Social influence Flashcards
Social influence
A term used to describe how other people can affect our opinions, feelings, and actions.
Conformity
A change in our opinions or behaviors to fit in with social norms or as the result of perceived group pressure
Why do we conform
There are two reasons:
- Informational
- Normative
Informational social influence
The need to be right.
e.g we are in an unfamiliar situation and watch and follow what other people are doing because we assume they have superior knowledge to us
Normative social influence
The need to be liked by other.
e.g when we are in social situations, we want to be accepted by other people. we are likely to do or say things that make us popular with other to help us fit in.
Social factors affecting conformity
- Group size
We are more likely to adopt the behavior of others when we are in a group with three or more members who are behaving in a similar way.
- Task difficulty
We show higher levels of conformity when attempting to complete a difficult rather than easy task. When we find something difficult we may look to others to guide our decisions
- Anonymity
In public situations we face ridicule when others can hear what we say or see what we do. When we are anonymous, is reduces concern of people disagreeing with us. the first
Dispositional factors
Internal personal characteristics which may affect how a person will behave
Dispositional factors affecting conformity
- Personality
Some characteristics increase the tendency to conform. Low self-esteem, low status in a group, and low IQ have been associated with high levels of conformity.
- Expertise
Conformity is less likely in situations where we have a high level of expertise because we are confident in our own opinions and knowledge
Asch’s conformity study aim
To investigate if people would conform to the opinions of others to give an answer they knew to be wrong
Asch’s conformity study design
Lab experiment
Male American college students
Asch’s conformity study method
Groups of 7-9 people where shown sets of 4 lines. A standard line and 3 comparison lines. They were asked to state out loud which comparison line was the same length as the standard line. The answer was always clear.
There was only one real participant in each group who was told the aim of the study was to investigate visual judgment. The rest were confederate soldiers that were instructed to give the same incorrect response for 12/18 of the sets of lines.
Each participant answered last.
Asch’s conformity study results
Participants conformed to give the incorrect answer 36.8% of the time. 76% of the participants conformed at least once. 24% resisted the urge to conform
Asch’s conformity study conclusion
People conform to fir in with a group even when they know they are giving an incorrect judgement
Asch’s conformity study evaluation
:) demonstrates the extent to which people conform in social situations.
:) lab experiment so less extraneous variables so easier to establish cause and effect so higher ecological validity
:( carried out in a lab. behavior might not be natural so less ecological validity
:( carried out on Americans. these are individualistic cultures. collectivist cultures have higher levels of conformity. results are less generalizable
Obedience
Following the orders of an authority figure
Agency
The responsibility we feel for our own actions
Agency theory
The idea that a person will obey an authority figure when they believe this authority figure will take responsibility for whatever the person does.
Social factors
External events which may affect how a person will behave
Autonomous state
We feel responsible for our actions and free to choose how to behave
Milgrams theory of obedience
Suggests that we are more likely to obey orders from authority figures when we enter agenetic state. This is when we believe we are acting on behalf of an authority figure so no longer feel responsible for our actions.
Eval of agency theory
:) Helps us understand why people have done things that they have e.g Nazi guards in concentration camps who followed orders from their superiors
:( We do not all blindly follow orders, which suggests that some people are less likely to enter the agentic state than others. Milgrams theory focuses on social factors that affect obedience but other psychologists have suggested thats dispositional factors such as personality are more important.
Authoritarian personality
An obedient personality type characterized by a believe that authority figures should be obeyed
Authority
Some people have higher positions of authority than others. We are brought up to obey these people. We are more likely to obey someone we believe to have legitimate authority, because we trust their expertise.
Uniforms increase obedience
Culture
Research has found lower levels of obedience in individualistic cultures, because collectivistic cultures place greater importance on group values.
Proximity
When we are in close proximity to an authority figure, it appears we are more likely to obey them.
Milgram’s study found that more participants followed order when the experimenter gave instructions from the same room than over the phone
Social factors affecting obedience
- Authority
Some people have higher positions of authority than others. We are brought up to obey these people. We are more likely to obey someone we believe to have legitimate authority, because we trust their expertise.
