Social psychology examines how social influences affect individual behavior. It focuses on the interaction between individuals and the social environment, highlighting the impact of the presence of others.

Conformity involves adjusting one's behavior to align with the group norms. This change is often driven by the desire for acceptance and the influence of peer pressure.

Obedience is the act of following direct commands from an authority. It demonstrates the powerful effect that authority figures can have on individual behavior.

Social facilitation occurs when an individual's performance improves on well-learned tasks in the presence of others. The presence of an audience can boost performance due to increased arousal.

The bystander effect describes the tendency for individuals to be less likely to help someone in distress when other people are present. This phenomenon is largely due to the diffusion of responsibility among observers.

Cognitive dissonance involves experiencing psychological discomfort when confronted with conflicting beliefs. To reduce this discomfort, individuals often change their attitudes or behaviors.

The central route to persuasion requires thoughtful processing of the message content. It involves evaluating the quality and strength of the arguments rather than relying on superficial cues.

Groupthink occurs when the desire for consensus in a group suppresses dissenting viewpoints, leading to poor decision-making. It often results in overlooking alternatives or critically assessing ideas.

In-group bias is the tendency to favor and give preferential treatment to members of one's own group. This bias can lead to discrimination and the formation of stereotypes about out-group members.

The fundamental attribution error is the tendency to overestimate the influence of internal characteristics and underestimate situational factors when explaining someone else's behavior. This leads to misinterpretation of actions, often ignoring external influences.

The foot-in-the-door technique involves obtaining a small commitment first, which increases the likelihood of agreeing to a larger request later. It leverages consistency and the desire to act in line with one's previous behavior.

A self-fulfilling prophecy occurs when an expectation influences actions that ultimately cause the expectation to come true. In this case, a teacher's low expectations can negatively affect a student's performance, validating the initial belief.

The actor-observer bias refers to the common tendency to explain one's own behavior in terms of external situational factors, while attributing others' actions to internal characteristics. This bias helps individuals maintain a positive self-image by minimizing personal responsibility.

The door-in-the-face technique involves making a large initial request that is likely to be rejected, followed by a smaller, more reasonable request. The contrast between the two requests increases the likelihood of compliance with the second request.

Social comparison theory posits that people determine their own social and personal worth based on how they compare to others. These comparisons provide benchmarks that help individuals assess their abilities and performance.

Milgram's study demonstrated that situational factors, especially the influence of an authoritative figure, significantly increase obedience. The experimental setup created pressures that led participants to follow orders despite ethical concerns.

Cognitive dissonance theory suggests that when individuals face discomfort from conflicting beliefs after a decision, they tend to change their attitudes to reduce the dissonance. This attitude adjustment helps justify the decision and restore internal consistency.

Social categorization simplifies the complex nature of interpersonal relationships by grouping people, which can lead to stereotyping and an 'us versus them' mentality. This oversimplification often escalates tensions between different groups.

Self-serving bias is the tendency to attribute positive outcomes to internal factors and negative outcomes to external forces. This bias helps protect self-esteem but can lead to distorted perceptions of personal performance.

Deindividuation occurs when individuals lose their sense of self in group settings, leading to decreased self-awareness and reduced accountability. This anonymity can result in behavior that deviates from personal norms and ethical standards.