Social Influence

Question 1

Social Influence

Answer 1

The effect other people have on our behaviour. This includes conformity, obedience and social loafing, for example.

Question 2

Conformity

Answer 2

A change in a person’s behaviour or opinions as the result of group pressure.

Question 3

Obedience

Answer 3

Following the orders of someone we believe to have authority.

Question 4

What is socialisation? (reasons for obedience)

Answer 4

Throughout our lives, and especially when we are young, we are taught to obey authority figures, such as parents and teachers. This means that it becomes a normal thing for us to do.

Question 5

What does ‘legitimate authority’ mean? (reasons for obedience)

Answer 5

The experimenter wearing a lab coat and the prestige of Yale University (where the milgram study was conducted) made the participants put faith in the person telling them what to do. In a similar way, we might unquestioningly obey a doctor because we have faith in their superior knowledge.