Understanding Psychological Disorders and Social Behavior
Chapter 13: Social Psychology
Attribution
Dispositional Attribution
Assigning the cause of a person’s behavior to their internal characteristics.
Situational Attribution
Assigning the cause of a person’s behavior to the environment.
Correspondence Bias
The tendency to view behaviors as the result of disposition even when behavior can be explained by the situation.
Fundamental Attribution Error (FAE)
Failure to consider situational variables while making an attribution, leading to an overestimation of dispositional contributions when observing the behavior of others. (Defensive Attributions)
Actor-Observer Bias
Emphasizing dispositional attributions to explain the behavior of others while emphasizing situational attributions to explain our own behavior.
Self-Serving Bias
Attributing success to dispositional factors while attributing failure to situational factors.
Just World Belief
The assumption that good things happen to good people and bad things happen to bad people.
How Are Our Attitudes Influenced by Others?
Attitude
Positive or negative evaluations that predispose behavior towards an object, person, or situation.
Cognitive Dissonance
Uncomfortable state that occurs when behavior and attitude do not match and that can be resolved through attitude change.
Why Does Persuasion Happen?
Persuasion
A change in attitudes in response to information provided by another person.
Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM)
A model that predicts responses to persuasive messages by distinguishing between the central and the peripheral routes to persuasion.
Prejudice, Stereotyping, and Discrimination
Prejudice
Negative evaluation of another person based on their membership in a group.
Stereotype
A set of traits associated with membership in a group or category.
Discrimination
Unfair behavior based on stereotyping and prejudice.
Social Norms and Conformity
Social Norms
Unwritten or unspoken rules for behavior in social settings.
Conformity
Matching behavior and appearance to perceived social norms.
Compliance
Agreement with a request from a person with no perceived authority.
Door in the Face
Persuasive technique in which compliance with a target request is preceded by a large, unreasonable request.
Foot in the Door
A small request is followed by compliance with a larger request that might otherwise have been rejected.
Group Dynamics
Social Loafing
Reduced motivation and effort shown by individuals working in a group.
Deindividuation
Immersion of an individual within a group leading to anonymity.
Group Polarization
The intensifying of an attitude following discussion.
Groupthink
Flawed decision-making in which a group does not question its decisions critically.
Interpersonal Relationships
Mere Exposure Effect
Repeated exposure increases liking.
Bystander Intervention
The decreased likelihood of helping a stranger as the number of bystanders increases.
Aggression
Aggression
The conscious intent to harm another.
Chapter 14: Psychological Disorders
Anxiety Disorders
Specific Phobia
Fears of objects other than those associated with agoraphobia or social anxiety disorder.
Social Anxiety Disorder
Unrealistic fear of being scrutinized and criticized by others.
Panic Attack
Intense fear and autonomic arousal in the absence of real threat.
Panic Disorder
Repeated panic attacks and fear of future attacks.
Agoraphobia
Fear of open spaces, being outside the home alone, or being in a crowd.
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
Anxiety and worry that is not correlated with particular objects or situations.
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
Intrusive obsessions and compulsions.
Obsession
An intrusive, distressing thought.
Compulsion
Repetitive, ritualistic behavior associated with high anxiety.
Trauma- and Stressor-Related Disorders
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Caused by the experience of trauma, which leads to flashbacks, nightmares, hypervigilance, and avoidance of stimuli associated with the traumatic event. (e.g., soldiers)
Body Dysmorphic Disorder
An unrealistic perception of physical flaws.
Dissociative Disorders
Dissociative Disorders
Disruptions in a person’s identity, memory, or consciousness.
Somatic Symptom and Related Disorders
Somatic Symptom Disorder
Physical symptoms that do not have an underlying medical cause.
Schizophrenia
Enlarged Ventricles
Fluid-filled spaces in the brain that can interfere with cognitive function.
Genetics
Closely related family members have been diagnosed with the disorder.
Abnormal Brain Development During Adolescence
Teens experience a burst of gray matter growth at puberty followed by a wave of gray matter thinning that extends into their early 20s.
Schizophrenia
A disorder characterized by:
- Delusions: False, illogical beliefs.
- Hallucinations: False perceptions.
- Disorganized thought and speech.
- Disorders of movement.
- Restricted affect.
- Avolition or asociality.
Bipolar and Related Disorders
Bipolar Disorder
A mood disorder characterized by alternating periods of mania and depression.
Mania
A period of unrealistically elevated mood.
Characteristics of Bipolar Disorder
- Elevated mood
- Little need for sleep
- Rapid speech
- Difficulty concentrating
- Grandiosity
- Depression
Bipolar disorder is over-represented in groups of people with artistic and creative talents.
Depressive Disorders
Major Depressive Disorder
Characterized by lengthy periods of:
- Depressed mood
- Loss of pleasure in normal activities
- Disturbances in sleep and appetite
- Difficulty concentrating
- Feelings of hopelessness
- Possible thoughts of suicide
Learned Helplessness
Random or uncontrolled consequences lead to feelings of helplessness and possibly depression.
Diathesis-Stress Model
The experience of stress interacts with an individual’s biological predisposition to produce a psychological disorder.
Personality Disorders
Personality Disorder
Impairments in identity, personality traits, and the establishment of empathy or intimacy.
Antisocial Personality Disorder (ASPD)
Lack of remorse, empathy, or regard for normal social rules and conventions.
Borderline Personality Disorder
Instability in interpersonal relationships, self-image, and emotion.