Chapter 8

Question 1

Conformity

Answer 1

A change in one’s behavior due to the real or imagined influence of other people

Question 2

Types Of Conformity

Answer 2

• Obedience
  – Acting in accord with a direct order
• Compliance
  – Conformity that involves publicly acting in accord with social pressure while privately disagreeing
• Acceptance
  – Conformity that involves both acting and believing in accord with social pressure

Question 3

Informational Social Influence

Answer 3

Seeing others as a source of information to guide our behavior

Question 4

autokinetic effect

Answer 4

a phenomenon of visual perception in which a stationary, small point of light in an otherwise dark or featureless environment appears to move

Question 5

Private Acceptance

Answer 5

Conforming to other people’s behavior out of a genuine belief that what they are doing or saying is right.

Question 6

Public Compliance

Answer 6

Conforming to other people’s behavior publicly without necessarily believing in what we are doing or saying.

Question 7

Contagion

Answer 7

The rapid spread of emotions or behaviors through a crowd

Question 8

Mass Psychogenic Illness

Answer 8

The occurrence, in a group of people, of similar physical symptoms with no known physical cause

Question 9

When Will People Conform to Informational Social Influence?

Answer 9

1. When the situation is ambiguous.
2. When the situation is a crisis.
3. When other people are experts.

Question 10

Ambiguity

Answer 10

is the most crucial variable for determining how much people use each other as a source of information. The more uncertain you are, the more you will rely on others

Question 11

Social Norms

Answer 11

The implicit or explicit rules a group has for the acceptable behaviors, values, and beliefs of its members

Question 12

Normative Social Influence

Answer 12

The influence of other people that leads us to conform in order to be liked and accepted by them.
This type of conformity results in public compliance with the group’s beliefs and behaviors but not necessarily private acceptance of those beliefs and behaviors

Question 13

Social Impact Theory

Answer 13

The idea that conforming to social influence depends on:
1. The strength of the group’s importance,
2. Its immediacy (proximity), and
3. The number of people in the group

Question 14

What can we do to resist inappropriate normative social influence?

Answer 14

1. Be aware that it is operating.
2. Take action.
   * Try to find an ally
3. Conforming most of the time earns an occasional deviation without consequences.

Question 15

Idiosyncrasy Credits

Answer 15

The tolerance a person earns, over time, by conforming to group norms; if enough idiosyncrasy credits are earned, the person can, on occasion, behave deviantly without retribution from the group

Question 16

Minority Influence

Answer 16

The case where a minority of group members influence the behavior or beliefs of the majority.

The key is consistency:
- People with minority views must express the same view over time.
- Different members of the minority must agree with one another.

Question 17

Injunctive Norms

Answer 17

People’s perceptions of what behaviors are approved or disapproved of by others

Question 18

Descriptive Norms

Answer 18

People’s perceptions of how people actually behave in given situations, regardless of whether the behavior is approved or disapproved of by others.

Question 19

Boomerang Effect

Answer 19

Without the injunctive norm (smiley
face), persons using less than their
neighbors actually increase energy
usage in response to the descriptive
norm information.