Social Influence Flashcards
Social Influence
Change in Feeling, Thinking and Doing due to the real, imagined or implied presence of other
Conformity
Adjust behaviour to match norms
Compliance
Change behaviour at others’ request
Obedience
Change due to authority’s demands
Muzafer Sherif (1936) - Autokinetic effect
Estimate light movement
Participants maintained what the group had established as what was being the norm
At first, estimates were all over the past, together focused on a particular estimate and finally, alone estimate was established throughout the rest of the trials
Autokinetic effect summary
- Results converge towards a norm
- Informational influence: search for understanding
- Private conformity: internalisation, lasting
Solomon Asch (1951) - Line Judgement Task
Match the line
Group Setting: 75% conformed at least once (av rate. 50%)
Control setting:
Line Judgement Task Summary
Results - group pressure
- Normative Influence: social approval
- Public conformity: no internalisation, short-lived
Reasons for conforming
Information influence - need to know/be correct - private Normative influence - need to belong - public
Foot-in-the-door technique
Agree to small request -> comply to large request
Change in self-perception
Door-in-the-face technique
Reject large request -> accept small request
Reciprocal concession
Pique technique
Odd request -> disrupt refusal script
Milgram Experiment
Effect of punishment on learning
Random Assignment (Learner v Teacher)
Wrong response -> shock
Increasing intensity
Obedience Summary
Authority demands -> change in behaviour
Bib Latane (1981) - Social Impact Theory
Influence of others on our FTD
Social Impact = Strength, Immediacy, Number
Operates According to Psychosocial Law
Decreases as targets increase
Strength x Immediacy x Number
Asch - More confederates -> more conformity
Perceived Proximity -> closer an authoritative figure gets to you
Psychosocial Law
Diminishing marginal returns Gawker Study (1969, Milgram) - Varied group size, 1 to 2 people compared to 14 to 15, given intersection to look up
Decreases as targets increase
Lecture vs. Office Hours
Bystander Effect - less people more likely to help, more people less likely or slower
Tug of War - Diffusion of Responsibility (more people, less effort, just yourself, more effort)
Tipping Study (Freeman et al. 1975) - Party size 1 to 6, percentage of tip
As party size increases, individual contributions decreases
Social Impact Theory Summary
Explain social influence
- Social impact = strength x immediacy x number
> status, proximity and size jointly -> FTD
- Psychosocial law
> Each additional source -> less added impact
- Decreases as targets increase
> increase in targets diffuses social impact
Presence of Others Summary
Social facilitation - mere presence, evaluation apprehension
Social inhibition - drive theory, strengthen dominant response
The Billiards Study
Novice vs Pro
Skilled Players improved with audience, unskilled players had a weakened performance with an audience
Jogging Study (Worringham & Messick, 1983)
Absent vs Mere Presence vs Evaluation - mostly sped up when person was watching you
Explanations of Presence of others
Mere presence of others - boost in how we perform
Evaluation apprehension - concern over approval/disapproval -> performance
