CHAPTER 13
Social Psychology
The study of how ppl think about, influence, and relate to other ppl
Stereotype
A generalization about a group's characteristics that does not consider any variations from oneindiviual to another
What makes a face attractive?
Averageness is an essential component
Attribution Theory
The view that ppl are motivated to discover the underlying causes of behavior as part of their effort to make sense of the behavior
Fundamental attribution error
Observers' overestimation of the importance of internal traits and underestimation of the importance of external situations when they seek explanations of an actor's behavior
False consensus effect
Ppl's overestimation of the degree to which everybody else thinks or acts the way they themselves do
Positive illusions
Favorable views of the self that are not necessarily rooted in reality
Self-serving bias
The tendency to take credit for one's successes and to deny responsibility for one's failures
Self-objectification
The tendency to see oneself primarily as an object in the eyes of others
Stereotype threat
An individual's fast acting, self fulfilling fear of being judged based on a negative stereotype about his or her group
Social comparison
The process by which individuals evaluate their thoughts, feelinga, behaviors, and abilities in relation to others.
Attitudes
An individual's opinions and beliefs about people, objects, and ideas (how the person feels about the world)
Cognitive dissonance
An individual's psychological discomfort (dissonance) caused by two inconsistent thoughts.
Self-perception theory
Bem's theory on how behaviors influence attitudes, stating that individuals make inferences about their attitudes by perceiving their behavior.
Elaboration likelihood model
Theory identifying two ways to persuade: a central route and a peripheral route.
Foot-in-the-door
Ask for small then ask for big
Door-in-the-face
Asking for big first and then go for the small if it doesn't work
Altruism
Unselfish interest in helping another person
Egoism
Giving to another person to ensure reciprocity; to gain self esteem; to present oneself as powerful, competent, or caring; or to avoid censure from oneself and others for failing to live up to society's expectations
Bystander effect
The tenancy of an individual who observes an emergency to help less when other people are present than when the observer is alone
Aggression
Social behavior with the objective of harming someone, either physically or verbally
Conformity
A change in a person's behavior to coincide more closely with a group standard
Informational social influence
The influence other ppl 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
Obedience
Behavior that complies with the explicit demands of the individual in authority
Deindividuation
The reduction in personal identity and erosion of the sense of personal responsibility when one is part of a group
Social contagion
Imitative behavior involving the spread of actions, emotions, and ideas
Social facilitation
Improvement in an individual's performance because of the presence of others.
Social loafing
Each person's tendency to exert less effort in a group because of reduced accountability for individual effort.
Risky shift
The tendency for a group decision to be riskier than the average decision made by the individual group members.
Group polarization effect
The solidification and further strengthening of an individual's position as a consequence of a group discussion or interaction
Groupthink
The impaired group decision making that occurs when making the right decision is less important that maintaining group harmony
Social identity
The way individuals define themselves in terms of their group membership
Social identity theory
Tafel's theory that social identity is a crucial part of self-image and a valuable source of positive feelings about oneself
Ethnocentrism
The tendency to favor one's own ethnic group over other groups
Prejudice
An unjustified negative attitude toward an individual based on the individual's membership in a group
Discrimination
An unjustified negative or harmful aciton toward a member of a group simply because the person belongs to that group
Mere exposure effect
The phenomenon that the more individuals encounter someone or something, the more probable it is that they will start liking the person of thing even if they do not realize they have seen it before
Romantic or passionate love
Love with strong components of sexuality and infatuation, often dominate in the early part of a love relationship
Affectionate or companionate love
Love that occurs when individuals desire to have another person near and have a deep, caring affection for the person
Social exchange theory
The view of social relationships as involving an exchange of goods, the objective of which is to minimize costs and maximize benefits
Investment model
A model of long-term relationships that examines the ways that commitment, investment, and the availability of attractive alternative partners predict satisfaction and stability in relationships
According to Gordon Allport, intergroup contact is likely to reduce prejudice when group members:
believe friendships can emerge from interaction.
Professor Green has to make an important presentation to his company's board members. He is struggling to choose between a PowerPoint presentation and a short video to get his point across. Which element of persuasion is the professor struggling with?
Medium
In the context of social behavior, _____ is the key to altruism.
empathy
Hugh buys a new calculator for $125 from the PaperMills stationery store. A week later, he sees an ad from another stationery store, StationMax, selling the same calculator for $65. Hugh feels guilty about having wasted so much money on the calculator but justifies his action by saying that StationMax items are always of poor quality. In the context of attitudes, Hugh's statement reflects an attempt to reduce his:
cognitive dissonance
According to research on aggressive behavior, which of the following personality factors is mostly associated with aggression?
Low levels of conscientiousness
According to the concept of consensual validation in close relationships, a heterosexual young man is more likely to be attracted to:
a girl who has the same interests as him.
According to Gordon Allport, intergroup contact is NOT likely to reduce prejudice when group members _____.
engage in competitive tasks
The solidification and further strengthening of an individual's position as a consequence of a group discussion or interaction is known as:
the group polarization effect.
