A compliance strategy in which someone first makes a small request, in order to later convince people to comply with a larger request.

People’s shared beliefs and the social practices that reflect those beliefs.

In social psychology, the unjust treatment of people based on their group membership.

Adherence to the instructions and commands of an authority figure.

One-on-one interactions in which a person is in frequent contact with, and feels a strong connection to, another person.

Behavior that occurs in interaction with other people.

People’s beliefs, opinions, and feelings about the individuals and groups with whom they interact socially.

Agreement to an explicit request.

Branch of psychology that studies people’s thoughts, feelings, and actions as they contemplate, interact with, and are influenced by others in society.

negative attitude toward individuals based on their group membership, involving disparaging thoughts and feelings about individuals in a group.

A decision-making phenomenon in which group members are so motivated to avoid disagreement, and to reach a shared decision, that they do not properly evaluate the quality of the decision they are reaching.

Careful, detailed, step-by-step thinking.

A set of behaviors that is expected of a person in a given situation.

Phenomenon in which people’s attitudes toward an object become more positive simply as a result of being exposed to the object repeatedly.

Research in which identical research procedures are carried out in different cultures.

A combined thought and feeling directed toward some person, object, or idea.

A socially shared belief about the type of behavior that is acceptable in any given setting.

Pattern of thinking in which people underestimate the causal influence of situational factors on people’s behavior and overestimate the causal influence of personal factors.

A technique for reducing prejudice in which members of different groups meet and spend time together.

A compliance strategy in which targets of compliance efforts are distracted, so they cannot formulate negative thoughts about a compliance request.

In the study of cultural variations, a pattern of cultural beliefs and values that emphasizes individuals’ ties to larger groups such as family, community, and nation.

A field of study that explores biological systems in the brain that underlie social cognition and behavior.

Psychological processes involving communication, conflict, and pressure among group members.

In a research study, an accomplice of the experimenter who pretends to be a participant.

A negative emotional reaction that occurs when people recognize the possibility of their confirming a negative stereotype about their group.

Large gatherings of people who do not necessarily know one another.

Thinking that employs mental shortcuts or simple rules of thumb.

Blaming members of another group when frustrated with one’s own circumstances.

A negative psychological state that occurs when people recognize that two (or more) of their ideas or actions do not fit together sensibly.

A simplified set of beliefs about the characteristics of members of a group.

The altering of one’s behavior so that it matches the norms of a group.

Lowered feelings of personal obligation to respond to someone in need, because others might respond instead.

Beliefs about the causes of social behaviors.

In the study of cultural variations, a pattern of cultural beliefs and values that emphasizes individual rights to pursue happiness, speak freely, and “be yourself.”

Collections of people who know and communicate with each other, have distinctive roles (e.g., a group leader), and may work together toward a common goal.

Branch of psychology that studies how the social practices of cultures and the psychological qualities of individuals mutually influence one another.