Social Influence key terms Flashcards
Conformity
A change in a person’s benaviour or opinions as a result of real or imagined pressure from a person or group of people.
Internalisation
Where people change their beliefs permanently
Identification
Where people change their beliefs (sometimes temporarily) to fit in with a group
Compliance
Superficial type of conformity where people conform publicly but privately disagree.
Informational social influence (ISI)
Where people conform because information is given to them. This leads to internalisation
Normative social influence (NSI)
Where people conform to fit in or not be excluded from the group.
Group size
Asch increased the group size by adding more confederates, conformity increased with group size up until a majority of 3 where it levelled.
Unanimity
Complete agreement from a group of people about an issue or question.
Task difficulty
Asch’s line judging task is more difficult when it becomes harder to work out the correct answer.
Social roles
The parts individuals play as part of a social group
Obedience
Complying with the demands of an authority figure
Situational variables
Features of an environment that affect the degree to which individuals yield to group pressures.
Proximity
The physical closeness or distance of an authority figure, and in Milgram’s research the teacher and learner distance
Location
The place where the order is given, the prestige and status are the relevant factors that influence obedience.
Uniform
People in positions of authority often have a specific outfit, this indicates who is entitled to our obedience.
Agentic state
Individual carries out the orders of another person, acting as their agent with little personal responsibility
Legitimacy of authority
An explanation for obedience which suggests that we are more likely to obey people who we perceive to have authority over us. This authority is justified by the individuals power within the social hierarchy
Dispositional explanation
An explanation of benaviour that highlights the importance of personality
Authoritarian personality
A person who has extreme respect for authority and is obedient to those who have power over them.
Resistance to social influence
Refers to the ability of people to withstand the social pressure to conform to the majority or to obey authority. The ability to withstand is influenced by situational and disposition factors.
Social support
Perception of assistance and solidarity available from others.
Locus of control (LOC)
Extent to which individuals believe they can control events in their lives.
Minority influence
Where an individual or small group influence attitudes and behaviour of a larger group.
Consistency
Minority infivencei’s most effective if the minority keeps the same beliefs, both overtime and between all the individuals that form the minority, its effective because it draws attention to the minority view.
Commitment
Minority influence is more powerful if the minority demonstrates dedication to their position, for example, by making personal sacrifices. This is effective because it shows the minority is not acting out of self-interest.
Flexibility
Relentless consistency could be counter-productive if it is seen by the majority as unbending and unreasonable. Therefore minority influence is more effective if the minority accept the possibility of compromise.
Social influence
The process by which individuals and groups change each other’s attitudes and behaviours, includes conformity, obedience and minority influence.
Social change
The process by which attitudes, beliefs and norms of acceptable behaviour vary over time.
