Social approach Flashcards
What is conformity?
Going along with a group due to invisible ‘pressure’
Normative social influence (NSI) is …
Accept norms of group (conform) to be liked and avoid rejection. Emotional process, stronger in stressful situation.
Informative social influence (ISI) is …
Change behaviour/ opinions when we believe others are right. Cognitive process, especially in new or unclear situations.
Studying conformity is …
Asch’s (1951) students conformed to avoid rejection (NSI).
Evaluate conformity.
Practical application - Whistle-blowers in organisations are anti-conformists, resist NSI and ISI.
Research support - Asch’s participants conformed to avoid disapproval. No public pressure = no conformity.
NSI and ISI are less clear in the real world - Lower conformity with dissenter who gives social support (NSI) and is source of information (ISI).
Type of conformity: Internalisation is …
Agree privately and publicly with others, permanent, due to ISI.
Type of conformity: Compliance is …
Agree publicly but not privately, temporary, due to NSI.
Type of conformity: Identification is …
Combination of other two, agree publicly and privately because we identify with group, only while we are members.
Evaluate the type of conformity.
Practical application - Target types of destructive conformity in workplaces to improve decision-making.
Research support - Compliance (Asch 1951), identification (Orlando 1973), Internalisation (Sheriff 1935).
Oversimplification - Artificial research, not real group, overlap in real world.
What is social categorisation?
Divide people into groups based on shared characteristics, assume members all the same.
What is a stereotype?
Fixed view of a person based on social category.
Formation of stereotypes is …
Social categorisation of in-groups and out-groups, observe and imitate others (SLT).
Effect of stereotypes are …
Positive - simplify interactions, reduce cognitive effort.
Negative - distort memory and social judgements.
Prejudice and discrimination is …
Perceive out-groups members as inferior, exclude them e.g. from employment.
Evaluate in-groups and out-groups.
Practical application - Reduce prejudice by seeing self as part of bigger group, challenge stereotype by cooperating.
Research support - Half of white participants thought black man was holding razor, racist stereotype biased memory (Allport and Postman 1947).
Alternative explanation - Prejudice due to authoritarian personality (from upbringing) rather than social factors.
