Social Influence Flashcards
What was the results of Triplett’s 1898 study on Audience effects?
More effort when watched e.g cyclist faster with others than alone
What were the results of Triplett’s 1898 study on Audience effects?
More effort when watched e.g cyclist faster with others than alone
Children mixed results
What is social facilitation?
Improved performance in the presence of an audience. Well learned, simple and easy tasks
What is social inhibition?
Deterioration in performance in the presence of other.
Poorly-learned, difficult and complex tasks
What three theories explain social inhibitions and social facilitation?
- Drive/arousal theory - mere presence of people
- Evaluation apprehension theory - evaluation apprehension
- Distraction-conflict theory - attentional conflict
What is the drive arousal theory?
Arousal occurs when a person is exposed to an audience.
e.g Cockroaches study Zajonc et al 1969
HARD MAZE - Ran slower with an audience than without = Social Inhibition
EASY MAZE - Ran faster with an audience = Social Facilitation
What is evaluation apprehension theory?
Having an audience present leads us to be concerned about the evaluation. Others evaluate us therefore arousal occurs
What were the results of the Cottrell et al., study about social facilitation?
No social facilitation in blindfolded/mere presence condition (when compared to controlled/alone)
Social facilitation occurred in the attentive audience condition
Message = Audience need to pay attention for the arousal to occur
What is the distraction-conflict theory?
That attentional conflict/distraction creates the arousal
What is attentional conflict?
Tendency to pay attention to the audience vs tendency to pay attention to the task
What is social loafing?
A reduction in individual effort when working on a task involving group effort
What could be the possible reasons for social loafing?
Coordination loss - having to coordinate with others
Motivation loss - Not willing to put in the effort (More likely)
What are the 4 explanations for social loafing?
- Matching of effort - expect others to loaf as well
- Dispensibility of effort - own contribution won’t be worth much
- Evaluation potential - Reduced identifiability of contribution
- Task meaningfulness/personal relevance - small relevance and value little effort
How to reduce social loafing?
- Smaller group sizes
- Have individual accountability
- Group members believing the group will be effective in achieving important goals
- People place greater values on groups than individuals
What do the cultural differences appear dependent on in reducing social loafing?
Type of Task
Make up of the group
What is intentional influence?
When others try to intentionally influence our behaviours when we are alone
What the 5 techniques of intentional influence?
- Foot in the door
- Door in the face
- Low ball
- That’s not all
- Reciprocity
What is the foot on the door technique?
First make a small request: then follow it with a larger request. Explanation: Self-perception (feeling helpful), Consistency (strong preference for consistency likely to agree to second request)
What is the door-in-the-face technique?
First make a large request (most certainly will be refused); then makes the more reasonable request. Explanation: Reciprocity, Positive self-presentation
What is the Low ball technique?
First get people to agree to a request, then reveal hidden costs. Explanation: commitment to decision
What is the thats not all technique?
First make an offer; then enhances it with a ‘bonus’. Explanation: anchoring
What is the reciprocity technique?
First do something for someone then ask them for a favour. Explanation: social norms, guilt
What is conformity?
Behaviour intended to avoid standing out, even if that means ignoring one’s own judgement or wishes
What are the underlying process of conformity?
- Informational Influence
- Normative Influence
What is informational influence?
Conform because we think others are right, this is due to uncertainty. Tends to be a private acceptance and a true influence.
What is normative influence?
Conform because we want others to accept us. Occurs when the group has the power to punish/reward us. Tends to be more public.
What is the Sherif 1936 autokinetics (dark room pinpoint light - does the light move) study on informational influence?
Optical illusion that a pinpoint of light in a dark room appears to move. Results = Participants converged on a group norm and used group norms when alone
What is Asch’s 1951 line study on normative influence?
Ask to state which line is longer - participant 2nd last to be asked. Confederates all gave the same wrong answer.
Results = 76% Gave the wrong answer once and on average conformity rate was 33%
What 6 factors influence conformity?
- Individual characteristics - high self-monitoring, high need for social approval, high social anxiety
- Gender
- Group size - 3-6 people
- Group memberships - members are competent + friends
- Group unanimity - groups are unanimous
- Culture - more in collectivist cultures
What is the Bond & Smith 1996 study results on conformity?
Conformity greater in collectivist cultures
and
the impact of culture was greater than any other variables
What is the results of the Jonny Rocco study by Schachter 1951?
Deviates attracted most communication during the discussion - attempt to try and get them to conform
What is minority influence?
Social influence processes whereby numerical (lgbt) or power minorities influence the majority
What are the conditions that make it more likely for minority groups to influence the majority?
- Needs to be consistent across time and within the minority
- Shows investment in their position
- Demonstrates autonomy - free of conflict interest
- Show a degree of flexibilty
What are the process involved in Exposure to the majority view in conversion theory?
- Desire to be liked and to be correct
- Superficial processing of majority’s position
- Public acceptance
- Public influence
What are the process involved in Exposure to the minority view in conversion theory?
- Intrigue and desire to understand
- Deep processing of the position
- Private acceptance
- Private influence
What is obedience?
When an authority commands us to behave in a certain way and we do
What are the results of the Milgram 1963 study?
Shock learners if they give the wrong answer, connected to the shock apparatus and increase voltage with each wrong answer
Results = 12.5% stopped at 300V, 22.5% stopped at 315V - 375V, 65% stopped at max voltes
What was the results of Burger 2009 study which replicated Milgrams study?
Burger study included ethical considerations70 and participants’ screed prior.
Results = 70% participants administered 150V Same as the previous study
Were there any significant differences based on gender, age, education, or ethnicity in Burgers study on obedience?
No
What are some explanations for the results in Milgram and Burgers study on obedience?
- Obedience to authority
- Responsibility for harm assigned to the experimenter
- Gradual increases in demands / voltage intensity
- Limited sources of information in a novel situation
What factors reduced obedience?
- Immediacy of learner - Learner in the same room, participants have to place electrode on learners hand
- Immediacy/Legitimacy of experimenter - no uniform, instructions called in from other room
What explanation for obedience does Reicher & Haslam’s Social Identity Theory give?
- Not obedience but identification that is important
- Participants could identify with the experimenter or learner
- Which identification occurred likely influenced situational factors