- Culture
Research has found lower levels of obedience in individualistic cultures, because collectivistic cultures place greater importance on group values.
- Proximity
When we are in close proximity to an authority figure, it appears we are more likely to obey them.
Milgram’s study found that more participants followed order when the experimenter gave instructions from the same room than over the phone
Dispositional factors affecting obedience
Being confident or articulate
Adornos theory of the Authoritarian Personality
More obedient people
He found that they had grown up with strict parents and felt angry towards their parents but could not do anything and as a result grew up more submissive and obedient towards authority figures
Eval of Adornos theory
:( Only found correlation between personality type and obedience. this means he could not prove that the authoritarian personality causes high levels of obedience. reduces the internal validity
:( people with lower educational levels have been found to be more obedient than those who are educated. suggests that dispositional factors also play an important role in obedience
Prosocial behaviour
actions that benefit other people or society
Bystander intervention
When a person who witnesses a person in need offers help
Bystander behaviour
The way that someone responds when they witness someone else in need of help
Bystander apathy
Doing nothing when someone is in need of help
Social factors affecting bystander behavior
- The presence of others
We are more likely to help others when we are alone than when other people are present. we dont want to look foolish if they are not in trouble. if we are alone we assume full responsibility - The cost of helping
We weigh up the cost and rewards of helping a person in need. Sometimes we may decide it is too costly to intervene
The presence of others
We are more likely to help others when we are alone than when other people are present.
It is hard to determine whether or not a situation is in fact an emergency. we do not want to look foolish.
We have to assume full responsibility when we are alone. when others are present, there is diffusion of responsibility.
The cost of helping
We weigh up the cost and rewards of helping a person in need. Sometimes we may decide it is too costly to intervene:
We may get hurt,
inconvenienced,
lose money.
Dispositional factors affecting bystander behaviour
Similarity to victim
When there are similarities between the bystander and the person in need, the bystander is more likely to offer help. Personal characteristics make it easier to empathize with them because we can put ourself in their shoes.
Expertise
Bystanders are more likely to offer help when they believe they have the skills required to help someone in a specific situation. e.g if a swimmer is in trouble how can we help if we cannot swim ourselves.
Piliavins subway study aim
To investigate whether the appearance of a victim would influence helping behaviour
Piliavins subway study design
Field experiment where there was little control of possible extraneous variables. Male and female passengers who travelled on the 8th avenue subway.
Piliavins subway study method
An actor pretended to collapse in a train carriage. His appearance was altered. in 38 trials he appeared to be drunk. In 65 trials he appeared to be sober and carried a walking stick. Observers recorded how often and how quickly the victim was helped
Piliavins subway study results
When the victim carried a walking a stick he received help within 70 seconds and 95 percent of the time. When he appeared to be drunk he received help within 70 seconds 50 % of the time
Piliavins subway study conclusion
A persons appearance will affect whether or not they receive help and how quickly this help is given
Piliavins subway study Evaluation
:) Carried out in a natural setting. Behaviour displayed is more accurate to real life, so the study has a higher ecological validity.
:(
Antisocial behavior
When people do not act in socially acceptable ways or consider the rights of others
Collective behaviour
The way in which people act when they are part of a group
Social factors affecting collective behavior
Social loafing
We assume that people work better as part of a team than when they work alone. however this is not always the case. individuals put less effort into complete into a task as part of a group than when they are alone. diffusion of responsibility.
Deinviduation
We lose our sense of individuality in group situations because we feel anonymous. We are less able to monitor our own behavior and judge whether actions are right or wrong because we behave as a crown rather than individuals
Culture
Social loafing does not seem to occur in collectivist cultures like China because people are prepared to work just as hard for the good of the whole group even when they do not need to.
Dispositional factors affecting collective behaviour
Personality
Some people have internal locus of control. This means they believe that they can control the things that happen to them. These people take greater responsibility for their own behavior so they are less likely to conform to the behavior of those around them.
Morality
Whether people behave in a pro or antisocial way depends on an individuals morality. This is their sense of what is right and what is wrong.
