Psychology Ch. 12

asch effect

group majority influences an individual's judgment, even when that judgment is inaccurate

groupthink

group members modify their opinions to match what they believe is the group consensus

social facilitation

improved performance when an audience is watching versus when the individual performs the behavior alone

peripheral route

one person persuades another person; an indirect route that relies on association of peripheral cues(such as positive emotions and celebrity endorsement) to associate positivity with a message

confederate

person who works for a researcher and is aware of the experiment, but who acts as a participant; used to manipulate social situations as part of the research design

script

person's knowledge about the sequence of events in a specific setting

sexism

prejudice and discrimination based on a person's gender, or institutional and cultural practices that promote the domination of one gender over another

racism

prejudice and discrimination on the basis of race

cognitive dissonance

psychological discomfort that arises from a conflict in a person's behaviors, attitudes, or beliefs that runs counter to one's positive self-perception

cyberbullying

repeated behavior that is intended to cause psychological or emotional harm to another person and that takes place online

self-fulfilling prophesy

treating stereotyped group members according to our biased expectations only to have this treatment influence the individual to act according to our stereotypic expectations, thus confirming our stereotypic beliefs

conformity

when individuals change their behavior to go along with the group even if they do not agree with the group

aggression

seeking to cause harm or pain to another person

informational social influence

conformity to a group norm prompted by the belief that the group is competent and has the correct information

normative social influence

conformity to a group norm to fit in, feel good, and be accepted by the group

central route persuasion

logic-driven arguments using data and facts to convince people of an argument's worthiness

discrimination

negative actions toward individuals as a result of their membership in a particular group

prejudice

negative attitudes and feelings toward individuals based solely on their membership in a particular group

conformation bias

seeking out information that supports our stereotypes while ignoring information that is inconsistent with our stereotypes

bystander effect

situation in which a witness or bystander does not volunteer to help a victim or person in distress

attitude

evaluations of or feelings toward a person, idea, or object that are typically positive or negative

social loathing

exertion of less effort by a person working in a group because individual performance cannot be evaluated separately from the group, thus causing performance decline on easy tasks

out-group

group that we don't belong to—one that we view as fundamentally different from us

in-group

group that we identify with or see ourselves as belonging to

social norm

group's expectations regarding what is appropriate and acceptable for the thoughts and behavior of its members

Stanford Prison Experiment

Stanford University conducted an experiment in a mock prison that demonstrated the power of social roles, social norms, and scripts

bullying

a person, often an adolescent, being treated negatively repeatedly and over time

scapegoating

act of blaming an out-group when the in-group experiences frustration or is blocked from obtaining a goal

hostile aggression

aggression motivated by feelings of anger with intent to cause pain

instrumental aggression

aggression motivated by the desire to obtain a concrete goal

foot-in-door technique

persuasion of one person by another person, encouraging a person to agree to a small favor, or to buy a small item, only to later request a larger favor or purchase of a larger item

in-group bias

preference for our own group over other groups

homophobia

prejudice and discrimination against individuals based solely on their sexual orientation

ageism

prejudice and discrimination against older people

social role

socially defined pattern of behavior that is expected of a person in a given setting or group

stereotype

specific beliefs or assumptions about individuals based solely on their membership in a group, regardless of their individual characteristics

group polarization

strengthening of the original group attitude after discussing views within the group

diffusion of responsibility

tendency for no one in a group to help because the responsibility to help is spread throughout the group