Lecture 9: Chapter 10: Norms and Behavior

Question 1

How did Kurt Lewin demonstrate the powerful effect of group norms on behavior?

Answer 1

WO2: meat was scarce, so US citizens had to eat all kinds of organ meats. They were provided with information about how healthy the organs were, but still not a lot of people ate them.

Lewin brought people together in small groups to discuss how the organs should be cooked and how to overcome family resistance.

As a result the willingness to try the organs increased and produced a shift of norms

So norms have an impact on behavior that information alone couldn’t achieve and norms always prevail

Question 2

Norms must be activated before they can guide behavior. In which 4 ways is this possible?

Answer 2

1. Direct reminders of norms
2. Environmental cues
3. Observations of other people’s behavior/Groups activate behaviors
4. Deindividuation

Question 3

What are direct reminders that can activate norms?

Answer 3

For example: signs that you have to be quiet or that you shouldn’t litter

Question 4

Discuss the research done on the activation of norms through environmental cues.

Answer 4

Participants litter more in a dirty environment than in a clean one.

If they saw someone littering in clean environment, they littered even less. If they saw someone littering in dirty environment, they littered even more

So the behavior of the confederate made the norm implied by the state of the environment more accessible and it increased behavior consistent with the norm

Question 5

What is the influence of environment on voting in the US?

Answer 5

People voting in churches cast more votes for more conservative political candidate and were more likely to support a state amendent opposing legislation of gay marriage

Question 6

How do groups activate norms? Give an example of supporting evidence

Answer 6

Social groups we’re in may signal to us we should act in a particular way. We look at how others behave and follow their example.
Also, contrasting your ingroup to another group can activate the norm

Evidence: college students drink more alcohol if they believe others support this behavior.

Question 7

Give an example of applications of activation of norms through groups in hotels.

Answer 7

Guests got a card saying: 75% of other people reused towels in the past.
Or guests got a card saying: please help save the environment by reusing your towels

The ingroup norm message yielded way more towel reusage

Question 8

What is deindividuation?

Answer 8

Psychological state in which group or social identity completely dominates personal/individual identity so that group norms become maximally accessible

Question 9

Why is being lost in the crowd sometimes associated with violent behavior? Can deindividuation also have positive consequences?

Answer 9

Being anonymous and indistinguishable in a group changes the rules of human behavior, making it antisocial and less rational and often more violent

Sometimes positive outcomes. When a norm for helpful behavior is salient, individuals most likely accept this

Question 10

How was deindividuation demonstrated in the Stanford Prison Experiment?

Answer 10

Participants were randomly assigned to be prisoner or guard and placed in a fake prison. Both the guards and prisoners settle into their roles to a great extent and developed their groups’ norm, such as violence from the guards

Question 11

Why are the responses of the participants in the Stanford Prison experiment better explained as classic examples of norm-driven behavior? Give 4 reasons

Answer 11

1. Guards received direct reminders of appropriate guard behavior from prison consultant in the study
2. The realistic environment provided multiple cues to normative behavior, such as military uniforms, sunglasses and the ankle chains for the prisoners
3. Researchers set a classic norm conformity by arraying one group against another. Behaviors of both groups were designed to have ingroup solidarity and break outgroup cohesion
4. Use of identical uniforms among prisoners and guards and making both anonymous (prisoners were numbers and guards had glasses). Group identities were more salient than individual identities

Question 12

Give an example of when descriptive norms guide behavior. What is the danger of it?

Answer 12

When people around you drink alcohol, you are more likely to drink alcohol as well

If we see people do something more, we automatically think people do that more, whilst it’s actually biased. Nevertheless, this predicts our own behavior

Question 13

How can injunctive norms guide behavior?

Answer 13

People often infer the wrong injunctive norms. When they’re made aware about the actual injunctive norm, they adapt their behavior accordingly (e.g. using sunscreen intervention)

Question 14

What are the behavioral consequences for when injunctive and descriptive norms are mismatched?

Answer 14

Behavioral intentions are as low as they are when there is no support from either type of norm

So injunctive norms are more effective in guiding behavior when it’s seen as sincere and enacted

Question 15

What were the results of a study concerning student’s support for a health program on campus in relation to cognitive resources? How was the amount of cognitive resources operationalized?

Answer 15

When students didn’t have a lot of motivation and ability to think, they were more likely to support a health program when presented with descriptive norm

When students did have motivation and ability to think, they were more likely to support a health program when presented with injunctive norm

So: descriptive norms may be cognitively easier

Operationalization:
- High resources: students thought it would be implemented in a year
- Low resources: students thought it would be implemented in a different university

Question 16

Why do we let norms guide our behavior? Give 2 reasons and explain

Answer 16

1. Threat of exclusion: we’re good at detecting norm violations and we react with socially undesirable signs (gossip). So people who follow norms, most likely won’t be subject to gossip if they behave
2. Private acceptance and identification: following norms meets our needs to belong and value me/mine. Most of the time people follow norms because they think it’s right and not just of fear of punishment

Question 17

What is LeBon’s crowd psychology? How does it differ from understanding deindividuation?

