Social Influence - Types of Influence

Question 2

Types of Influence

this concept, coined by Brehm & Brehm (1981), occurs when people feel that pressure to behave in a particular way threatens their personal freedom and they attempt to regain their freedom by, for example, doing the opposite of what has been requested or by acting aggressively toward the person who made the request

Answer 2

psychological reactance

Question 3

Types of Influence

describe the Milgram experiment (Milgram, 1974)

Answer 3

• subjects were told they would be “teachers” who would be responsible for getting a “learner” (actually a confederate/actor) to learn a list of words
• experimenter was in room w/ “teachers” & ordered them to give an electric shock to “learners” each time the learner made a mistake, with increasing intensity
• “teachers” continued administering shocks to “learners” depite learners screaming in pain

Question 4

Types of Influence

list Milgram’s (1974)1 conclusion from the Milgram experiment

Answer 4

• conclusion: that subjects obeyed the experimenter because the situation put them in an “agentic state” (the condition a person is in when he sees himself as an agent for carrying out another person’s wishes)

i.e., because they didn’t believe they were responsible for their actions

Question 5

Types of Influence

list 3 alternative explanations for the Milgram (1974) Experiment

Answer 5

1) the situation was novel & subjects were uncertain about how to behave
2) the face pace of the study didn’t give subjects time to reflect on what they were doing
3) the increase in shock intensity was gradual & reduced the subjects’ ability to recognize when the experimenter’s orders became unreasonable

Question 6

Types of Influence

results of Burger’s (2009) study replicating the Milgram (1974) Experiment

Answer 6

• similar results with no statistically significant different (e.g., 70% vs. 82.5% continued administering a shock at 150 volts
• male & female subjects did not differ in willingness to deliver shock

Question 7

Types of Influence

this researcher was one of the first to investigate conformity to group norms with his study that used the autokinetic phenomenon. Describe the results of this study

Answer 7

Sherif (1935); subjects conformed to the norm, even when the stimulus was ambiguous & it was obvious that the estimates made by the group were wrong

Question 8

Types of Influence

according to Sherif’s (1935) study examining conformity to group norms, this term refers to an optical illusion in which a stationary point of light seems to move in a dark room

Answer 8

autokinetic phenomenon

Question 9

Types of Influence

this occurs when people conform to the judgments of others because they think others know more than they do, helps explain conformity in ambiguous situations, and is likely to lead to private (genuine) acceptance of the judgments of others

Answer 9

informational influence

Question 10

Types of Influence

this occurs when people conform to the judgments of others to avoid their ridicul or rejection, helps explain conformity in ambiguous situations, and is likely to lead to public acceptance (compliance) without a real change in judgment

Answer 10

normative influence

Question 11

Types of InfluenceTypes of Influence

this two-step process involves 1) the influence making a small request that most people would agree to, and when the person agrees, 2) the influence makes a larger request.

Answer 11

foot-in-the-door technique

Question 12

Types of Influence

list 1 explanation for the effectiveness of the foot-in-the-door technique

Answer 12

people usually want to act in consistent ways, and turning down the second request would be inconsistent

Question 13

Types of Influence

this two-step process involves 1) the influencer first making a large request that most people would request, and when the person turns it down, 2) the influencer makes a smaller request

Answer 13

foot-in-the-face technique

Question 14

Types of Influence

list 2 explanation for the effectiveness of the foot-in-the-face technique

Answer 14

1) perceptual contrast
2) the norm of mutual reciprocity

Question 15

Types of Influence

this term is associated with th foot-in-the-face technique and occurs when, after hearing the first request, a person thinks the second request sounds more reasonable

Answer 15

perceptual contrast

Question 16

Types of Influence

this term is associated with the foot-in-the-face technique and occurs when a person feels they must reciprocate the influencer’s concession by agreeing to the second request

Answer 16

the norm of mutual reciprocity