Social Psych Vocabulary Review

The scientific study of how we think about, influence, and relate to one another

• psychology

• social psychology

• health psychology

The theory that we explain someone's behavior by crediting either the situation or the person's disposition.

• attribution theory

• fundamental attribution error

• social psychology

The tendency for observers, when analyzing others'behavior, to underestimate the impact of the situation & to overestimate the impact of personal disposition.

• social psychology

• attribution theory

• fundamental attribution error

Feelings, often influenced by our beliefs, that predispose us to respond in a particular way to objects, people, and events.

• attitude

• role

• norm

Occurs when people are influenced by incidental cues, such as a speaker's attractiveness.

• central route to persuasion

• foot-in-the-door phenomenon

• peripheral route to persuasion

Occurs when interested people focus on the arguments & respond with favorable thoughts.

• peripheral route persuasion

• foot-in-the-door phenomenon

• central route persuasion

The tendency for people who have first agreed to a small request to comply later with a larger request.

• door-in-the-face phenomenon

• foot-in-the-door phenomenon

• central route to persuasion

• peripheral route to persuasion

A set of expectations about social positions, defining how those in the position ought to behave.

• norm

• role

• stereotype

The theory that we act to reduce the discomfort we feel when two of our thoughts are inconsistent.

• defense mechanisms

• cognitive dissonance

• role

• norm

understood rules for accepted & expected behavior.

• role

• stereotype

• norms