Chapter 14: Glossary

attitude: Relatively stable and enduring system of feelings and beliefs about a given person, object, or event
attribution theory: Theory that specifies how people make inferences about the causes of behavior
bystander intervention: Research that focuses on when and under what conditions individuals help others in need of assistance
central route: Route to persuasion in the elaboration likelihood model in which persuasion occurs due to deliberate, effortful thinking about the arguments to which one has been exposed
cognitive dissonance: Theory that proposes that when individuals behave contrary to their attitudes and beliefs, they feel anxious and are motivated to change their attitudes to conform to their actions
conformity: Tendency for people to match their behavior to that of other members of a group
consensus: Indicates the extent to which a response is similar across different people. See Chart of Kelley's Attribution Model
consistency: Indicate the extent to which a person's response is the same in similar situations over time. See Chart of Kelley's Attribution Model
contact theory: Proposes that equal-status contact between antagonistic groups should lower tension and breed greater harmony
deindividuation: Loss of self-restraint that occurs under conditions of arousal, novelty, and anonymity
diffusion of responsibility: Situation in which individuals in a group assume less personal responsibility for helping a victim as the group becomes larger
discrimination: Unjustified negative behavior directed towards other based solely on their membership in a social group
distinctiveness: Indicates the extent to which a response is unique to a given situation. See Chart of Kelley's Attribution Model
elaboration likelihood model: Model of persuasion that specifies how attitudes become nmore stable and enduring following effortful thinking about persuasive arguments
ethnocentrism: Tendency for people to evaluate their own group as superior to other groups
field studies: Studies conducted in everyday, real-world settings
fundamental attribution error: Tendency for people to make person attributions rather than situation attributions when evaluating others
group: Two or more individuals who interact in such a matter that each person influences the other(s) and is influenced in return
group polarization: Tendency for decisions made by groups to be more extreme than those made by individuals
jigsaw classroom: Learning method used in elementary and secondary schools in which different members of a group learn separate components, after which each person teaches his or her section to the group; group success depends on the contributions of all members
loneliness: Feeling of deprivation resulting from unsatisfactory social relations with others
mere exposure effect: Tendency to like something or someone more following repeated exposure to it or them
norms: Rules that apply to every member of a group
obedience: Tendency for people to comply with orders, either real or imagined, from an authority figure
out-group homogeneity: Tendency for people to see members of groups different from their own as more similar than they actually are
peripheral route: Route to persuasion in the elaboration likelihood model in which persuasion occurs due to factors not associated with the content of persuasive arguments
person attribution: Attribution that locates the cause of behavior in a person's character or dispositional nature
pluralistic ignorance: Tendency not to intervene in a situation based on the fact that others are not intervening
prejudice: Unjustified negative attitudes that one person holds about another based exclusively on a person's membership in a social group
prosocial behavior: Behavior that benefits other people
reference groups: Groups to which people relate and or want to belong
roles: Norms that apply to specific members of a group who occupy special positions within it
self-fulfilling prophecy: Tendency for people to elicit behavior from others that conforms to their own personal expectations
self-serving bias: Tendency for people to take greater personal responsibility for positive outcomes than for negative ones
situation attribution: Attribution that locates the cause of behavior in a person's enviromental surroundings
social cognition: Study of how individuals gather, process, retrieve, and interpret information about different aspects of their social environment
social facilitation: Tendency for individuals to perform better in the presence of other people
social psychology: Scientific study of how people think about, influence, and relate to one another
stereotypes: Mental images in which specific mental, physical, and behavioral traits are uncritically attributed to others based solely on their membership in a social group
superordinate goals: Objectives or tasks shared by antagonistic groups that are designed to breed cooperation and reduce conflict

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Table of Contents

Kelley's Attribution Model
Types of Attribution	Distinctiveness	Consensus	Consistency
Person-Stable	Low	Low	High
Situation-Stable	High	High	High
Person-Unstable	Low	Low	Low
Situation-Unstable	High	High	Low

See person attribution, situation attribution, distinctiveness, consensus, consistency

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Effects of Communicator, Communication, and Listener on Attitude Change

Communicator
Campaigns are generally more effective when the communicator

is viewed as an expert.
is credible.
is likable and attractive

Communication
Campaigns are generally more effective when the communication

is not very different from the listener's own position
offers a one-sided argument for the listener who already is, to some extent, in agreement on the issue
offers a two-sided argument for the listener who disagrees
is presented frequently. See mere exposure effect
contains messages that are not excessively emotional and that provide information on how to reduce the emotion. See Janis and Feshbach

Listener
Campaigns are generally more effective when the listener

actively processes information in the message
hears a personally relevant message

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Lee's Six Types of Love
Eros	Passion and commitment. Strong physical component, early attraction, intense emotion, strong commitment to lover.
Ludus	Game playing. Love is an interaction game to be played with diverse partners; manipulation and deception are acceptable.
Storge	Love as friendship. Inclination to merge love and friendship; solid and enduring.
Pragma	Calculated mate selection. Rational calculation about the desired attributes fo a lover; love planning; computer matching.
Mania	Emotional intensity. "Symptom love" based on uncertainty of self and others; puppy love.
Agape	Selfless caring. All-giving, nondemanding, self-abnegation.

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