Chapter 9: Social Influence

Question 1

Normative social influence

Answer 1

conformity based on a desire to fulfill other’s expectations, motivated by desire to be accepted

Example is the asch line test.

• People go along with group even when they know it is wrong
• This is because you either think they have more info than you do, or you don’t want to rock the boat/want to fit in

Question 2

Informational social influence

Answer 2

Conformity from accepting evidence provided by other people - motivated by desire to look accurate and knowledgable to others when we don’t know the right answer.

Green dot on screen example

• Hard to make judgements when you don’t have anything to compare it to
• In case of ambiguous judgement, people more likely to follow the group

Question 3

Key factors of social influence

Answer 3

judgmental ambiguity increases _______
size of group increases _______
present of defector decreases _______
Anonymity of responses decreases _____

Question 4

Conformity

Answer 4

A change in behavior or beliefs to agree with others
Different levels depending on your culture.
Can be observed through idioms

Question 5

Conformity in Western Culture

Answer 5

Not encouraged all the time
- Squeaky wheel gets grease, IE the loudest people get the most attention

Key Points: Independence, standing out, and personal preferences

Question 6

Conformity in Eastern Culture

Answer 6

Very encouraged

• Nail that sticks up gets hammered down
• Loudest duck gets shot

Key points: interdependence, fitting in, focus on others preferences and social harmony

Question 7

Kim and Markus Study

Answer 7

Studied magazine ads in Korea and the US
Main findings:
- Korean ads emphasized making choices based on tradition and others feelings
-American ads emphasized making choices based on personal preferences and desires

Question 8

Norms

Answer 8

Learned social rules. Includes:

- descriptive and injunctive

Question 9

Descriptive norms

Answer 9

How others are actually behaving

-IE people walking on right side, paying attention in lecture

Question 10

Injunctive norms

Answer 10

What is considered acceptable vs unacceptable. Usually turn to laws

Question 11

Is Conformity good or bad?

Answer 11

Depends!
-Help maintain and establish social order
BUT mindlessly following norms can lead to problems

Question 12

Factors that affect conformity

Answer 12

Group size
- Larger produces more conformity
Unanimity
- with even one dissenter, conformity decreases
Status
-if group members are high status, more conformity
Public Response
-people conform more when they must respond publicly
Public commitment
-making a public commitment to your own position decreases conformity

Question 13

Compliance

Answer 13

yielding to a request for certain behaviors or agreement to a particular point of view while privately disagreeing

Question 14

Difference between compliance and conformity

Answer 14

compliance includes a DIRECT request,

Conformity does not

Question 15

Foot in the door

Answer 15

willingness to comply to a larger request after first complying with a smaller request
- works because we like consistency

Question 16

Door in the face

Answer 16

willingness to comply to a smaller request after first requesting a larger request
-works because of concession

Question 17

norm of reciprocity

Answer 17

expectation that people will help those who have helped them

Question 18

Principal of social proof

Answer 18

we determine what is correct by looking to others )icing the tip jar, putting best seller on the cover)

Fake celebrity new york prank

Question 19

Committment

Answer 19

If people commit, orally or in writing, to an idea or goal, they are more likely to honor that commitment because of establishing that idea or goal as being congruent with their self-image

Question 20

Scarcity

Answer 20

Things you do not or cannot have become more valuable. We want what we cannot have.

Question 21

Liking

Answer 21

People are easily persuaded by other people that they like. Cialdini cites the marketing of Tupperware in what might now be called viral marketing. People were more likely to buy if they liked the person selling it to them. Some of the many biases favoring more attractive people are discussed. See physical attractiveness stereotype.

Question 22

Authority

Answer 22

People will tend to obey authority figures, even if they are asked to perform objectionable acts. Cialdini cites incidents such as the Milgram experiments in the early 1960s and the My Lai massacre.

Question 23

Obedience to authority

Answer 23

Related to the milgram study, shows that authority is much more powerful than previously thought. Also the doctors and nurses example, nurses would administer a lethal dose.

Question 24

Obedience

Answer 24

A change in behavior or beliefs as a result of the commands of others in authority

Question 25

Milgram Study

Answer 25

Effects of punishment on memory:
Teacher - Delivers painful electric shocks to learner for incorrect answers
Learner: a middle aged man with a heart condition (fake)

60% went all the way vs perceived 1/1000 by scientists

Question 26

Factors that increase/decrease obedience

Answer 26

Increase:
lack of responsibility
Normative and informational influence
Not hearing the learner

Decrease:
Presence of a dissenter
Prestige and status of experimenter

Question 27

Thats not all technique

Answer 27

Adding something to original offer, thus creating pressure to reciprocate

Question 28

Negative state relief hypothesis

Answer 28

seeing someone in distress makes us feel bad

we help to eliminate our own negative feelings