Social Influence Keywords

Question 1

Conformity

Answer 1

change in behaviour as result of real or imagined pressure from a group

Question 2

Internalisation

Answer 2

where we take on the majority view because we accept it as correct - leads to permanent change in behaviour

Question 3

Identification

Answer 3

act in same way of group because we value it but don’t necessarily agree

Question 4

Compliance

Answer 4

go along with majority but privately disagree

Question 5

Informational social influence

Answer 5

agree with majority because we believe it is correct, need to be right - lead to internalisation

Question 6

Social roles

Answer 6

people play as members of various social groups

Question 7

Task difficulty

Answer 7

line judging is more difficult, makes it harder to work out the answer, conformity increases as they believe the majority is right

Question 8

Unanimity

Answer 8

extent to which all members of group agree

Question 9

Group size

Answer 9

adding more confederates, increasing size of majority - conformity increased

Question 10

Normative social influence

Answer 10

agree with majority because we want to be accepted, gain social approval and be liked - lead to compliance

Question 11

Obedience

Answer 11

following a direct order, usually from an authoritative figure

Question 12

Situational variables

Answer 12

• proximity
• location
• uniform

Question 13

Proximity

Answer 13

distance of authority figure

Question 14

Location

Answer 14

place where order is issued, status or prestige associated with location

Question 15

Uniform

Answer 15

outfit that is symbolic of their authority

Question 16

Dispositional explanation

Answer 16

highlights importance of individual’s personality

Question 17

Binding factors

Answer 17

ignore or minimise the damaging effect of their behaviour and reduce moral strain

Question 18

Autonomous state

Answer 18

person is free to behave according to their own principles and feels responsible for their own actions

Question 19

Legitimacy of authority

Answer 19

more likely to obey people who we perceive to have authority - legitimacy is justified by position in social hierarchy

Question 20

Agentic state

Answer 20

mental state where you feel no personal responsibility for our own actions because we believe to be acting as an agent on behalf of someone else

Question 21

Authoritarian personality

Answer 21

obeying people in authority, submissive to those of higher status and dismissive of inferiors

Question 22

Resistance to social influence

Answer 22

ability to withstand social pressure to conform to the majority or obey authority

Question 23

Social support

Answer 23

people who resist pressures to conform or obey can help others to do the same

Question 24

Locus of control

Answer 24

internals believe they are responsible to what happens to them, externals believe it is the matter of luck or fate

Question 25

Minority influence

Answer 25

minority persuades others to adopt their beliefs - leads to internalisation

Question 26

Consistency

Answer 26

most effective if minority keeps the same belief over time

Question 27

Commitment

Answer 27

minority demonstrates dedication, may be through making sacrifices

Question 28

Flexibility

Answer 28

more effective if accepting the possibility of compromise

Question 29

Synchronic consistency

Answer 29

internal consistency between group members

Question 30

Diachronic consistency

Answer 30

consistency over time

Question 31

Social change

Answer 31

whole societies adopt new attitudes, beliefs and ways of doing things

Question 32

Social influence

Answer 32

individuals and groups change each other’s attitudes and behaviours

Question 33

Snowball effect

Answer 33

number of people switching from the majority to the minority increases - the more it happens, the faster the rate of conversion

Question 34

Argumentation principle

Answer 34

cause may attract attention of the majority group members causing them to consider the alternate viewpoint