Groups and Social Influence

Question 1

Conformity

Answer 1

A change in one’s behaviour due to real or imagined influence of other people.

Question 2

Informational Social Influence

Answer 2

Rely on others as a source of information to guide our behaviour, which leads to conformity because we believe that others’ interpretation of an ambiguous situation is correct.
Motive for conforming = UNDERSTANDING

Question 3

Sherif (1936) Experiment — Autokinetic effect

Answer 3

People converged on a common estimate, each member of the group tended to conform to that estimate.
People use e/o as a source of information, come to believe the group estimate was the correct one.

Question 4

Private Acceptance

Answer 4

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

Question 5

Goldstein, Ciadini & Griskevicius (2008) — Hotel laundry experiment

Answer 5

Standard message VS Descriptive norm message .
The norm message worked the best and was more effective than the standard message used.

Question 6

Public Compliance

Answer 6

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

Question 7

Informational Social Influence — Factors

Answer 7

When the situation is ambiguous
In crisis situations
When other people are experts
Importance of being accurate

Question 8

Normative Social Influence

Answer 8

Going along with what other people do to be liked and accepted by them, which leads to public conformity with the group’s beliefs and behaviours but not always private acceptance of them.