Answer 17

People in a crowd change from rational thoughtful individuals into impulsive, unreasonable and extreme followers
–> Law of the mental unity of crowds

Understanding deindividuation as extreme group salience suggests a different view
–> Reduction in self awareness and reduction of impact of internal norms
–> Increase group normative behavior(want to belong)

Question 18

What research was done to show that assigned social categories influence behavior? What is the relation with anonymity

Answer 18

When people are dressed as a nurse, they give less severe shocks to someone else. Especially when they’re unidentifiable

When people are dressed as KKK they give more severe shocks to someone else. Especially when they’re unidentifiable

Question 19

How did selection bias play a role in Zimbardo’s prison experiment?

Answer 19

There were 2 advertisements, where in one it was specified it was about prison life and the other didn’t

More aggressive, authoritarian and machiavellian and narcissistic persons replied to the version with specification of prison life experiment

Question 20

Which 5 social heuristics enable an efficient and accurate way of deciding?

Answer 20

1. Social proof
2. Reciprocity
3. Social commitment
4. Authority
5. Scarcity

Question 21

What is the social heuristic of scarcity?

Answer 21

When resources are scarce, it’s easier to follow norms and not think too much about what you’re doing

Question 22

What is the boomerang effect?

Answer 22

If there is an affirmation of the descriptive norm, the undesirable behavior will increase

Counteract by combining descriptive norm with an affirmation of current behavior

Question 22

What is the social heuristic ‘social proof’? How did it backfire in the case of the petrified wood case?

Answer 22

Behavior of others around us is usually a good indicator to our own thinking and behavior

Backfired in boomerang effect, because they placed a sign saying ..% is stealing petrified wood which is bad.
They presented a descriptive norm saying what most people did and as a result more people stole petrified wood

Question 23

What is the norm of reciprocity? Describe an experiment on this

Answer 23

Returning favors to others

Cola study (Regan): regardless of whether the confederate was friendly or rude, the participants were more likely to do a favor for him if he had previously bought them a cola

Question 24

What is the door in the face technique?

Answer 24

Influencing someone into doing a favor

The influencer makes a very large initial request that won’t be accepted. When they pretend to make a concession, they ask for the favor they actually wanted. The other person feels obliged to return the favor for the concession

Question 25

What is the norm of social commitment? Describe one study

Answer 25

People should adhere to the terms of their agreements

Study: more people would intervene in a staged robbery if they were asked by a confederate to keep an eye on their posessions than when a confederate simply left their posessions unattended

Question 26

What is the low-ball technique?

Answer 26

Influencing someone by asking them to first initially agree to a small request, but then increasing the request once they have already committed to it

Used often by sales persons

Question 27

In which type of culture are norms of social commitment and reciprocity more dominant? Which culture would rather accept an offer of taste free food?

Answer 27

Collectivist cultures

Individualist cultures accept more free samples. Collectivists will not accept those if they feel they’re not able to reciprocate them

Question 28

What is the norm of obedience to authority?

Answer 28

The shared view that people should obey these rules with legitimate authority

Question 29

Which 3 conditions have to be fulfilled in order for the door in the face technique to activate the norm of reciprocity?

Answer 29

1. Initial request must be large enough
2. Target must be given the chance to compromise by refusing initial request and complying with second request
3. Second request must be related to the first request and come from the same person

Question 30

Which norm was investigated by Milgram? Describe his experiment

Answer 30

Norm of obedience to authority

Participants were told they were randomly assigned to teacher or student roles. All the participants actually were teachers, learners were confederates.

The teachers had to administer increasing shocks (to lethal shocks) when learner gave a wrong answer. The confederates pretended it was very painful

The experimenter urged participants to continue and most showed obedience to authority. The participants were clearly upset, but did obey

Question 31

What are the 5 conditions under which authority produces obedience?

Answer 31

1. Legitimate authority
2. Authority must accept responsibility
3. Norm of obedience must be activated
4. Social identification with the group that the authority belongs to
5. Maintaining and escalating obedience

Question 32

When is someone a legitimate authority? Why was Milgram a legitimate figure?

Answer 32

Someone with power or status.

Milgram had authority because he wore a white lab coat

Question 33

Why does authority have to accept responsibility in order to obey?

Answer 33

If authority takes full responsibility, people may feel like they’re just agents following orders

People are also more likely to obey if responsibility is diffused (if they only have to do one part of the task)

Question 34

How did the activation of the norm of obedience vary in Milgram’s experiment?

Answer 34

Different situations can either activate norm of obedience or opposing norms.

In Milgram’s study, when the student and teacher were close to each other, other norms started to oppose obedience

Question 35

How can obedience be escalated? And what is the role of dissonance in obedience?

