Chapter 7

Question 1

What is social influence?

Answer 1

Process where attitudes, perceptions and behaviours can be influenced by the real or implied presence of others.

Question 2

What is an example of social influence?

Answer 2

Compliance in public (acting to perceived norms) while privately disagreeing.

Question 3

What are the four conditions which must be met for a social group to form?

Answer 3

1. Two or more individuals or ‘members’
2. Must interact with each other
3. Must influence each other (thoughts or behaviours)
4. Common goal or purpose shared by group

Question 4

What is culture?

Answer 4

Way of life of a particular society or community which sets it apart from others.

Question 5

What is status?

Answer 5

Perception of individual’s position and contribution within group, as perceived by members of the group.

Someone’s position in a group as percieved by others

Question 6

What is power?

Answer 6

Extent an individual influences or controls another’s thoughts, feelings and behaviours.

Can be exerted consciously or unconsciously.

Question 7

What are the 6 types of power?

Answer 7

• Reward
• Coercive
• Legitimate
• Referent
• Expert
• Informational

Question 8

What is reward power?

Answer 8

Power through control over rewards
- give positive or remove negative consequences in response to specific behavior.

Question 9

What is coercive power?

Answer 9

Power through control over punishments or other force
- give negative or remove positive consequences in response to behavior

Question 10

What is legitimate power?

Answer 10

Power though right to require ad demand obedience.
- status or group in society or institution gives them a RIGHT (authority) to exercise power.

Question 11

What is referent power?

Answer 11

Power through respect
- Individuals attracted to, respect, identity with or want to be liked by this person

Question 12

What is expert power?

Answer 12

Power through superior abilities
- Have special knowledge or skills that are desirable or needed.

Question 13

What is informational power?

Answer 13

Power through access to and use of informational resources
- Have access to info relevant to situation and not available elsewhere.

Question 14

What is a role?

Answer 14

A behaviour adopted by individual or assigned to them and influences how they function or act.

Question 15

What is groupthink?

Answer 15

Way of thinking by group members, characterised by a strong tendency to seek agreement.

Question 16

How can groupthink be prevented?

Answer 16

• Alert group members
• Appoint impartial leader
• use of subgroups
• challenge views with outside experts.

Question 17

What is group polarisation?

Answer 17

After discussion, holding more extreme views, causing group to respond in more extreme ways.

Question 18

What is deindividuation?

Answer 18

Reduced self-restraint and self-consciousness which explains extreme behaviour in groups or crowds.

Question 19

How does anonymity have an effect in groups or crowds?

Answer 19

Can incite members to behave certain ways, making them unidentifiable.
- when people feel ‘invisible’, less accountable for actions and may choose to act with majority.
Can act in ways they would not

Question 20

When does obedience occur?

Answer 20

Occurs when following commands of someone with authority, or rules, or laws of society.

Interchangeable with compliance

Question 21

What are the two types of obedience?

Answer 21

Constrictive and destructive obedience

Question 22

What is constructive obedience?

Answer 22

Compliance with orders of authority, resulting in positive outcomes

Question 23

What is destructive compliance?

Answer 23

Compliance with orders from authority, resulting in negative outcomes.

Question 24

Why do people obey?

Answer 24

Social proximity, legitimacy of authority figure, group pressure.

Question 25

What is social proximity?

Answer 25

How close (physical and relationship) authority figure is to person who must obey.

Question 26

What is legitimacy of an authority figure in obedience?

Answer 26

When authority figure is perceived to have high status, legitimate power, people are more likely to obey.

Question 27

What is group pressure?

Answer 27

Involves an individual acting, or feeling they should act in a way that others do.
(aligns with actions of others)

Question 28

What is conformity?

Answer 28

Tendency to adjust thoughts, feelings or behaviours so it meets with accepted standards in a given situation.

Question 29

What are the factors which affect conformity?

Answer 29

• Size of group
• Unanimity
• Informational influence
• Normative influence
• Culture
• Social loafing

Question 30

How does size of group impact conformity?

Answer 30

Increases until 4 members, then levels off

Question 31

How does unanimity impact conformity?

Answer 31

Increases when group is in complete agreement among other group members

Question 32

How does informational influence impact conformity?

Answer 32

Observable information, or behaviours of others in new situations environments have an influence on someone’s behaviour.

Question 33

How does normative influence impact conformity?

Answer 33

Increases likelihood of fitting in with others and being accepted by society, when acting in response to social norms.

Question 34

How does social loafing impact conformity?

Answer 34

• tendency to exert less effort when acting towards common goal
• conform to a group, but with less effort.

Question 35

What is social loafing?

Answer 35

Reduction of effort that may occurs when group member believes individual contribution cannot be identified.

Question 36

What is anti-conformity?

Answer 36

Consciously made group decision to refuse going with group, taking a stand against group thinking, plans or activities.

Question 37

What is the reactance theory

Answer 37

Reaction when freedom is threatened for people to behave and feel as they please.