Social Influence and Conformity

Question 1

Conformity

Answer 1

Behavior change designed to match the actions of others

Question 2

Compliance

Answer 2

Behavior change that occurs as a result of a direct request

Question 3

Obedience

Answer 3

Compliance that occurs in response to a directive from an authority figure

Question 4

Informational influence

Answer 4

Influence due to the belief that others are behaving correctly

Question 5

Autokinetic effect

Answer 5

Participants are placed in dark room and asked to estimate how far a light moves in inches. It is hard to tell how far the light moves w/out visual cues of spatial relevance. Do the task first alone, then with other actual participants
Results:
In trials 1,2,3 all 3 participants were together
Over time, participants began to conform to each other

Question 6

Panic/Mass hysteria

Answer 6

Seeing others engage in an “inappropriate” response to
ambiguous stimuli can cause us to react with the same
response, which can lead to ill informed panic

Question 7

Public compliance vs. private acceptance

Answer 7

Conforming can lead to private acceptance
* Genuine belief that what others are doing or saying is
right
Conforming can lead to public acceptance
* Complying with others’ behavior without accepting what
they are doing as correct
You can tell something is only publicly accepted or not based on if the person still does it when alone

Question 8

Normative influence

Answer 8

Influence due to the fears of negative social consequences of appearing deviant

Question 9

Asch’s line judgment study

Answer 9

Answer is obvious
* Confederates give wrong answer
* They all say B, most participants conform at least once Conformity does not increase after group size reaches 3 – 4
* Just one confederate that goes against the majority choice
can reduce conformity by as much as 80%

Question 10

Implicit vs explicit norms

Answer 10

Implicit norms are what we just know to do based on customs/experience and such. Explicit norms are ones explicitly listed/explained such as laws.

Question 11

Descriptive vs prescriptive (injunctive) norms

Answer 11

D: Perception of the prevalence of a behavior
Where the group/society/ culture is
Violations are seen as odd (essentially stenotypes)

P: Perception of what is commonly approved or disapproved of in a group/society/culture
Where the group should be, not where it is
Violations are seen as bad

Question 12

Resisting normative influence

Answer 12

Past conformity works as a pass for future non-conformity
People who usually conform are given a “pass” to not conform every once in a while
A group member can criticize the group from within and affect change
Can frame the change as consistent with group values

Question 13

Using social influence for good (anti-bullying study)

Answer 13

what it says

Question 14

Pluralistic ignorance

Answer 14

the (incorrect) belief that one’s personal
attitudes are different from the majorities’ attitudes, and thus one goes along with what they think others think

Question 15

Petrified forest study

Answer 15

Negative injunctive norms are most effective

Question 16

Podcast: Invisibilia “Somali TV Show aims to change the world”

Answer 16

Essentially change of perspective of norms and thus how they act, but not inherently their beliefs.