Introducing Social Psychology Vocabulary

the assumption that collective action must be explained by showing how it results from individual decisions and behaviour; collective behaviour is seen as essentially behaviour of the individuals who form the collective

a study, conducted in the laboratory, in which the researcher deliberately introduces some change into a setting, while holding all other factors constant, to examine the consequences of that change

a true randomised experiment conducted in a natural setting

a set of experimental procedures designed to create groups based on essentially arbitrary criteria (with no interaction within or between them, and with no knowledge of who else belongs to each group) whose members show inter-group discrimination

a theory developed by Sherif that holds that conflict and competition between groups over valued resources can create intergroup hostility and prejudice

the theory that prejudice is due to aggression displaced towards members of an out group (scapegoats), because the group (or circumstances) that was the source of frustration is not within reach