6. SOCIAL INFLUENCE

Question 1

Define social influence

Answer 1

process whereby attitudes and behaviour are influenced by the real or implied presence of other people

Question 2

define norms

Answer 2

attitudinal and behavioural uniformalities that define group membership and differentiate between groups

Question 3

what are references significant for?

Answer 3

psychologically significant for out behaviour/attitudes

Question 4

what does it mean to be a part of a membership groups

Answer 4

we belong to due to some objective external criterion

Question 5

what are the three types of social influence?

Answer 5

compliance
obedience
conformity

Question 6

define compliance

Answer 6

superficial, public, and transitory change in behaviour and expressed attitudes in response to requests, coercion, or group influence

Question 7

what is power?

Answer 7

the capacity to influence others while resisting their attempts to influence

Question 8

what is the basis of compliance?

Answer 8

powers

Question 9

what are strategies of compliance?

Answer 9

ingratiation, reciprocity, multiple requests

Question 10

what are sources of power that people can access to persuade others

Answer 10

reward power
coercive power
informational power
expert power
legitimate power 
referent power

Question 11

reward power

Answer 11

the ability to give or promise rewards for compliance

Question 12

coercive power

Answer 12

the ability to give or threaten punishment for non-compliance

Question 13

informational

Answer 13

the target’s belief that the influencer has more information than oneself

Question 14

expert power

Answer 14

the target’s belief that the influencer has generally greater expertise and knowledge than oneself

Question 15

legitimate power

Answer 15

the target’s belief that the influencer is authorised by a recognised power structure to command and make decisions

Question 16

referent power

Answer 16

Referent power refers to the ability of a leader to influence a follower because of the follower’s loyalty, respect, friendship, admiration, affection, or a desire to gain approval.

Question 17

what did Milgram theoretically base his studies on?

Answer 17

Asch’s (1951) conformity study

response to WWII behaviour (Holocaust)

Question 18

what was the method of Milgram’s study?

Answer 18

males recruited from advertisement
became ‘teacher’ -> administered shocks
instructed to continue shocks even if learner in pain

Question 19

how big were shocks were Milgram’s participants to provide?

Answer 19

between 15 - 450 volts

Question 20

what is the question of interest of Milgram’s experiment?

Answer 20

would participant obey instructions even if causing obvious harm to others?

Question 21

what were the results of Milgram’s experiment?

Answer 21

majority obeyed. 65% of people were obedient right to the very end, going beyond danger: Severe shock into a zone labelled XXX

Question 22

what did experts on human behaviour predict about Milgram’s experiment

Answer 22

very few normal, psychologically balanced people would obey orders to administer more than a ‘strong’ shock to the ‘incompetent’ learner

Question 23

what are factors influencing obedience?

Answer 23

sex difference
some cultures
commitment to course of action
Immediacy - of victim or of authority figure 
group pressure
legitimacy of authority ficture

Question 24

define conformity

Answer 24

deep-seated, private and enduring change in behaviour and attitudes due to group pressure

Question 25

what is obedience on comparison to compliance and obedience?

Answer 25

less direct

Question 26

what is the theoretical basis of Sherif's (1936) autokinetic experiment?

Answer 26

from Allport's (1924) convergence effect group norms develop from people's uncertainty about the social world use of others as 'frame of reference' average/middle > fringe

Question 27

what was the method of Sherif's (1936) autokinetic experiment?

Answer 27

groups judged a perceptual illusion 'autokinetic effect' | called out estimates in random order

Question 28

what was the question of interest of Sherif's (1936) autokinetic experiment?

Answer 28

would people converge on a group norm?

Question 29

was were the results of Sherif's (1936) autokinetic experiment?

