Page 449 - The Social Animal

Glossary 431

blaming the victim: the tendency to blame individuals (make dispositional
attributions) for their victimization; typically motivated by a desire to see the
world as a fair place
bystander effect: the finding that the greater the number of bystanders who
witness an emergency, the less likely any one of them is to help

catharsis: the notion that “blowing off steam”—by performing an aggressive
act, watching others engage in aggressive behaviors, or engaging in a fantasy
of aggression—relieves built-up aggressive energies and hence reduces the
likelihood of further aggressive behavior
central route to persuasion: a situation in which people elaborate on a per-
suasive communication, listening carefully to and thinking about the argu-
ments; this occurs when people have both the ability and the motivation to
listen carefully to a communication
cognitive dissonance: a state of tension that occurs whenever an individual
simultaneously holds two cognitions (ideas, attitudes, beliefs, opinions) that
are psychologically inconsistent
cognitive misers: the idea that people try to conserve cognitive energy in
decision making by taking mental shortcuts whenever they can
communal relationships: relationships in which people’s primary concern is
being responsive to the other person’s needs
companionate love: the feelings of intimacy and affection we feel for an-
other person when we care deeply for the person but do not necessarily expe-
rience passion or arousal in his or her presence
compliance: a response to social influence brought about by an individual’s
hope for reward or fear of punishment
confirmation bias: a tendency, once we have stated a belief, to view subse-
quent evidence in a biased manner so as to confirm that belief, if possible

conformity: change in behavior due to the real or imagined influence of
other people
consummate love: according to Sternberg, the blending of intimacy, pas-
sion, and commitment
contrast effect: an object appears to be better or worse than it is, depending
on the quality of the objects with which it is compared
correspondent inference: the tendency to attribute the cause of a person’s
behavior to a corresponding characteristic or trait of that person

counterattitudinal advocacy: the process of cognitive dissonance that oc-
curs when a person states an opinion or attitude that runs counter to his or
her private beliefs or attitudes