Social and Behavioral Psychology Flashcards

When an acquaintance fails an exam, a student assumes it is because the acquaintance is lazy and not intelligent. However, when the student fails an exam, they blame the failure on an overly difficult test and a lack of sleep. This difference in attribution is a classic example of:

Answer: Actor-observer bias

The actor-observer bias is the tendency to attribute one's own actions to external causes while attributing other people's behaviors to internal causes. In this scenario, the student (the 'actor') blames their own failure on situational factors (difficult test, no sleep), but blames the acquaintance's (the 'other') failure on dispositional factors (lazy, not intelligent).

According to Leon Festinger's theory, an individual who holds two conflicting beliefs, such as "I am an honest person" and "I just cheated on a test," will experience a state of psychological discomfort known as:

Answer: Cognitive dissonance

Cognitive dissonance is the mental discomfort experienced by a person who holds two or more contradictory beliefs, ideas, or values. Festinger's theory posits that this discomfort creates a motivation to change one of the cognitions or add new ones to reduce the inconsistency and restore balance.

A team of expert financial advisors is known for its strong camaraderie and respect for its highly charismatic leader. During a high-stakes meeting, they quickly reach a unanimous decision to invest heavily in a risky new stock, dismissing any dissenting information as flawed. This scenario is most indicative of which group decision-making flaw?

Answer: Groupthink

Groupthink is a phenomenon where the desire for harmony or conformity in a group results in an irrational or dysfunctional decision-making outcome. Key antecedents, as identified by Irving Janis, include high group cohesion, a directive leader, and insulation from outside opinions, all of which are present in the scenario.

A person collapses on a crowded subway platform. Despite many people witnessing the event, no one immediately rushes to help, as each individual assumes someone else is more qualified or has already called for assistance. This failure to intervene is best explained by:

Answer: The bystander effect

The bystander effect is a social psychological theory stating that individuals are less likely to offer help to a victim when other people are present. The greater the number of bystanders, the less likely it is that any one of them will help, largely due to a diffusion of responsibility, where the sense of obligation to act is spread across all onlookers.

In the Elaboration Likelihood Model of persuasion, a person who is motivated and able to think carefully about the content and logic of a message is most likely engaging in:

Answer: Central route processing

The central route to persuasion involves a high level of message elaboration, where the receiver carefully scrutinizes the arguments presented. This route is used when the individual is both motivated and has the ability to process the information, leading to more enduring and resistant attitude change.

A teacher is told (falsely) at the beginning of the school year that certain students in their class are 'academic bloomers' with high potential. Throughout the year, the teacher unconsciously provides more encouragement and challenging opportunities to these students, who then go on to show greater academic gains than their peers. This phenomenon is known as:

Answer: A self-fulfilling prophecy

A self-fulfilling prophecy is a prediction that directly or indirectly causes itself to become true, by the very terms of the prophecy itself, due to positive feedback between belief and behavior. The classic Rosenthal and Jacobson study, known as the Pygmalion Effect, demonstrated this in a classroom setting where teacher expectations influenced student performance.