Which of the following is proposed by the self-perception theory?
Behavior can change and influence the attitude of a person.
In the context of social identity, thinking that cultural out-groups are not only different but are worse than one's own group is called:
ethnocentrism
Mr. and Mrs. Lee warn their new babysitter that their son, Dennis, is very aggressive and mischievous and must be strictly disciplined. As a result, Alison is over-strict with Dennis and does not let him out of her sight. This facilitates Dennis' aggressive and mischievous behavior. This scenario best illustrates:
the self-fulfilling prophecy.
Joey and Phillip are high school students, in the same class. Joey imitates Phillip's stammer in front of his friends and laughs. When none of his friends comment on his imitation, Joey assumes that they find Phillip's stammer funny as well. This scenario best exemplifies the _____ effect.
false consensus
In the context of social behavior, which of the following best explains why the bystander effect occurs? People tend to look to the behavior of others for cues about what to do. When witnesses are present, there is a diffusion of responsibility. All of these. People wait for others to offer help.
All of these.
Which of the following statements is true of the biological factors associated with prosocial behavior?
Dopamine receptors in the brain are associated with prosocial behavior.
Katie, who is moderately liberal, attends a very liberal college. According to the group polarization effect, after four years at this college, Katie is likely to become:
more politically liberal.
_____ is the personality trait most strongly associated with prosocial behaviors.
Agreeableness
If a person is demonstrating aggressive behavior, it is likely that he or she has low levels of _____ in the brain
serotonin
Jeremy is struggling with whether the presentation he makes should consist of strong logical arguments, or should be short with elements of surprise in it. In the context of the elements of persuasion, which element is Jeremy struggling with?
Message
According to studies over the past half-century, which of the following is a condition under which a person's attitude will guide his or her actions?
When the person has a vested interest in the issue
Risky shift and group polarization are aspects of _____.
group decision making
If Cathy blames her history teacher for her poor performance on a history test she is engaging in:
the self-serving bias.
The process by which individuals come to understand the causes of others' behavior and form an impression of them as individuals is called _____.
attribution
Billy is a third-grade student with a reputation for bullying his classmates. Billy is punished by his teacher even when he unknowingly hurts someone or unintentionally makes a mistake. When Billy tries to explain his innocence to his teacher, she refuses to believe him because he has always been a "troublemaker." In this scenario, Billy's teacher is encouraging Billy's indiscipline through the _____.
self-fulfilling prophecy
According to research done on aggressive behavior, when compared with adolescents who do not play violent video games, adolescents who play such games are:
more likely to engage in delinquent acts.
CHAPTER 15
Abnormal behavior
Behavior that is deviate, maladaptive, or personally distressful over a relatively long period of time.
Medical model
The view that psychological disorders are medical diseases with a biological origin.
Vulnerability-stress hypothesis or diathesis-stress model
Theory suggesting that preexisting conditions (such as genetic characteristics, personality dispositions, or experiences) may put a person at risk of developing a psychological disorder
DSM-5
The fifth edition of the diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders; the major classification of psychological disorders int he US
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
A common psychological disorder in which the individual exhibits one or more of the following: inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity
Anxiety disorders
Disabling (uncontrollable and disruptive) psychological disorders that feature motor tension, hyperactivity, and apprehensive expectations and thoughts.
Generalized anxiety disorder
Anxiety disorder marked by persistent anxiety for at least 6 months, and in which the individual is unable to specify the reasons for the anxiety
Panic disorder
Anxiety disorder in which the individual experiences recurrent, sudden onsets of intense terror, often without warning and with no specific cause.
Specific phobia
Anxiety disorder in which the individual experiences an irrational, overwhelming, persistent fear of a particular object or situation
Social anxiety disorder or social phobia
anxiety disorder in which the individual has an intense fear of being humiliated or embarrassed in social situations
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
Psychological disorder in which the individual has anxiety-provoking thoughts that will not go ways and/or urges to perform repetitive, ritualistic behaviors to prevent for produce some future situation
PTSD
Psychological disorder that develops through exposure to a traumatic event, a severely oppressive situation, cruel abuse, or a natural or an unnatural disaster.
Depressive disorders
Psychological disorders in which the individual suffers from depression (an unrelenting lack of pleasure in life)
Major depressive disorder (MDD)
Psychological disorder involving a significant depressive episode and depressed characteristics, such as lethargy and hopelessness, for at least 2 weeks
Bipolar disorder
Psychological disorder characterized by extreme mood swings that include one or more episodes of mania, an overexcited, unrealistically optimistic state
Dissociative disorders
Psychological disorders that involve a sudden loss of memory or change in identity due to the dissociation (separation) of the individual's conscious awareness from previous memories and thoughts
Dissociative amnesia
Dissociative disorder characterized by extreme memory loss that is coursed by psychological stress
Dissociative identity disorder (DID)
Dissociative disorder in which the individual has two or more distinct personalities or selves, each with its own memories, behaviors, and relationships; formerly called multiple personality disorder
Psychosis
Psychological state in which a person's perception and thoughts are fundamentally removed from reality
Schizophrenia
Severe psychological disorder characterized by highly disordered thought processes; individuals suffering from schizophrenia may be referred to as psychotic because they are so far removed from reality.
