Psychology Concepts and Theories

The perception that we are worse off relative to those with whom we compare ourselves.

• Relative deprivation

• Social comparison

• Cognitive dissonance

• Status anxiety

The tendency to gather evidence that confirms preexisting expectations while dismissing contradictory evidence.

• Cognitive dissonance

• Confirmation bias

• Anchoring effect

• Hindsight bias

A group to which one does not belong or with which one does not identify.

• Ingroup

• Outgroup

• Peer group

• Social group

Comparing oneself with someone judged to be better than oneself.

• Downward social comparison

• Upward social comparison

• Lateral social comparison

• Social validation

The theory that we act to reduce the discomfort we feel when two of our thoughts are inconsistent.

• Cognitive dissonance theory

• Behavioral consistency theory

• Cognitive consistency theory

• Emotional dissonance theory

A belief that leads to its own fulfillment, a prediction that causes itself to become true.

• Self-fulfilling prophecy

• Cognitive dissonance

• Confirmation bias

• Hindsight bias

The phenomenon that repeated exposure to novel stimuli increases liking of them.

• Mere exposure effect

• Cognitive dissonance

• Social facilitation

• Confirmation bias

Way of describing life in ways that blame themselves for negative events, believe that such events will continue indefinitely, and let such events affect many aspects of their lives.

• Optimistic explanatory style

• Pessimistic explanatory style

• Realistic explanatory style

• Cynical explanatory style

Comparing oneself with someone judged to be not as good as oneself.

• Upward social comparison

• Downward social comparison

• Lateral social comparison

• Social validation

The proposition that people evaluate their abilities and attitudes in relation to those of others in a process that plays a significant role in self-image and subjective well-being.

• Social comparison theory

• Cognitive dissonance theory

• Self-perception theory

• Attribution theory