Social Psychology Quiz

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

• Social psychology

• Cognitive psychology

• Psychoanalysis

• Evolutionary psychology

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

• Attribution theory

• Fundamental attribution error

• Proximity

• Peripheral route persuasion

The tendency for observers, when analyzing others' behavior, to underestimate the impact of the situation and to overestimate the impact of personal dispositions

• Fundamental attribution error

• Attribution theory

• Peripheral route persuasion

• Central route persuasion

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

• Attitude

• Prejudice

• Stereotype

• Discrimination

Answer explanation

The three components to attitude are

- (1): emotions (affections)

- (2): Cognitions (thoughts)

- (3): Behaviors (actions)

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

• Peripheral route persuasion

• Central route persuasion

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

• Central route persuasion

• Peripheral route persuasion

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

• Foot-in-the-door phenomenon

• Door-in-the-face phenomenon

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

• Cognitive dissonance theory

• Attribution theory

• Fundamental attribution error

• Cognitive neuroscience

Answer explanation

For example, when we become aware that our attitudes and our actions clash, we can reduce the resulting dissonance by changing our attitudes

Adjusting our behavior or thinking to coincide with a group standard

• Conformity

• Compliance

• Obedience

Influence resulting from a person's desire to gain approval or avoid disapproval

• Normative social influence

• Informational social influence