Social Influence Key Terms Flashcards
What is Conformity?
A form of social influence when someone changes their behaviour and adopts someone else’s attitudes and values due to the influence of people around them.
What is Compliance?
A superficial and temporary type of conformity where we outwardly go along with the majority view, but privately disagree with it. The change in our behaviour only lasts as long as the group is monitoring us.
What is Internalisation?
A type of conformity where we take on the majority view because we accept it as correct. It leads to a far-reaching and permanent change in behaviour.
What is Identification?
A moderate type of conformity where we act in the same way as the group because we value it and want to be a part of it. But we don’t necessarily agree with everything the group/majority believes in.
What is Normative Social Influence?
An explanation of conformity that says we agree with the opinion of the majority because we want to gain social approval and be liked.
What is Informational Social Influence?
An explanation of conformity that says we agree with the opinion of the majority because we believe it is correct. We accept it because we want to be correct as well.
What are Social Roles?
The ‘parts’ people play as members of various social groups, accompanied by expectations we and others have of what is appropriate behaviour in each role.
What is Obedience?
A form of social influence in which an individual follows a direct order, usually from a figure of authority who has the power to punish when obedient behaviour is not forthcoming.
What are Situational Variables?
Features of the immediate physical and social environment which may influence a person’s behaviour (e.g. noise, temperature, lighting and location).
What are Dispositional Variables?
Any explanation of behaviour that highlights the importance of the individual’s personality (e.g. personality traits, temperament and genetics).
What is Agentic State?
A mental state where we feel no personal responsibility for our behaviour because we believe ourselves to be acting on behalf of an authority figure.
What is Autonomous State?
A state where we feel free to behave according to our own principles and feel a sense of responsibility for our actions.
What are Binding Factors?
Aspects of the situation which allow us to minimise the effect of our behaviour (e.g. blaming the victim).
What is Agentic Shift?
The switch between the autonomous and agentic state that occurs when we perceive someone to be a legitimate source of authority and allow them to control our behaviour.
What is the 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’ position of power within a social hierarchy.
