Chapter 7 Flashcards
The extent to which people are impacted by real and/or imagined pressures associated with other people
Social influence
What are examples of yielding to social influence?
- Obedience
- Compliance
- Conformity
What are examples of resisting social influence?
- Independence
- Assertiveness
- Defiance
Chartrand & Bargh (1999) determined people often imitate idiosyncratic behaviors (rubbing face, shaking foot, etc.)
“Chameleon Effect”
The tendency to change our perceptions, opinions, or behavior in ways that are consistent with group norms.
Conformity
What is the influence and irony of social norms?
- In individualistic societies, individuals will often not admit to being influenced by norms even when they conform to them
- Reinterpret tasks & rationalize behavior as being independent
Muzafer Sherif (1936) Method and Findings
Method
1. Male students participating in a “visual perception” experiment
2. Participants were placed in a dark room where a small dot of light appears.
3. Participants were asked to judge how far the light moves and repeated the trial several times
4. Initially participants complete the task alone, but later the participants are placed in triads (groups of three)
Findings:
1. The divergence in the estimation of participants converge when group norms are established
2. Group norms could have a lasting affect on behavior
Muzafer Sherif (1936) implications
When in doubt, we might turn to others for guidance
What are the types of conformity demonstrated in the Muzafer Sherif (1936) study?
- Informative social influence
- Private conformity
Solomon Asch (1951) Method and Findings
Method:
1. Participants are asked to judge the length of different lines and choose the matching line
2. Participants were placed in groups of “6”, with 5 confederates who intentionally give incorrect response 3. Confederates only gave incorrect responses for 12 out of the 18 trials
Findings:
1. 37% consensus with majority (all the time)
2. About 25% refused to agree with majority
3. Nearly 50% went along half of the time
Solomon Asch (1951) implications
Peer pressure- we experience discomfort involving deviances
What type of conformity was demonstrated in the Solomon Asch (1951) study
- Normative social influence
- Public conformity
Influences that produce conformity when a person judges that others are correct in their judgments
Informative Social Influence
Influences that produce conformity when a person fears the negative social consequences of appearing deviant
Normative Social Influence
- Everyone is standing in line, so you stand in line because you assume they’re waiting for something good
- You start a new job, so you take guidance from co-workers on how to behave successfully
These are examples of what kind of social influence?
Informative social influence (informational influence)
Asch study (1951) matching lines is an example of what kind of social influence?
Normative social influence
Change in beliefs along with private acceptance of position taken by others
Private conformity
Superficial change in overt behavior without a changing of opinion that is produced by real/imagined group pressure
Public conformity
Major influence & Four factor that influence conformity?
The feeling of pressures and insecurities about how to behave
- Group Size
- Focus on Norms
- Presence of an Ally
- Gender differences
Process by which dissenters produce/inspire change within a group
Minority influence
What are some characteristis of minority influence and how is it effective?
Characteristics:
1. Unrelenting
2. Forceful
3. Persistent
while appearing
1. Flexible
2. Open-minded
Why it’s effective
1. Draw attention from mainstream
2. Unlikely to yield, thus pressures others to compromise/change
3. Confidence = validation & credibility
A cultural orientation in which independence, autonomy, and self-reliance take priority over group allegiances
Individualism
A cultural orientation in which interdependence, cooperation, and social harmony take priority over personal goals
Collectivism
Changes in behavior that are elicited by direct requests
Compliance
What are the four techniques to induce compliance?
- Foot-in-the-door technique
- Lowballing technique
- Door-in-the-face technique
- That’s-not-all technique
- Would you like to try this sample?
- Would you like to test drive this car?
These are example of which technique to induce compliance
foot-in-the-door technique
- Hidden fees on a cellphone plan
- Initially think it will cost less than it actually does
These are example of which technique to induce compliance
Lowballing
- Hey mom, can I go to the concert in Austin this weekend? NO! Okay, can my friend sleep over?
- Can I borrow your car? NO! Okay, can you give me a ride?
These are example of which technique to induce compliance
Door-in-the-face technique
Late night infomercials, usually offering bonus items and discounts
This is an example of which technique to induce compliance
That’s-not-all technique
Behavioral changes produced by commands from authority
Obedience
Milgram’s Research Study - Method and Findings
Conditions
1. “Teacher” -> always an actual participant
2. “Learner” -> confederate
3. “Experimenter” -> Lab Coat -> supervisor, provides instructions, and very specific responses later in study
Method
1. The experimenter escorts teacher to an adjust room. Experimenter straps “learner” in & attaches electrodes
2. For illustration purposes, the “teacher” experiences a mild 30 mv shock
3. “Learner” expresses concerns and worry about study
4. Teacher begins asking questions through a microphone. Teacher cannot see learners, but see responses indicated by a light display
5. As instructed, “teacher” asked to administer shock using “shock generator” whenever “learner” makes mistakes. 30 switches ranging from 15 mv to 450 mv (slight shock to XXX)
6. Participants were forced to continue, even when refusing to shock and hearing “learner” crying for help
Findings:
1. Average: 27 out of 30 possible shocks
2. 40 women/men participated in separate studies with no gender difference- 26 out of 40 participants (65%) administered max shock (450 mv)
Milgram’s Research Study - How could outsiders (public) make the fundamental attributional error when evaluating Milgram’s findings?
- Outside public is less likely to believe they would act similarly to “Teachers”
- “Teachers” likely were “bad men” or “enjoyed shocking” the “Learner”
- Ignoring the power of the situation (environmental influences) that contributed to behaviors displayed in study.
Milgram’s research study - Conceptual replications and trends in the research (how / when does obedience rates change?)
Most - least effective reduction of obedience
1. Two Confederates Rebel
2. Ordinary person in charge
3. Experimenter in remote location
4. Participant required to touch victim
5. Victim in same room as participant
6. Taking place in an office building
Burger’s (2014): Four key points that contributed to Milgram’s results
- Participants led to believe they were less responsible for victim’s welfare
- Gradual escalation in small increments
- Caught in a novel & unimaginable set of circumstances
- Task was quickly paced
When all members of a group give an incorrect response to an easy question, most people most of the time conform to that response
T/F
False
only 37% do
Why do people conform?
- A need to be right
- A fear of ostracism
When an individual is left out or rejected can feel
- Heightened sensitivity to pain
- Leads them to feel numb
