Social Influence

Question 1

social psychology

Answer 1

the scientific study of how a person’s thoughts, feelings, and behavior are influenced by the real, imagined, or implied presence of others

Question 2

social influence

Answer 2

the process through which the real or implied presence of others can directly or indirectly influence the thoughts, feelings, and behavior of an individual

Question 3

conformity

Answer 3

changing one’s own behavior to match that of other people

Question 4

social cognition

Answer 4

the ways in which people think about other people

Question 5

social interaction

Answer 5

the positive and negative aspects of people relating to others

Question 6

groupthink

Answer 6

a kind of thinking that occurs when people place more importance on maintaining group cohesiveness than on assessing the facts of the problem with which the group is concerned

Question 7

characteristics of groupthink

Answer 7

• invulnerability: members feel they cannot fail and that the group can do no wrong
• rationalization: members explain away warning signs and help each other rationalize their decision
• lack of introspection: members do not examine the ethical implications of their decision because they believe that they cannot make immoral choices
• stereotyping: members stereotype their enemies as weak, stupid, or unreasonable; those who oppose the group, therefore, have no worthwhile opinions
• pressure: members pressure each other not to question the prevailing opinion and prevent those who disagree from speaking up
• lack of disagreement: members do not express opinions that differ from the group consensus in a “don’t rock the boat” mentality
• self-deception: members share in the illusion that they all agree with the decision
• insularity: self-appointed “mind guards” prevent the group (and particularly the leader) from hearing disruptive but potentially useful information from people who are outside of the group

Question 8

How can we minimize groupthink?

Answer 8

Leaders should remain impartial, the entire group should seek the opinions of people outside the group, any voting should be done on secret ballots rather than by a show of hands, and it should be made clear that group members will be held responsible for decisions made by the group

Question 9

consumer psychology

Answer 9

a branch of psychology that studies the habits of consumers in the marketplace

Question 10

compliance

Answer 10

changing one’s behavior as a result of other people directing or asking for the change

Question 11

foot-in-the-door technique

Answer 11

asking for a small commitment and, after gaining compliance, asking for a bigger commitment

Question 12

door-in-the-face technique

Answer 12

asking for a large commitment and being refused and then asking for a smaller commitment

Question 13

lowball technique

Answer 13

getting a commitment from a person and then raising the cost of that commitment

Question 14

that’s-not-all technique

Answer 14

a sales technique in which the persuader makes an offer and then adds something extra to make the offer look better before the targt person can make a decision

Question 15

norm of reciprocity

Answer 15

assumption that if someone does something for a person, that person should do something for the other in return

Question 16

obedience

Answer 16

changing one’s behavior at the command of an authority figure