Social and Behavioral Psychology Flashcards

Which concept describes the tendency for people to exert less effort when working in a group than when working alone?

Answer: Social loafing

Social loafing occurs because individual contributions are less identifiable in group settings, reducing personal accountability.

In Milgram's obedience studies, what factor most significantly reduced participants' willingness to administer shocks?

Answer: Increasing the physical proximity of the victim

When participants could see or touch the victim, obedience dropped sharply because the victim's suffering became more salient.

The 'just-world hypothesis' refers to the belief that:

Answer: People get what they deserve and deserve what they get

The just-world hypothesis leads people to blame victims for their misfortune as a way of maintaining the belief that the world is fair.

Which persuasion route in Petty and Cacioppo's Elaboration Likelihood Model involves deep cognitive processing of message arguments?

Answer: Central route

The central route involves careful evaluation of the quality and logic of arguments, leading to more durable attitude change.

Festinger's social comparison theory proposes that people evaluate their opinions and abilities by:

Answer: Comparing themselves to similar others

When objective standards are unavailable, people use similar others as a reference point to assess their own standing.

Which term describes the phenomenon where a group makes riskier decisions than any individual member would make alone?

Answer: Risky shift

Risky shift is a specific instance of group polarization where shared responsibility and persuasive arguments push groups toward riskier choices.

What does the term 'pluralistic ignorance' describe in social psychology?

Answer: A situation where everyone privately disagrees but assumes others agree with the norm

Pluralistic ignorance occurs when individuals misread the private attitudes of others, assuming the norm reflects true majority opinion.