Social Psychology Terms

verb to cause someone or something to come closer or be drawn towards something

• The new marketing campaign is designed to attract more customers to the store.
• The new store layout is really attracting a lot of people.
• That new movie is really attracting a crowd.
• Her positive energy and confidence really attract success.

noun a small, exclusive group of people who share similar interests or tastes

• The research team formed a clique to work together on the project.
• I heard that the popular kids at school have a clique that hangs out together all the time.
• I don't want to be part of their clique, they're too exclusive.
• In the world of politics, it's important to be part of the right clique to gain influence.

noun the act of conforming or the state of being conformed

verb to comply with rules, standards, or laws

• It is important to conform to the company's dress code during business hours.
• Just make sure you conform to the rules if you want to avoid any trouble.
• Don't worry about conforming to their standards, just be yourself.
• Sometimes it's necessary to conform to societal norms in order to fit in.

noun the state of having abandoned one's country or cause

• The politician's defection from his party caused a stir in the political community.
• I heard about Sarah's defection to the rival company.
• Did you see the latest celebrity defection to the cool new brand?
• The defection of key players in the team led to their ultimate downfall.

noun a feeling of self-consciousness, shame, or awkwardness

adjective embarrassing

• The speaker felt a deep sense of embarrassment when he realized he had mispronounced a key word during the presentation.
• She turned bright red with embarrassment when she tripped and spilled her drink at the party.
• I was so embarrassed when I accidentally sent that text to the wrong person, it was cringeworthy.
• The company's scandal caused a wave of embarrassment among its employees and shareholders.

noun a group of birds or animals that are gathered together

verb to come together in a group or crowd

• Birds of a feather flock together, meaning people with similar interests often spend time together.
• I've noticed that the cool kids always seem to flock together at school.
• Those two are always hanging out together, they really flock together.
• In times of crisis, people tend to flock together for support and comfort.

noun the quality of being secretive or sly

• The suspect's furtiveness raised suspicions among the investigators.
• I could sense his furtiveness as he tried to hide something from me.
• Her furtiveness was so obvious, it was like she was up to no good.
• The dark clouds moved across the sky with a sense of furtiveness, hinting at an impending storm.

noun a person who brings about or initiates something, especially a conflict or crime

• The instigator of the conflict was identified as one of the employees.
• She's always the instigator of drama in our friend group.
• Don't be an instigator and stir up trouble.
• The new policy acted as an instigator for change within the organization.

adjective showing a dislike or distrust of humankind

• The philosopher's misanthropic views led him to believe that humans were inherently selfish and untrustworthy.
• She's known for her misanthropic attitude towards social gatherings.
• I can't stand hanging out with him anymore, he's just too misanthropic for my taste.
• His misanthropic nature was like a dark cloud hanging over every interaction he had with others.

noun a person who is involved in a specific activity or trade, often used in a negative or derogatory sense

• The fish monger at the market always has the freshest seafood available.
• I heard that guy is a gossip monger, always spreading rumors about everyone.
• Don't listen to that drama monger, they just want to stir up trouble.
• He is a fear monger, constantly trying to scare people into believing his ideas.

noun a social group with which an individual does not identify

• The study aimed to analyze the dynamics of interactions between the in group and the out group.
• They don't really hang out with people from the out group.
• I heard they're not cool with the out group.
• In the game of politics, it's important to know how to navigate relationships with the out group.

adjective a term used to describe someone who has an irrational fear or suspicion of others

• The patient exhibited symptoms of being paranoid, constantly fearing for their safety.
• She's always so paranoid about losing her keys, she checks her bag multiple times.
• Don't be so paranoid, everything will be fine.
• The politician was paranoid about losing the election, constantly checking the polls.

noun a person who tends to see the worst aspect of things or believe that the worst will happen

• The pessimist in the group always sees the glass as half empty.
• Don't be such a pessimist, things will work out in the end.
• Stop being a Debbie Downer, you're such a pessimist.
• The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity, while the optimist sees opportunity in every difficulty.

