Kap 8: Social Influence

Question 1

Social facilitation

Answer 1

An improvement in the performance of well-learned/easy tasks and a worsening of performance of poorly-learned/difficult tasks due to the presence of members of the same species.

Question 2

Evaluation apprehension

Answer 2

A learned response to the presence of others when performing a task, whereby the performer experiences arousal when anticipating evaluation by these others (can affect social facilitation, and also helping behaviour).

Question 3

Social comparison

Answer 3

A process of comparing oneself with others in order to evaluate one’s own abilities and opinions.

Question 4

Social influence

Answer 4

Change of attitudes, beliefs, opinions, values, and behaviour, as a result of being exposed to other individual’s attitudes, beliefs, opinions, values, and behaviour.

Question 5

Norms

Answer 5

Belief systems about how (not) to behave, that guide behaviour but without the force of laws, and reflect group members’ shared expectations about typical or desirable activities.

Question 6

Descriptive norms

Answer 6

Norms that tell us about how others will act in similar situations.

Question 7

Injunctive norms

Answer 7

Norms that specify what behaviour should be performed.

Question 8

Autokinetic effect

Answer 8

Perceptual illusion, whereby, in absence of reference points, a stationery light appears to move.

Question 9

Deindividuation

Answer 9

A state in which individuals are deprived of their sense of individual identity, and are more likely to behave in an extreme manner, often antisocially and violating norms.

Question 10

Normative influence

Answer 10

Influence based on conforming to the positive expectations of others: people avoid behaving in ways that will lead to social punishment or disapproval.

Question 11

Informational influence

Answer 11

Influence based on accepting the information obtained from others as evidence about reality.

Question 12

Compliance

Answer 12

A response whereby the target of influence acquiesces to a request from the influence source (also refers to change in behaviour to match a norm without change on a private level).

Question 13

Door-in-the-face technique

Answer 13

Compliance technique in which the requester begins with an extreme request that is almost always refused, then retreats to a more moderate request, which he or she had in mind all along (also known as a “reciprocal concessions” procedure).

Question 14

Foot-in-the-door technique

Answer 14

Compliance technique in which the requester first asks for a small favour that is almost certain to be granted, then follows this up with a request for a larger, related favour.

Question 15

Lowballing technique

Answer 15

Compliance to an initial attempt is followed by a more costly and less beneficial version of the same request.

Question 16

Minority influence (innovation)

Answer 16

Situation in which either an individual or a group in a numerical minority can influence the majority.

Question 17

Majority influence (conformity)

Answer 17

Social influence resulting from exposure to the opinions of a majority, or the majority of one’s group.

Question 18

Consistency

Answer 18

A behavioural style indicating that the same position is maintained across time; seen as central to minority influence.

Question 19

Conversion

Answer 19

A change in private response after exposure to influence by others; internalized change; a change in the way one structures an aspect of reality.

Question 20

Self-categorization theory

Answer 20

Theory explaining how the process of categorizing oneself as a group member forms social identity and brings about various forms of both group (e.g., group polarization, majority-minority influence) and intergroup (e.g., intergroup discrimination) behaviours.

Question 21

Referent informational influence

Answer 21

Individuals identify with a particular group and conform to a prototypical group position.

Question 22

Group polarization

Answer 22

Tendency to make decisions that are more extreme than the average of group member’s initial positions, in the direction already favored by the group.

Question 23

Groupthink

Answer 23

A syndrome of poor group decision-making in which members of a cohesive ingroup strive for unanimity at the expense of a realistic appraisal of alternative courses of action.

Question 24

Obedience to authority

Answer 24

Complying with orders from a person of higher social status within a defined hierarchy or chain of command.

Question 25

Whistle blowing

Answer 25

A specific form of disobedience, in which people report corruption or unethical practice within an organization.