Social Influence Keywords Flashcards
Conformity
change in behaviour as result of real or imagined pressure from a group
Internalisation
where we take on the majority view because we accept it as correct - leads to permanent change in behaviour
Identification
act in same way of group because we value it but don’t necessarily agree
Compliance
go along with majority but privately disagree
Informational social influence
agree with majority because we believe it is correct, need to be right - lead to internalisation
Social roles
people play as members of various social groups
Task difficulty
line judging is more difficult, makes it harder to work out the answer, conformity increases as they believe the majority is right
Unanimity
extent to which all members of group agree
Group size
adding more confederates, increasing size of majority - conformity increased
Normative social influence
agree with majority because we want to be accepted, gain social approval and be liked - lead to compliance
Obedience
following a direct order, usually from an authoritative figure
Situational variables
- proximity
- location
- uniform
Proximity
distance of authority figure
Location
place where order is issued, status or prestige associated with location
Uniform
outfit that is symbolic of their authority
Dispositional explanation
highlights importance of individual’s personality
Binding factors
ignore or minimise the damaging effect of their behaviour and reduce moral strain
Autonomous state
person is free to behave according to their own principles and feels responsible for their own actions
Legitimacy of authority
more likely to obey people who we perceive to have authority - legitimacy is justified by position in social hierarchy
Agentic state
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
Authoritarian personality
obeying people in authority, submissive to those of higher status and dismissive of inferiors
Resistance to social influence
ability to withstand social pressure to conform to the majority or obey authority
Social support
people who resist pressures to conform or obey can help others to do the same
Locus of control
internals believe they are responsible to what happens to them, externals believe it is the matter of luck or fate
Minority influence
minority persuades others to adopt their beliefs - leads to internalisation
Consistency
most effective if minority keeps the same belief over time
Commitment
minority demonstrates dedication, may be through making sacrifices
Flexibility
more effective if accepting the possibility of compromise
Synchronic consistency
internal consistency between group members
Diachronic consistency
consistency over time
Social change
whole societies adopt new attitudes, beliefs and ways of doing things
Social influence
individuals and groups change each other’s attitudes and behaviours
Snowball effect
number of people switching from the majority to the minority increases - the more it happens, the faster the rate of conversion
Argumentation principle
cause may attract attention of the majority group members causing them to consider the alternate viewpoint
