social influence Flashcards
Define social influence
The process whereby attitudes and behaviour are influenced by the real or implied presence of other people
What is compliance
A surface change in behaviour where cognitions don’t change, attempts to persuade an individual to accept a request to respond in a desired way
What is reciprocity
Giving benefits back to those who give benefits
Describe the foot in door technique
Asking a smaller request that everyone would agree to, followed by the target large request
Describe the door in face technique
Larger request that most people will reject, followed by a smaller request
Give two reasons the door in face technique works
Reciprocal concessions (participant understands that a concession has been made) and social responsibility and guilt (accepting second request alleviates negative emotions arising from declining first)
Describe low balling technique
Withholding the negative aspect of the request until after the participant agrees. Relies on the fact that people don’t like to change their minds
Define obedience
The performance of an action in direct response to an order from a figure of authority
Describe the outline of Milgram’s obedience study
Participant ordered by researcher to test a ‘confederate’ who was in a different room. Every time the confederate answered wrong the pp delivered an electric shock.
Name three things Milgram proposed were reasons for participants obedience during the Milgram obedience study
Agentic state - pps distanced themselves from the study to feel no sense of responsibility
Dehumanisation of the victim - pps couldn’t see the confederate
slippery slope - because they started low the pps felt ike they had to carry on
Name the ethical concerns in the Milgram obedience study x3
harm, deception, insufficient briefing,
Name the methodological criticisms of Milgrams obedience study
Researcher improvised and said coercive prompts, only 50% thought confederate was receiving shocks, participant in the room with the researcher so wants to help by finishing study, Milgram misrepresented debrief procedures
Define conformity
A deep-seated change in behaviour as cognitions change
Describe Sherif’s group norms study
Researcher asked participants to say how far a light moves in inches. Participants give their answer and confederate says 4”. Researcher asks again and participants give answers closer to 4”
Describe Asch’s study of conformity
He asked pps what line matched the length of a line on a card. The confederates said the wrong answer on the third trial. 3/4 conformed at one point
Does size of majority matter
7 people is the optimal point of majority. After this it plateaus
Can an ally reduce conformity
1 supporting partner reduced conformity. This person didn’t have to agree with the participant just give a different answer from the rest.
Why do people conform x3
- ) informational influence - looking to others for help
- ) Normative social influence - fear of appearing foolish
- ) Referent informational influence - people derive identity from majority response
What are the criticism of Asch’s conformity study
- ) may show resistance as more pps didn’t conform than did.
- ) demand characteristics
- ) If we cared more about the stimuli we may conform less
- ) The majority would be the minority in real life as they are providing weird answers
Describe Moscovic’s study into minority influence
Blue slides were called green by 2 confederates in a group of 6. Confederates either always said the slides were green or inconsistently said they were green. When they were consistent 8% of pps said they were green, when inconsistent 1.25% said green
How should minority act to make a majority conform
They need to provide a alternative, clear and confident view point. They should appear unbiased (not paid) and give evidence of personal sacrifice. They should also be flexible so the message can accommodate the needs of others.
What is latent influence
Causes a convesion effect where majority consider the view point of minority over time. They align their attitudes and behaviour with minority.
