Term
| Ethnocentrism (sociocentrism) |
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Definition
The tendency to view
one’s own race or
culture as central,
based on the
deep-seated belief
that one’s own group
is superior to all
others. |
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Term
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Definition
A trait
of a critical thinker involving
respect for others, willingness
to hear and understand
different viewpoints on an
issue, and an openness to
change when new information
or insight warrants change. |
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Term
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Definition
The individual
version of ethnocentrism, the
tendency to view everything
else in relationship to oneself;
one’s desires, values, beliefs,
and actions seem to be self-
evidently correct or superior to
those of others. |
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Term
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Definition
Techniques aimed at
self-protection through
the avoidance of unpleasant
realities. |
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Term
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Definition
A defense
mechanism that underlies
many others; it involves
justifying or making sense of
things that don’t make sense
and explaining things away
that should be brought under
examination. |
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Term
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Definition
A state of mental discomfort
that occurs whenever two
ideas (or cognitions) are out
of sync or when behavior is
inconsistent with beliefs. |
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Term
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Definition
A state of mind that
blocks critical thinking by
the repression of or refusal
to recognize negative or
threatening information. |
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Term
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Definition
The tendency
to follow others uncritically,
usually to gain acceptance or
avoid conflict; the practice of
using the beliefs and actions
of others rather than our own
best judgment as the primary
guide to personal thoughts and
actions. |
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Term
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Definition
The tendency
for group members to rigidly
conform to and reinforce a
collective opinion or judgment
about an issue. |
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Term
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Definition
The process of using one’s
feelings as definitive proof
of an accurate analysis of a
situation. |
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Term
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Definition
Coming
to a general conclusion on the
basis of a single incident or a
few incidents. |
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Term
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Definition
Assuming
that what would be true for
you in any given circumstance
is true for the other person;
making assumptions about the
thoughts, feelings, or motives
of another and taking the
assumptions as true without
further proof or discussion. |
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Term
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Definition
The process of
distorting reality by focusing
on all the negative details of a
situation and filtering out all
the positive. |
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Term
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Definition
A form of
emotional reasoning in which
one imagines and anticipates
disastrous outcomes or future
problems. |
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Term
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Definition
A form
of emotional reasoning
in which a person relates
everything that happens to
him- or herself, assuming
that general statements
or actions are personally
directed. Personalizing also
involves the belief that one’s
characteristics or actions are
continually being compared,
favorably or unfavorably,
against the characteristics or
actions of other people. |
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Term
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Definition
A form of
emotional reasoning based on
a desire and belief that one
should be without flaws; good
qualities, good work, or the
good parts of a situation are
minimized and focus is placed
on how others or oneself have
not measured up. |
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Term
| Points of logical vulnerability |
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Definition
Topics about
which a person has difficulty
being rational or objective. |
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Term
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Definition
Scholars who study the effects
of language on mental health
and behavior. |
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Term
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Definition
Tools created by general
semanticists that help people
make their words more
accurately reflective of reality. |
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Term
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Definition
A process by
which one takes general labels
(women, Catholics, Asians,
Americans) and substitutes
a reference to actual people.
Indexing is used to prevent
stereotyping. |
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Term
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Definition
The ability to
identify and understand the
feelings and perspectives of
others. |
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Term
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Definition
Paraphrasing and summarizing
the thoughts and feelings of
the speaker with the aim of
empathic understanding of his
or her viewpoint |
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