Social Psychology and Interpersonal Relations

Social identity, social cognition, and social norms are all fundamental concepts in social psychology, which studies how individuals think, feel, and behave in social contexts.

Conformity is the process of changing one's behavior or beliefs in order to match those of a group or society.

Social norms are unwritten rules that govern behavior in a society or group. They can include things like politeness, queuing, and appropriate dress.

Self-serving bias is the tendency to attribute our own successes to internal factors (such as our skills or abilities) and our failures to external factors (such as bad luck or difficult circumstances).

Confirmation bias is the tendency to seek out information that confirms our existing beliefs, while ignoring or discounting information that contradicts them.

Group dynamics are the processes and interactions that occur within a group, such as groupthink, social loafing, and deindividuation.

Groupthink is the tendency for group members to suppress their individual opinions in order to reach a consensus, even if that consensus is flawed.

Social loafing is the tendency for individuals to exert less effort when working in a group than when working alone.

Deindividuation is the loss of individual identity and self-awareness that can occur in group situations, leading to impulsive and disinhibited behavior.

Positive social influence can include things like peer pressure to study hard, encouragement from a coach to improve performance, and support from a friend during a difficult time.

Negative social influence can include things like peer pressure to engage in risky behavior, encouragement from a friend to skip school, and support from a group to engage in illegal activities.

In-group bias is the tendency for people to form positive attitudes toward those who are similar to them, while forming negative attitudes toward those who are different.

Out-group bias is the tendency for people to form negative attitudes toward those who are different from them, while forming positive attitudes toward those who are similar.

Stereotypes are widely held beliefs about a particular group of people that are often inaccurate and harmful.

Socialization, acculturation, and assimilation are all processes by which individuals change their attitudes and beliefs in order to match those of a group or society.