social influence

Question 1

social influence

Answer 1

= process whereby attitudes and behavior are influenced by real or implied presence of other people/ group pressure

Question 2

compliance

Answer 2

= superficial, public and transitory change in behavior and expressed attitudes in response to requests, coercion or group pressure
- following to fit in with the group while privately disagreeing

Question 3

why do we comply?

1. reciprocity
2. social validation/ consensus
3. commitment/ consistency

Answer 3

1. = feeling indebted to those who do something for them or give them a little gift , information or favors, making an effort (tit for tat)
2. = in case of uncertainty about own actions, people tend to look to those around them to guide their decisions, action based on social norms (e.g ash’s conformity experiment)
3. = people are more likely to do something after agreed to it verbally or in writing (Foot-in-the-door-technique) to avoid cognitive dissonance

Question 4

why do we comply?

1. friendship/ liking
2. scarcity
3. authority

Answer 4

1. = people are more likely to favor/ say yes to persons they like or who are physically attractive, similar to themselves, or who give them compliments
2. = the less there is of something, the more value it has (or rare and uncommon)
3. = be more willing to follow the suggestions of someone who is a legitimate authority (e.g policy, doctor, milgram experiment)

Question 5

Heuristics:

Answer 5

• mental Shortcuts, common sense, intuitive judgement, rule of thumb

Question 6

Power

1. reward power
2. coercive power
3. informational power
4. expert power
5. legitimate power
6. Referat power

Answer 6

= capacity to influence others while resisting their attempts to influence
–> just compliance is associated with power

1. giving or promising rewards for compliance
2. giving or threatening punishment for non-compliance
3. belief that influencer as more information than oneself
4. belief that influencer has greater expertise/ knowledge than oneself
5. belief that the influencer is authorized by a recognized power structure to command/ make decisions
6. identification with, attraction to or respect for the source of influence

Question 7

obedience to authority

Answer 7

• acting in accord with a direct order/ command (following the leader)
  People are socialized to respect the authority of state (-> agentic state)

Question 8

factors that influence obedience

1. food-in-the-door technique

Answer 8

1. once committed to an act, difficult to change the mind

• immediacy of the victim (as immediacy increase, obedience decrease) ->prevents dehumanisation of the victim (e.g Milgrams experiment)
• immediacy of the authority figure (reduced obedience when authority figure is absence)
• legitimacy of authority figure (mere emblems of authority create unquestionned obedience)
• persons who looks like an authority figure (e.g police men wearing a uniform or a doctor wearing a white coat)
• group pressure – is it legitimate or illegitimate to continue?

Question 9

conformity

1. convergence effect
2. frame of reference

Answer 9

= deep-seated, private, enduring change and internalization in behaviour and attitudes due to real or imagined group pressure -> desire to fit within the group

1. development of group norms, group members become similar to each other
2. people use behavior of others to predict range of possible behavior
   - -> reference groups
   - -> membership groups