Chapter 12

b. social psychology
Explanation: Social psychology is most directly concerned with the study of how people think about, influence, and relate to one another. This branch of psychology examines how people's thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are influenced by the actual, imagined, or implied presence of others.

d. the fundamental attribution error.
Explanation: The fundamental attribution error is the tendency in individualist cultures to attribute the behavior of others to internal, personal characteristics while ignoring or underestimating the effects of external, situational factors. This tendency leads people to overestimate the importance of personal factors and to underestimate the importance of situational factors in influencing behavior. The fundamental attribution error is a major source of misunderstanding and conflict in social interactions.

c. comply with a large request if one has previously complied with a small request.
Explanation: The foot-in-the-door phenomenon refers to the tendency to comply with a large request if one has previously complied with a small request. For example, if someone asks you to sign a petition and you do, they may then ask you to make a donation to the cause. The theory is that you are more likely to comply with the second, larger request because you have already shown that you are willing to comply with the first request.

c. role playing
Explanation: After she was promoted to a high-level executive position in the large company for which she worked, Jorana developed more pro-business political attitudes. This best illustrates the impact of role playing on attitudes.

a. cognitive dissonance.
Explanation: Cognitive dissonance is the discomfort we feel when our thoughts and behaviors are inconsistent. For example, if we believe that smoking is harmful to our health but we continue to smoke, we may feel cognitive dissonance.

a. Solomon Asch.
Explanation: Solomon Asch was a social psychologist who is best known for his pioneering studies of conformity. He conducted a series of experiments in the 1950s that demonstrated the power of conformity in groups. His findings showed that people are more likely to conform to the majority opinion, even when it is clearly wrong. Asch's work had a major impact on our understanding of social influence and group dynamics.

c. normative social influence.
Explanation: Kentaro's behavior exemplifies the importance of normative social influence. He is worried about his family's approval, and so he wears a tie to conform to their expectations. This shows how much pressure we feel to conform to social norms, even when we don't necessarily agree with them.

c. deliver electric shocks to a learner for giving incorrect answers.
Explanation: Participants in the Milgram obedience studies were ordered to deliver electric shocks to a learner for giving incorrect answers. The study was designed to test how far people would go in obeying an authority figure when given commands that conflicted with their personal morality. The results showed that a significant number of people were willing to administer potentially lethal electric shocks to another person, simply because they were told to do so by an authority figure.

c. the "teachers" were more obedient than most people would have predicted.
Explanation: Most people are likely to be surprised by the results of Milgram's initial obedience experiment because the teachers" were more obedient than most people would have predicted."

a. group polarization.
Explanation: Group polarization is the enhancement of a group's prevailing inclinations through group discussion. This occurs when group discussion reinforces the group's existing beliefs and attitudes, leading the group to become more extreme in its views. This effect is often seen in political discussion groups, where people with similar views tend to reinforce each other's beliefs, leading to more extreme positions.

b. individuals share a similar opinion.
Explanation:Group polarization is the enhancement of a group's prevailing inclinations through group discussion. This occurs when group discussion reinforces the group's existing beliefs and attitudes, leading the group to become more extreme in its views. This effect is often seen in political discussion groups, where people with similar views tend to reinforce each other's beliefs, leading to more extreme positions.

a. the just-world phenomenon.
Explanation: The jurors' comments are best explained in terms of the just-world phenomenon. This phenomenon occurs when people believe that the world is just and that people get what they deserve. In this case, the jurors believe that the victim deserved to be raped because she was dressing provocatively and going to bars. This is an example of victim blaming, which is when the victim of a crime is blamed for the crime.

d. ingroup bias
Explanation: .Ingroup bias is the tendency for people to favor their own groups over other groups. This bias can lead people to create new groups based on the outcome of a coin toss, and then favor their own new group when dividing any rewards. This is because people tend to see their own groups as more homogeneous (similar) than other groups, and thus more deserving of rewards.

d. scapegoat theory
Explanation: The scapegoat theory most clearly suggests that prejudice offers an outlet for anger by providing someone to blame when things go wrong.

b. the other-race effect.
Explanation: a. ingroup bias.The tendency to recall faces of one's own race more accurately than faces of other races is called ingroup bias. This is because people tend to be more familiar with and have more exposure to people of their own race, which makes it easier for them to remember and recognize faces that are similar to their own.

b. the mere exposure effect.
Explanation: The mere exposure effect is the tendency for people to prefer things simply because they are familiar with them. This is often seen with brands, where people will prefer products from a familiar brand name simply because they are familiar with the brand.

d. the bystander effect.
Explanation: The bystander effect is the phenomenon in which people are less likely to offer help to a victim when there are other people present. Mrs. Blake's experience illustrates this phenomenon, as she received help much more quickly when she was alone than when there were other people around.

b. an unjustifiable attitude toward a group and its members.
Explanation: Prejudice is best defined as an unjustifiable attitude toward a group and its members. This means that prejudice is an unfounded belief or feeling that one group of people is superior to another group. Prejudice often leads to discrimination, which is the unfair treatment of a group of people based on their membership in that group.

d. bystander effect
Explanation: The bystander effect is the social psychological phenomenon in which people are less likely to offer help to a victim when there are other people present. The reason for this is that people assume that someone else will help, or that the victim does not really need help. This can lead to tragic consequences if no one ends up helping the victim.

d. situational influences; personal dispositions
Explanation: The fundamental attribution error refers to our tendency to underestimate the impact of situational influences and to overestimate the impact of personal dispositions in explaining the behavior of others.