Answer 29

norm convergence and norm persistence In one condition where the individuals started alone - they settled on personal normals in the other condition individuals started an groups and converged on a group norm when alone they used their group nrom which was internalised as a personal guide

Question 30

what was the theoretical basis of Ach's (1951, 1956) conformity experiment

Answer 30

response to Sherifs study (ambiguous stimuli) | uncertainty not explanation for unambiguous stimuli

Question 31

what was the method of Ach's (1951, 1956) conformity experiment

Answer 31

o groups of 7-9 males (1 real participant) called out which of 3 comparison lines the standard line matched; ‘real’ participant responded 2nd last o in 18 trials, confederates chose correctly one third of time

Question 32

what wsa the question of interest of Ach's (1951, 1956) conformity experiment?

Answer 32

would participants conform to others' clearly wrong responses?

Question 33

what were the results of Ach's (1951, 1956) conformity experiment?

Answer 33

o 25% independent throughout o 50% conformed to wrong majority on 6 or more trials o 5% conformed to wrong majority on ALL trials o average conformity rate: 33%

Question 34

what did Asch conclude in his experiment?

Answer 34

why did people conform to an obviously wrong answer? * own perceptions inaccurate * fear of censure * saw the lines as majority did

Question 35

what are factors influencing conformite?

Answer 35

``` privacy of response personality traits - but situationally dependent sex differences cultural differences group size type of judgement unanimity of response ```

Question 36

what are the two types of cultural difference?

Answer 36

collectivist and individualist

Question 37

which cultural difference precedes the other with regard to conformity?

Answer 37

collectivist > individualist

Question 38

how does privacy of responses affect conformity?

Answer 38

influence weakened when judgements were private and anaymous

Question 39

how do sex differences affect conformity?

Answer 39

when a task is male-stereotypical, more women conform. When the task is female-stereotypical, more men conform

Question 40

How does the unanimity of the response affect conformity?

Answer 40

social support on a line judgement task reduced conformity, even when the supporter was patently unable to make accurate judgements because he was visually impaired.

Question 41

define unanimity

Answer 41

agreement of all people involved

Question 42

what are social influence processes underlying conformity?

Answer 42

normative and informational influence (Deutch & Gerard, 1955; Kelley, 1952)

Question 43

informational social influence process

Answer 43

reality check, especially for ambiguous stimuli (true change)

Question 44

normative social influence process

Answer 44

gain social approval, must have surveillance by group (surface)

Question 45

what did Deutsh and Gerard (1955) show about social influence processes?

Answer 45

conformity occurred when neither influence was operating

Question 46

What is reference informational influence?

Answer 46

o criticism of ‘dual-process’ model o from social identity theory (emphasis on group membership) o operates via process of self-categorisation o differences from dual-process approach o evidence (e.g., Hogg & Turner, 1987)

Question 47

what is the process of referent informational influence (as proposed by Hogg& Abrams, 1988)

Answer 47

self categorisation --> discover stereotypic in group norms from those who provide information about such norms --> Assign cognitive represent ingroup norms --> Assign cognitive representation of ingroup norms to self (self-stereotyping) --> In group normative behaviour (conformity)

Question 48

what is majority influence?

Answer 48

social infleunce whereby numerical or power minorities change the attitude of the majority

Question 49

who reinterpreted Asch's line experiment?

Answer 49

Moscovici

Question 50

What did moscovivi examine?

Answer 50

the 'genetic model' of minority influence

Question 51

what are key aspects of the 'genetic model' of minority behaviour?

Answer 51

``` dependent on behavioural style produces attitude change other explanations (e.g. attribution) ```

Question 52

define ingratiation

Answer 52

psychological technique in which an individual attempts to become more attractive or likeable to their target.

Question 53

define immediacy

Answer 53

Immediacy in communication is the way we signal closeness, willingness to communicate, and positive feelings to another person.

Question 54

collectivist culture

Answer 54

A collectivist culture is one that's based on valuing the needs of a group or a community over the individual. Kinship, family, and community are extremely important. People tend to work together to create harmony and group cohesion is extremely valued.

Question 55

individualistic culture

Answer 55

Individualistic culture is a society which is characterized by individualism, not collectivism.