Answer 35

The person is asked by authority to do something harmless. If they obey, the norm of obedience is activated and they will probably also agree with bigger requests

Dissonance plays a role, since people try to justify their action or attribute blame to someone else. Dissonance helps to maintain obedience once it occurs

Question 36

What was the sensory and social deprivation experiment?

Answer 36

An authority figure told people to advertise being sensory and social deprived. People know that’s unpleasant, but still people obeyed

Question 37

What 3 factors play a role in the accessibility of the norm of obedience?

Answer 37

1. Setting (lab, office etc)
2. Presence of experimenter
3. Salience of other norms (visibility learner)

Question 38

What is the agentic state?

Answer 38

Being overwhelmed by situational forces and hence becoming an agent of carrying out orders of authority figure

Question 39

What is moral disengagement concerning obedience to authority?

Answer 39

More likely to engage in morally reprihensible behavior because people don’t feel responsible for their actions

Question 40

What is the social identity theory and what is the link with the norm of obedience to authority?

Answer 40

Individuals experience collective identity based on their group membership

People identify with the goal of the orders and therefore obey. In Milgram they’re aware of them doing harm, but they are convinced they’re doing good for the experiment

Question 41

What is reactance? When is it less likely to occur?

Answer 41

The motive to protect or restore a threatened sense of behavioral freedom. It’s common when people lose opportunity to choose goods, services or products

It’s a way to resist/rebel against norms

Less likely when authority figure is legitimate and the outcome is seen as a done deal (so unchangeable). If the person is not legitimate, people will rebel earlier

Question 42

What is the concept underlying reversed psychology?

Answer 42

Reactance. By saying the opposite, the person rebels and does the opposite of that (the thing you actually intended)

Question 43

Which 3 strategies can help you fend off unfair normative pressure by systematic processing?

Answer 43

1. Question how norms are being used
2. Question claims about relationships
3. Question others’ views of the situation

Question 44

How does questioning the use of norms help with resisting norms?

Answer 44

Recognizing how norms operate and how they can be used against you

If you realize a norm is used against you, it loses power

Question 45

How does questioning claims about relationships help with resisting norms?

Answer 45

It’s important to consider the relationship between you and the person who’s activating a norm

E.g. does someone have legitimate authority over you?

Question 46

How does questioning how others view the situation help with resisting norms?

Answer 46

Considering different views of a situation can help, for example if you’re obliged to return a favor to someone

If you have/know an alternative view, you can more easily resist norms

Question 47

What is using norms against norms?

Answer 47

Break down an existing norm and establishing an alternative consensus helps people break away from the original norm

Forming a social identity is crucial among people trying to engage in resistance

Question 48

Give an example of using norms against norms in Milgram’s experiment

Answer 48

If there was another participant in the Milgram experiment, who was unwilling to continue the experiment, the rates of obedience became much lower

Question 49

Which 2 things guide behavior? What are the 2 routes they can take?

Answer 49

Norms and attitudes

Superfical and thoughtful routes

Question 50

Give an example of attitudes and norms, which makes the difference between them clear

Answer 50

Attitude: I don’t want to wear a helmet

Norm: Nobody else wears a helmet, people think they look stupid

Question 51

Describe how attitudes and norms affect behavior without much thought

Answer 51

1. Attitude/norm regarding behavior
2. Activation of attitude/norm on encountering situation or considering behavior
3. Biased perceptions of behavior
4. Actual behavior

Question 52

What is the superficial route?

Answer 52

Influence of attitudes/norms on behavior in an automatic way.

• Biases our perceptions and norms can serve as heuristics for making decisions (everyone dresses like that, so I will too)
• Implicit attitudes/norms can guide us without awareness

Question 53

What is the thoughtful route?

Answer 53

Norms and attitudes influence our deliberate behavior by producing an intention to act in a particular way

Question 54

What is the theory of planned behavior? Which 3 things go into actual behavior?

Answer 54

1. Attitude toward behavior
2. Perceived control over behavior (people only act if they believe they have control)
3. Perceived norm regarding behavior

All these combine to produce a considered intention to act. This intention guides behavior.

Question 55

What happens when norms and attitudes clash?

Answer 55

If norms or attitudes have more influence depends on
- Relative accessibility
- Situation
- Traits of the person

Question 56

Describe research done on the clash of norms and attitudes and how it influences behavior. Describe 3 conditions

Answer 56

In an experiment participants had to indicate their own attitudes toward punishment and then what others would think about it

Later they were teachers that delivered a fake shock to a pupil (like milgram).
3 conditions:
- in front of mirror
- in front of audience of classmates
- in front of audience of students

Results:
Mirror: activates private attitudes
Audience: activates norms

Question 56

What did a study of Indonesians concerning national identification and individualism/collectivism show?

Answer 56

If stronger identification with nationality, more collectivist

If weaker, more individualist