Social Influence Theories Flashcards
Types and Explanations of Conformity-Internalisation
Occurs when a person genuinely accepts the group norms. Change happens in private as well as public. It is a permanent change
Types and Explanations of Conformity-Identification
We conform to the group because we identify with it. We not agree with their stance, but we conform in public
Types and Explanations of Conformity-Compliance
“Going along with others”. A short term change where the opinion stops once the group pressure stops
Types and Explanations of Conformity-Informational Social Influence
Occurs when we agree with the opinion of the majority because we think that it is correct, and we want to be correct. It is likely to happen it situations when we don’t know what behaviour is right
Types and Explanations of Conformity-Normative Social Influence
It is an emotional process, where we behave with the norms of society to gain social approval. It is likely to occur in situations where we feel concerned about rejection and/or social approval
Types and Explanations of Conformity-Evaluation
+Research support for ISI-Lucas et al study
- Individual differences play as huge role in NSI- some people are not concerned about other approval, while others crave it
- ISI and NSI work together-Are they two different processes in human conformity?
Obedience:Social-Psychological Factors-Agentic State
We are in an Agentic state when we obey an destructive authority figure, according to Milgram. We act as an “agent” as believe we are acting for someone else. We experience high anxiety when we realise what we are doing is wrong, but feel powerless to disobey
Obedience:Social-Psychological Factors-Agentic State-Autonomous State
The opposite of the agentic state, we are able to control our own actions
Obedience:Social-Psychological Factors-Agentic State Agentic Shift
The shift between the autonomous state and the agentic state. This occurs when we perceive someone as a figure of authority
Obedience:Social-Psychological Factors-Agentic State- Evaluation
+Research support-Blass and Schmitt study
-Limited Explanation- doesn’t explain why people can disobey in some situations, but not others
Obedience:Social-Psychological Factors-Legitimacy of Authority
People who are higher up the social hierarchy have more influence over others. They have to power to punish other. People learn the respect those who have legitimate authority from childhood
Obedience:Social-Psychological Factors-Legitimacy of Authority-Evaluation
+A useful account of cultural differences
Obedience: Dispositional Explanations- The Authoritarian Personality-Characteristics
People with the authoritarian personality obey authority and show extreme respect for it. They care about a persons social status, and show conventional attitudes towards sex, race and society. They try to enforce traditional values and have inflexible opinions. Everything in right or wrong, there is no grey area
Obedience: Dispositional Explanations- The Authoritarian Personality-Origins
They had an extremely strict and harsh upbringing, as their parents demanded absolute loyalty, had very high standards and experienced conditional love. This creates resentment that the child cannot express against their parents as they are scared of the repercussions. These fears are displaces on people they see as lower than them or inferior
Obedience: Dispositional Explanations- The Authoritarian Personality-Evaluation
+Research support-Elms study
- Limited Explanation-There is an alternative theory-Social identity theory
- Right wing bias-Cannot account for obedience across the whole political spectrum
Resistance to Social Influence-Social Support-Conformity
The pressure to conform can be reduced if other people are not conforming. The non-conforming individual is seen as a model to others
Resistance to Social Influence-Social Support-Obedience
The pressure to obey can be reduced if other people are not obeying
Resistance to Social Influence-Social Support-Evaluation
+Both resistance to obedience and conformity have research to support it- Gamson, Allen and Levine
Resistance to Social Influence-Locus of Control
Internals see things that happen to them are controlled by themselves. External see things happen without their own control
Resistance to Social Influence-Locus of Control-Resistance to social influence
Internals are more resistance to social influence, because they tend to be more confident and have less need for social approval
Resistance to Social Influence-Locus of Control-Evaluation
+Research support-Holland
-Contradictory Research-Twenge et al
Minority Influence-Consistency
The consistency of the minorities views increases the amount of interest from other people. This might be from agreement from other member from the minority (Synchronic Consistency). This consistency makes other people start to rethink their own views
Minority Influence-Commitment
Occasionally, minority member engage in activities that can be at some risk to them. These risky activities help show how committed they are to the cause. Majority group members will now pay attention. This is called the Augmentation Principle
Minority Influence-Flexibility
Being extremely consistent but repeating the same thing and doing the same behaviours over and over again can be seen as inflexible, and will not result in anyone changing their viewpoint. Members of the minority should adapt their point of view and accept reasonable and valid counter arguments
Minority Influence-The Process of Change
If you hear something new, you think about it. This deeper processing is important to converting to a different viewpoint. Over time, increasing numbers of people converting to the minority view means that the rate of conversion is high. This is called the snowball effect. This change could cause actual change to occur
Minority Influence-Evaluation
+Research Support-Moscovici study and Wood’s Study
+Research support for depth of thought-Martin
-Artificial stimulus and tasks used in studies
Social Change-Role of Minority Influence-The process of Social Change
1-Drawing attention though proof
2-Consistency of message
3-Deeper Processing of the issue
4-The augmentation Principal-the attributional tendency to assign greater influence to a particular cause or rationale of behaviour if there are other factors present that normally would produce a different outcome.
5-The snowball effect
6-Social Cryptomnesia-people have a memory that change occurred
Social Change-Lessons from conformity research
NSI can lead to social change by drawing attention to what the majority is doing
Social Change-Lessons from obedience research
Disobedient role models decreases obedience. Gradual commitment is how obedience can lead to a social change
Social Change-Evaluation
+Research Support-Nolan et al’s study
- Minority influence is only indirectly effective
- Doubts over the role of deeper processing
