chapter 6 (conformity and obedience) and 8 (group influence) Flashcards
conformity
change in behavior or belief as the result of a real or imagined group pressure
acceptance
conformity that involves both acting and believing in accord with social pressure
genuinely believing what the group has persuaded you to do/think
compliance
publicly acting in accord with an implied or explicit request while privately disagreeing
obedience
type of compliance involving a direct order/command
mass hysteria
suggestibility to problems that spreads throughout a large group of people
normative influence
conformity based on a person’s desire to fulfill others’ expectations, often to gain acceptance
informational influence
conformity occurring when people accept evidence about reality provided by other ppl
reactance
motive to protect or restore sense of freedom; arises when someone threatens our freedom of action
group
2+ people who interact and influence each other for longer than a few minutes; perceive one another as “us”
co-actors
co-participants working individually on a noncompetitive activity
social facilitation
original meaning: tendency of people to perform simple or well-learned tasks better when others are present
current meaning: strengthening of dominant (likely) responses in the presence of others
evaluation apprehension
concern for how others are evaluating us
social loafing
tendency to exert less effort when people pool their efforts toward a common goal than when they are individually accountable
free-ride
people who benefit from the group but give little in return
deindividuation
loss of self-awareness and evaluation apprehension; occurs in group situations that foster aligning with group norms, good or bad
self-awareness
self conscious state in which attention focuses on oneself; makes people more sensitive to their own attitudes and dispositions
group polarization
group-produced enhancement of members’ pre-existing tendencies; a strengthening of the members’ average tendency, not a split within the group
social comparision
evaluating one’s opinions and abilities by comparing oneself with others
pluralistic ignorance
false impression of what most other people are thinking/feeling or how they are responding (all thinking the same but don’t know it)
groupthink
mode of thinking used when concurrence-seeking becomes so dominant in an ingroup that it overrides realistic appraisal of alternative ideas
(group reaches a conclusion without weighing all options/outcomes)
leadership
process by which certain group members motivate and guide the group
task leadership
leadership that organizes work, sets standards, and focuses on goals
social leadership
leadership that builds teamwork, mediates conflict, and offers support
