Lecture 5 - Social Influence Flashcards
Compliance
Response to a direct request
Obedience
Response to authority
Conformity
Response to social norms
What is conformity?
A change in a person’s behaviour or belief as a result of real or imagined group norms (Myers, 1999)
A tendency for people to adopt the behaviour, attitudes and values of other members of a reference group (Zimbardo, 1995)
What is norm?
The rules established by a group to regulate the behaviour of its members
Deutsch + Gerrard (1955)
Developed a dual-process model
Argues that there are 2 ways people confirm
Information social influence (desire to be right)
Normative social influence (desire to be liked)
When is conformity stronger?
When groups are face to face
When there is a joint group goal
When task is uncertain
Asch (1951)
50 male students
Took part in a “vision test”
Used line judgement task
7 confederate
Each person in room has to state which comparison line (A,B,C) was most like the target line
There were 18 trials
12/18 trials confederate gave wrong answer
Therefore tested to see if participants answers confirmed to confederate
What are the result of Asch experiment?
32% confirmed with majority
Over 12 trials 75% conformed at least once
25% of participants never conformed
conclusion: why did they conform?
Some said that they didn’t believe the conforming answers but went along with it as fear of being ridiculed - want to fit in within group (normative influence)
Some said they believe the group are better informed than they are (informational influence)
Smith and Bond (1996)
Meta analysis; analaysis of large number of studies in a particular way in specific area
133 studies analyses
Higher level of confirming in collectivist culture than individualistic culture
The level of conformity I.e the percentage of participants who gave the incorrect answers at least once ranged from 15% in exp with Belgian students, to 58% among Indian teachers in Fiji
What is the strength of Smith and Bond?
Strict criteria so studies can be comparable
What are weakness of Smith and Bond?
The study can only observe relationship
Not cause and effect
All confusions are assumptions
Memon + Wright 1999: Oklahoma bombings
One witness reported seeing the assailant with another man
Although others had initially not reported a second man, they became convinced they did
3 employees were present when Timothy Mckeigh rented the truck used in bombing
Initially two of them thought Mckeigh had not been alone but after discussing with a 3rd witness who believed there has been an accomplice, these witnesses also came to believe MckVeigh has not be alone
What is compliance?
A change in behaviour or expressed attitudes in response to requests, coercion or group pressure
What are 3 types of compliance ?
Superficial
Public
Transitory
What has main research paradigms have focused on?
Helping/volunteerism and purchasing behaviours
Burger 1986
People were more likely to buy a product if they think they will get something else for free
What are 3 powerful strategies for the tendency to agree to do things requested by others?
- Foot-in-the-door
- Door-in-face
- lowballing
What is foot in door?
The tendency for people who have first agreed to a small request to comply later with a large request
What is door in face?
Tendency for people who won’t agree to a large task but then agree when a small request is made
What is Lowballing?
When you are to buy a product for a certain price, you are likely to comply with a request to pay more for the product
When does ‘Group Think’ occur?
When a group of people who desire conformity result in an irrational/dysfunction decision making
What is the Bystander effect?
A phenomenon in which individuals do not offer help in an emergency situation when others are present
What is the most famous case of bystander effect?
Kitty Genoese
Stabbed to death - 1964
38 bystander watched without intervening or notifying the police
What are the reasons for Bystander Apathy?
Bystanders expect other bystanders to help
We fear making social blunders in ambiguous situations
We are less likely to help when we are anonymous and can remain so
What is pro social?
Acting in ways that tend to benefit others
What are some examples of pro social behaviours?
Offering assistance Doing favours Paying compliments Resisting temptation to insult/throtttle another person Simply being pleasant and cooperative
What is Altruism?
The act of providing help when it is needed, with no apparent reward for doing so
People are altruistic toward those whose genes they share
What is Reciprocal helping ?
One animal helps another because the other may return the favour in future
What is obedience?
Doing something because a legitimate authority asked us to
What is less frequent than conformity or compliance ?
Obedience
What is obedience in response to?
Individual rather than group pressure
What is obedience by?
Direction (being directed)
What is conformity affected by?
Example (or observation)
Who has power over us?
Law enforcement
Parents
Military
