September 20, 2002

I'm going to go through my Social Psychology book glossary and list all words that currently apply to how I feel right now.

attribution theory -- the theory of how people explain others' behavior; for example, by attributing it to either internal dispositions (enduring traits, motives, and attitudes) or to external situations.

availability heuristic -- a efficient but fallible rule of thumb that judges the likelihood of things in terms of their availability in memory. If instances of something come readily to mind, we presume it to be commonplace.

behavioral confirmation -- a type of self fulfilling prophecy whereby people's social expectations lead them to act in ways that cause others to confirm their expectations.

catharsis -- emotional release.

cognitive dissonance -- tension that arises when one is simultaneously aware of two inconsistent cognitions.

conflict -- a perceived incompatibility of actions or goals.

crowding -- a subjective feeling of not having enough space per person.

frustration -- the blocking of goal directed behavior.

fundamental attribution error -- the tendency for observers to underestimate situational influences and over estimate dispositional influences upon others' behavior.

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