Chapter 8 Flashcards
Group (definition)
two or more people who interact (for longer than a few moments) and influence one another
Effect of mere presence: 3 examples
Social facilitation, social loafing, deindividualization
Social influence through interaction: 3 examples
group polarization, groupthink, minority influence
Social facilitation (original v. current meaning)
Original: the tendency to perform simple or well-learned tasks better when others are present
Current: the strengthening of dominant (likely) responses in the presence of others
Explain ‘dominant’ vs. not dominant. Provide example of why complex tasks make it harder under social facilitation
Dominant is most likely. In complex tasks, correct answer is not dominant.
Who proposed that arousal helps with dominant tasks?
Robert Zajonc
What intensifies both positive and negative emotions?
Being in a crowd
What makes negative experiences less negative?
Being with others
Crowding. Influence on arousal
being with many others. Increases arousal.
In what situation do we do better when others are around?
When we do something that we normally do well.
3 factors for why we are aroused in the presence of others
Evaluation apprehension, distraction, mere presence
Evaluation apprehension
Concern for how others are evaluating us
How does a crowd distract?
When we think of how others are reacting, we become distracted. When thinking about others, we have less cognitive capacity to do a task
Social loafing (and difference to social facilitation)
People go towards a common goal (loafing) vs. an individual goal (facilitation) in presence of others
Individual effort decreases when in groups
Collective effort of tug-of-war findings.
How did they know it wasn’t just poor coordination?
Collective effort is half of the sum of individual efforts.
Blindfold. 18% harder when alone.
Social loafing of ‘clapping’
When 6 told to clap as loud as they can, clapped less than 3 times of noise by one person alone.
Is social loafing conscious?
Sometimes no, when people think they’re clapping just as loud in group or not
Does being part of a group increase or decrease evaluation apprehension?
Decrease
Is social facilitation or social loafing associated with evaluation apprehension? Why?
Social facilitation. If cannot evaluate individually, evaluation apprehension does not occur.
Collectivized farms (what does this relate to?)
Social loafing. Produced more when decollectivized. (Russia, China)
Culture impact on social loafing
Less social loafing in collectivistic cultures.
Doing what tasks do people loaf less?
When task is challenging/appealing/involving
What types of people in group make loaf less?
Friends or they feel identified with the group
Which gender loaf less?
Female. (less individualistic)
Deindividualization
Loss of self-awareness and evaluation apprehension. Happens when in group situations that fosters responsiveness to group norms.
being caught up in something bigger than self
With large vs. small crowd, when someone attempts to jump off building, what happens?
What phenomenon?
They would say ‘jump’.
Evaluation apprehension plummets when people are unidentifiable
How does anonymity influence things?
People dressed and unrecognizable pressed shock button 2x as long as people with nametags and identifiable (Zimbardo)
How does wearing sunglasses influence people’s cheating/selfishness?
What phenomenon?
Increased.
Anonymity increased
Internet and anonymity
People with no names online insult more. People with names do more than in person (Internet has anonymity regardless)
Does anonymous always unleash worse impulses?
Not always. Depends on social cues. Eg. KKK outfit vs. nursing outfit
How does arousing and distracting activities influence the crowd?
People do more disinhibiting/impulsive actions.
Self-awareness
Self-conscious state where attention is focused on self
Self-awareness is the opposite of:
deindividualization
What does alcohol do to self-awareness and deindividualization?
Makes one less self-aware and more deindividualized
Group polarization
The strengthening of pre-existing tendencies (strengthening of members tendency)
Discussion strengthens group average inclinations
Are group decisions riskier or are groups more cautious than individuals?
Riskier. (eg. study with advising Helen)
but not universal (eg. Roger who had to risk it all)
When prejudiced vs unprejudiced group discussion, what happened to their views?
Even more strongly prejudiced and more strongly unprejudiced
How does group polarization occur in daily life?
Boys being with boys become more action oriented, girls with girls more relational.
What happens in federal appellate courts that show group polarization?
Republicans sitting next to Republicans made votes more conservative
Group Polarization in Schools
Differences among college students become accentuated (more prominent)
Accentuation effect
initial differences become more polarized after a while
Like-minded counties show what phenomenon?
38% (1992) –> 60% (2015) counties are landslide.
Shows group polarization
How does the internet support group polarization?
More like-minded interactions and algorithm gives like-minded things.
How is group polaraization played in terrorism?
Terrorists believe go through long polarization process until it’s “us vs. them”
Informational vs. Normative influence
How group polarization is explained:
Informational: because of evidence
Normative: desire to be accepted by others
How does active participation influence group polarization?
Increases your conviction when you say it in own words.
T/F. Thinking about an issue for a bit can strengthen opinions
T
What type of influence does social comparison have to do with?
Normative influenceP
Pluralistic ignorance
False impression of what others are thinking/how they’re responding
How pluralistic ignorance relates to normative influence
Now knowing others have even more extreme views, you are justified to be more extreme.
Will one change views if no live discussion? Just knowing others’ views?
Yes. but less influence than live discuss
Groupthink
Concurrence so dominant that people don’t seek alternatives
Suppress opposing views to keep group harmony
3 aspects to have groupthink occur:
Cohesive group
Isolation from dissenting views
Directive leader
Theoretical analysis of group think (3 steps):
Breeding of groupthink –> Groupthink symptoms –> Defective decision-making
How to prevent groupthink when discussion:
Be impartial
Encourage critical evaluation
Subdivide into smaller groups
Welcome critiques from experts
“second-chance” meeting before implementation
Do groups hinder creative tasks? Why?
Yes. Maybe because social loafing. Maybe because of apprehension of being judged
When are groups better for creative brainstorming?
When it’s not groupthink, but group problem-solving. Individual brainstorming combined
Influence of the minority
A minority opinion may sway and become the majority. (eg. many social movements)
3 Determinants of minority influence:
consistency, self-confidence, defection
Consistency (in minority influence)
Nonconformity (sticking to position)
Minority slowness effect
Takes longer to express minority views than majority
On what matters is self-confidence more important?
On matters of opinion rather than fact.
Defections (in minority influence)
One who defected from majority is more persuasive.
What happens when one person from majority is convinced and defects?
Snowball effect: more start defecting faster
2 Types of leadership:
Task leadership: leading efficiency in completing tasks
Social leadership: leading teamwork building, mediating conflict, etc.
What kind of style do social leaders tend to have?
Democratic style, delegating authority
What traits make someone perceived as dominant leaders?
Traditional male leadership traits (wide face, fitness, height)
Do effective leaders share certain traits?
No. Not about the “I” of leader
Transformational Leadership
Leadership that results in significant influence. eg. transcend self-interests for the sake of collective
