PSY 1001 Chapter Notes - Chapter 13: Trait Theory, You Are Free, Social Comparison Theory
Document Summary
Social psychology: study of how people influence others" behavior, beliefs, and attitudes. Social comparison theory: theory that states we seek to evaluate our abilities and beliefs by comparing them with those of others. Mass hysteria: outbreak of irrational behavior that is spread by social contagion. Social facilitation: enhancement of performance brought about by the presence of others. Conformity: tendency of people to alter their behavior as a result of group pressure. Deindividuation: tendency of people to engage in uncharacteristic behavior when they are stripped of their usual identities. Groupthink: emphasis on group unanimity at the expense of critical thinking. Group polarization: tendency of group discussion to strengthen the dominant positions held by individual group members. Cults: groups of individuals who exhibit intense and unquestioning devotion to a single individual or cause. Inoculation effect: approach to convincing people to change their minds about something by first introducing reasons why the perspective might be correct and then debunking them.
