Ch.8 Flashcards
Conformity
A change in one’s behavior due to the real or imagined influence of other people
Informational Social Influence
Relying on other people as a source of information to guide our behavior
Private Acceptance
Conforming to other’s behavior out of a genuine belief that what they are doing is right
Public Compliance
Conforming to other people’s behavior without necessarily believing in what the other people are doing or saying
When are people more likely to conform?
When the situation is ambiguous
When the situation is a crisis
When other people are experts
Social Norms
The implicit or explicit rules a group has for the acceptable behaviors, values, and beliefs of its members
Hikikimori
A Japanese phenomenon where mostly male teenagers withdraw from all forms of social interaction.
Normative Social Influence
Going along with what other people do in order to be liked and accepted by them
Asch Line Study (1951, 1956). Participants identified the longest line.
People confirmed to saying the incorrect longer line because of normative social influences
Sherif Study. Participants stated how much they saw a light move in a dark room.
Shows public acceptance of people conforming in am ambiguous situations
Social Impact Theory
Conforming to social influence depends on a group’s
Strength/Importance
Immediacy
Number of people in the group
Idiosyncrasy Credits
The tolerance a person earns, over time, by conforming to group norms
Injunctive Norms
People’s perceptions of what behaviors are approved or disapproved by others
Descriptive Norms
People’s perceptions oh how people actually behave in given situations, regardless of whether the behavior is approved or disapproved by others
