that will not go away and/or urges to perform repetitive, ritualistic behaviors to prevent or produce some future situation; obsessions are recurrent thoughts, and compulsions are recurrent behaviors

peripheral route

involves factors such as the source's attractiveness or the emotional power of an appeal; effective when people are not paying close attention or lack the time or energy to think about the message

foot-in-the-door strategy

involves making a smaller request at the beginning, saving the biggest demand for last; relies on the notion that in agreeing to the smaller offer, there is a relationship created, expressing a level of trust

aggressive behavior has been linked to which of the following

limbic system and frontal lobes

romantic/passionate love

love with strong components of sexuality and infatuation, and it often predominates in the early part of a love relationship

door-in-the-face technique

making the biggest pitch first, which will probably be rejected, and then making a smaller demand; relies on the fact that the customer feels a sense of obligation

what two sociocultural factors influence prosocial behavior

media and socioeconomic status

attitudes

our opinions and beliefs about people, objects, and ideas; how we feel about the world

false consensus effect

overestimating the degree to which everybody else thinks or acts the way we do

dissociative disorders

psychological disorders that involve a sudden loss of memory or change in identity

person perception

refers to the processes by which we use social stimuli to form impressions of others

fundamental attribution error

refers to the tendency of observers to overestimate the importance of internal traits and underestimate the importance of external factors (situations) when they explain an actor's behavior