Social Influence Flashcards
Give Myer’s definition of conformity.
A change in behaviour or belief as a result of real or imagined group pressure.
Define social norms.
Rules of behaviour that are generally considered acceptable in a given situation.
Name Kelman’s three types of conformity.
Compliance, identification and internalization
Define Complaince
Publicly conforming to the behaviour or view of others in a group but privately maintaining one’s own views.
Define Identification.
Adopting the views or behaviours of others both publicly and privately because you value membership of that group.
Define Internalisation.
A conversion or true change of private views to match those of the group. These new views become part of your VALUE SYSTEM; they are not dependent on the presence of the group.
Explain Deutsch and Gerard’s dual process model (1955).
They outlined TWO types of social influence that lead people to conform: normative and informational social influence.
Define normative social influence.
Normative social influence is based on our desire to be liked. We conform for approval and acceptance.
Outline Latane’s 1981 social impact theory.
We respond most to normative social influence when the group is very important to us and we spend a lot of time with the group. The size of the group is not significant.
Define informational social influence.
Informational social influence is based on our desire to be right. This can be particularly strong when we move from one group to another and experience situational ambiguity - we look to others to see how we should behave and think.
As well as situational ambiguity, what other factors can lead to informational social influence?
The presence of experts and emergency situations.
Who challenged Deutsch and Gerard’s definitions of conformity and on what grounds?
Insko et al (1983) claimed that normative and informational explanation for conformity should not be seen as separate. They often work together.
Outline Sherif’s 1935 study into the emergence of group norms.
Placed participant in a totally dark room in which a STATIONARY point of light appears to move …autokinetic effect.
Asked participants to judge movement of light in number of trials.
When same participants worked in groups of three and had to announce estimation as aloud - their judgements converged.
When first judgements made in a group and then individually - participants continued to give group answer.
What did Asch’s 1951 study investigate?
Asch wanted to examine if participants would yield to majority social influence even if incorrect answers were obvious.
Outline Asch’s 1951 study.
7 male students looked at 2 cards. The test card showed one vertical line the other cards showed vertical lines of different lengths.
Participants had to call out in turn which of three lines were same length.
All participants but ONE were accomplices who gave unanimous incorrect answers.
What were Asch’s findings?
32% conformed to incorrect answers.
74% conformed at least once.
26% never conformed.
Post-experiment interviews revealed that while some said they did not want to be in a minority - others claimed to have seen the line identified as the correct one as the correct answer!