Social Influence

Question 1

Social influence

Answer 1

When individuals and groups change each other’s attitudes and beliefs. This includes conformity, obedience, and minority influence.

Question 2

Conformity

Answer 2

A change in opinion or behaviour due to real or imagined social pressures from a group or an individual.

Question 3

Internalisation

Answer 3

∙ The deepest level of conformity.
∙ Take on the majority view because we accept it’s correct.
∙ Permanent change of belief.
∙ Agree in public and in private.

Question 4

Identification

Answer 4

∙ Moderate level of conformity.
∙ Conforms to the demands of a social role in order to identify with a group.
∙ Agree in public and not necessarily any change in private.

Question 5

Compliance

Answer 5

∙ The shallowest level of conformity.
∙ Only exists when there is social pressure.
∙ Temporary change.
∙ Agree in public and disagree in private.

Question 6

Informational Social Influence (ISI)

Answer 6

∙ The desire to be right.
∙ Occurs when we are unsure or have a lack of knowledge.
∙ When we agree because believe that they are correct. We accept this because we want to be right as well.

Question 7

Normative Social Influence (NSI)

Answer 7

∙ The desire to be liked.
∙ Occurs when we want to fit in with the group.
∙ When we agree with the opinion of the majority because we want to feel accepted.

Question 8

Obedience

Answer 8

A type of social influence where a person follows an order from another person, who is usually an authority figure.

Question 9

Agentic state

Answer 9

Where a person feels no responsibility for their actions because they believe that the authoritative figure will take the responsibility, allowing them to obey to demands given by an authoritative figure.

Question 10

Autonomous state

Answer 10

Where a person is free to behave according to their own principles, therefore, they will take responsibility.

Question 11

Agentic shift

Answer 11

The shift from the autonomous state to the agentic state.

Question 12

Authoritarian personality

Answer 12

∙ A dispositional explanation of obedience.
∙ A person who favours an authoritarian social system and admires obedience to authority figures.
∙ Submissive of superior figures and dismissive of inferior figures.

Question 13

Social support

Answer 13

The presence of people who resist social influence. They can also help others do the same by acting as role models and show that resistance is possible.

Question 14

Locus of Control (LOC)

Answer 14

∙ How responsible people feel of their actions.
∙ Internal: they are mostly responsible (greater resistance to social influence)
∙ External: luck or outside forces like fate are responsible (lower resistance to social influence)

Question 15

Minority influence

Answer 15

Occurs when a small group influences the opinion of the majority.

Question 16

Consistency

Answer 16

The minority keeps the same beliefs, both over time and between all the individuals that form the minority.

Question 17

Commitment

Answer 17

The minority demonstrates dedication to their position by making personal sacrifices, this shows that they are not acting out of self-interest.

Question 18

Flexibility

Answer 18

The minority being able to show compromise and allow some way to adapt their view.

Question 19

Drawing attention (Social Change)

Answer 19

Proving that a situation needs to change.

Question 20

Consistency (Social Change)

Answer 20

When people start taking part in events or protests.

Question 21

Deeper processing (Social Change)

Answer 21

Reflection of the majority views.

Question 22

Augmentation principle (Social Change)

Answer 22

The minority sacrifice for what they believe in.

Question 23

Snowball effect (Social Change)

Answer 23

Drawing attention which causes a gain in followers.

Question 24

Social cryptomnesia (Social Change)

Answer 24

When people forget the origins of a social change.