noun the action of dividing or causing to divide into two sharply contrasting groups or sets of opinions or beliefs

• The political polarization in the country is becoming increasingly evident.
• There's a lot of polarization between the two groups on this issue.
• The polarization between the fans of the two teams is intense.
• The cultural polarization is like a wall dividing society.

noun a claim, especially a false or ambitious one

• She maintained the pretence of being interested in his conversation.
• Stop with the pretence, we all know you're not really sick.
• He's just putting on a pretence to get out of doing his chores.
• The smile on her face was just a pretence to hide her true feelings.

noun the state of being close to someone or something; proximity

adjective having a close or near relationship

• The propinquity of the two buildings made it easy for employees to commute between them.
• I enjoy the propinquity of the park to my house, it's convenient for walks.
• The propinquity of the party to my place means I don't have to worry about transportation.
• The propinquity of their ideas led to a fruitful collaboration between the two scientists.

noun The act of deceiving oneself or the state of being deceived by oneself.

• Self-deception is a psychological defense mechanism in which an individual denies or distorts reality to protect their ego.
• Stop with the self-deception and face the truth about your situation.
• Don't fool yourself with self-deception, you know what's really going on.
• His self-deception was like wearing blinders, unable to see the truth right in front of him.

noun a person whom one does not know or with whom one is not familiar

adjective not previously known; unfamiliar

• The stranger approached me with a polite smile.
• I saw a stranger hanging out by the park.
• I don't trust that stranger, they give me bad vibes.
• Change can sometimes feel like a stranger in familiar surroundings.

adjective relating to or involving interaction between people or things

• The study focused on the interactional patterns of communication within the group.
• The interactional dynamics between the team members greatly influenced the project's outcome.
• I love watching reality TV shows for the juicy interactional drama.
• The interactional dance between the two characters on stage was mesmerizing to watch.

noun a noun is a word that represents a person, place, thing, or idea

adjective an adjective is a word that describes or modifies a noun

preposition a preposition is a word that shows the relationship between a noun (or pronoun) and other words in a sentence

• The rise of post-fact politics has led to a decline in trust in traditional media sources.
• I can't believe people still fall for post-fact conspiracy theories.
• Post-fact arguments are just a bunch of fake news.
• In a post-fact world, truth seems to be a rare commodity.

noun a word that represents a person, place, thing, or idea

preposition a word that shows the relationship between a noun or pronoun and other words in a sentence

• The employees voting to cut their own bonuses was like turkeys voting for Christmas.
• It's like turkeys voting for Christmas when my friends choose to skip the holiday party.
• The students agreeing to take an extra exam are basically like turkeys voting for Christmas.
• His decision to quit his job without a backup plan was like turkeys voting for Christmas.

noun a Japanese term referring to the phenomenon of social withdrawal and isolation, particularly among young individuals

• The phenomenon of hikikomori, where individuals withdraw from society and isolate themselves in their homes, is a growing concern in Japan.
• My cousin has been acting like a hikikomori lately, staying in his room all day and avoiding social interactions.
• I feel like being a hikikomori sometimes, just wanting to shut out the world and stay in my own bubble.
• The artist's latest work explores the concept of emotional hikikomori, depicting the feeling of isolation and detachment from reality.

noun vicini

• The disputes between neighbors were fueled by aemulationes vicini, or rivalries among neighbors.
• The neighbors were always trying to one-up each other, it was like aemulationes vicini all the time.
• Those neighbors were constantly in competition, it was like aemulationes vicini on steroids.
• The tension between the neighbors was palpable, it was as if aemulationes vicini were running rampant in the neighborhood.

adjective relating to or characterized by affiliation or association

• The affiliative behavior of the team members contributed to a positive work environment.
• She always has an affiliative attitude towards her classmates.
• The group chat is full of affiliative emojis and inside jokes.
• His affiliative nature was like a warm blanket on a cold day, comforting everyone around him.