Hallucinations
Sensory experiences that occur in the absence of real stimuli
Delusions
False, unusual, and sometimes magical beliefs that are not part of an individual's culture
Thought disorder
The unusual, sometimes bizarre thought processes that are characteristic positive symptoms of schizophrenia
Referential thinking
Ascribing personal meaning to completely random events
Movement disorders
The unusual mannerisms, body movements, and facial expressions that are characteristic positive symptoms of schizophrenia
Catatonia
State of immobility and unresponsiveness lasting for long periods of time
Flat affect
The display of little or no emotion- a common negative symptom of schizophrenia
Personality disorders
Chronic, maladaptive cognitive behavioral patterns that are thoroughly integrated into an individual's personality
Antisocial personality disorder (ASPD)
Psychological disorder characterized by guiltlessness, law-breaking, exploitation of other, irresponsibility, and deceit.
Borderline personality disorder (BPD)
Psychological disorder characterized by a pervasive pattern of instability in interpersonal relationships, self image, and emotions, and of marked impulsivity beginning by early adulthood and resent in a variety of contexts.
Derek has been diagnosed with antisocial personality disorder (APSD). Derek's counselor, Mary, believes that Derek's poor relationship with his alcoholic stepfather is a factor that contributed to Derek's psychological disorder. Which of the following theoretical approaches to psychological disorders conforms to Mary's beliefs in this scenario?
The sociocultural approach
_____ is an anxiety disorder in which the individual experiences recurrent, sudden onsets of intense terror, often without warning and with no specific cause.
Panic disorder
A classification system for categorizing abnormal behaviors cannot help clinicians predict the _____.
reaction of the individual being diagnosed with the disorder
A professional who believes in the _____ approach to psychological disorders is most likely to consider a person's ethnicity when diagnosing a disorder.
sociocultural
Harry has been diagnosed with antisocial personality disorder. Which of the following statements is applicable to him?
He lacks empathy for others, is egocentric, and is willing to use others for his own personal gain.
Tyra believes that her Math professor is actually a secret agent who is working undercover to assassinate the President of the U.S. In the context of schizophrenia, it can be inferred that Tyra is engaging in _____.
referential thinking
Which of the following statements is true of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)? An individual experiences PTSD symptoms only several months or years after a trauma. Individuals with PTSD seek attention and are open to expressing their emotions. Not every individual exposed to the same event develops PTSD. Genetic inheritance does not play a role in the development of PTSD.
Not every individual exposed to the same event develops PTSD.
The etiology of social anxiety disorder includes neural circuitry that involves all of the following except the _____.
cerebellum
Individuals with depressive disorder appear to have too few receptors for the neurotransmitters _____. glutamate and histamine serotonin and norepinephrine dopamine and glutamate GABA and acetylcholine
serotonin and norepinephrine
Which of the following statements is true of the sociocultural factors involved in depression?
Depression increases as standards of living and employment circumstances worsen.
What kind of thinking involves ascribing personal meaning to completely random events?
Referential thinking
An individual diagnosed with an anxiety disorder is most likely to experience _____.
motor tension, apprehensive expectations, and thoughts
Which of the following groups has the highest suicide rate among all the other demographic groups in the United States?
Native Americans
Which of the following is NOT one of the three criteria that is used to distinguish normal from abnormal behavior?
Behavior that is statistically atypical in nature
Which psychological approach would attribute a person's depression to escalating negative and self-defeating thoughts?
The cognitive approach
LECTURE NOTES
What is decision makers/development of ego?
The battle of ego with result of strong or weak ego
Infancy (1st year of life)
-Battle between TRUST and MISTRUST -Ego strength is HOPE -Core pathology is WITHDRAWAL
2 to 3 years
-Battle between AUTONOMY and DOUBT -Ego strength is WILL -Core pathology is COMPULSION (action w/out thought)
3 to 5 years (play age)
-Battle between INECITIVE and GUILT -Ego strength is PURPOSE -Core pathology is INHIBITION (can't follow social norms)
6 to 12 years (school age)
-Battle between INFERIORITY and INDUSTRY -Ego strength is COMPETENCE -Core pathology is INERTIA (can't get life started)
13 to 18 years (adolescence)
-Battle between IDENTITY and IDENTITY CONFUSION -Ego strength is FIDELITY -Core pathology is ROLE REPUDIATION (no belief in future)
18 to 30 years (young adult)
-Battle between INTIMACY and ISOLATION -Ego strngth is ABILITY TO LOVE -Core pathology is EXCLUSIVITY (can't love)
30 to 60 years (adulthood)
-Battle between GENERATIVELY and STAGNATION -Ego strength is CARE -Core pathology is REJECTIVITY
60 and On years (old age)
-Battle between INTEGRITY and DESPAIR -Ego strength is WISDOM -Core pathology is DISTAIN