sac 3 (group status and power) Flashcards
social influence on status and power
the effects of the presence or actions of others on the way people think, feel and behave.
impacts of social influence (positive negative?)
may be constructive (helpful) destructive (harmful) or neutral (has no effect)
group definition
Two or more people who interact and influence each other, and share a common goal.
collective definition
made up of two or more people who have minimal interaction with each other
status definition
the perception of the importance of an individuals position in the group
power definition
an individuals (or groups) ability to control or influence the thoughts, feelings or behaviour of another group or individual
status and power in a group
each member in a group has a status. a persons status impacts the level of power they have in a group situation
social hierarchy
people with the highest status and power are at the top of the social hierarchy
types of power list
reward power coersive power legitimate power referent power expert power informational power
reward power definition & example
power to give rewards/take away punishments
eg. employer can give pay rise
coersive power and example
power to remove reward/ give punishment
eg. employer can terminate contract
legitimate power and example
persons status and power gives them authority
eg. captain of a team
referent power and example
people identify or want to be liked by this person.
eg. a celebrity
expert power and example
having special knowledge or skill that others desire or need
eg. surgeon
informational power and example
having information/ resources that are not available elsewhere
eg. someone who owns a desirable product
roles
we often have our own role in a group. with roles comes expectations. we expect people in certain roles to act in certain ways.
conformity
the tendency to adjust ones thoughts, feelings or behaviour in ways that are in agreement with those of a particular individual or group, or with accepted standards about how a person should behave in a particular situation.
factors effecting conformity (7)
- group size
- unanimity
- informational influence
- normative influence
- culture
- social loafing
- deindividuation
conformity - group size
beyond 4 other people conformity doesn’t increase as much as 2 - 4. after 15 conformity decreases
conformity - unanimity
its difficult for a minority of 1 to speak against the rest of the group but if one other person agrees with you youre more likely to speak your opinion too.
conformity - informational influence
occurs when conformity results form a need for direction and information on how to respond to situations. more likely to conform if you want to provide a correct response but are unsure about what it is.
conformity - normative influence
occurs when our response in a group situation is directed by social norms
conformity - culture
individualist culture - brought up in a community that values individual goals
collectivist culture - community in which everyone is taught works together
conformity - social loafing
the tendency for individuals to make less of an effort when involved in a group activity than when working alone.
conformity - deindividuation
sense of anonymity. may act in ways they wouldnt normally because they feel they are part of the group and arent noticed
obedience occurs
when we follow commands of someone with authority or the laws and rules of society
factors affecting obedience (3)
- social proximity
- legitimacy of the authority figure
- group pressure
social proximity
closeness between two or more people, may be physical distance or how close you are to the personal emotionally.
legitimacy of the authority figure
looks legit. policeman with badge and uniform
group pressure
- conformity, more likely to go with it, when a group is not resisting the authority
