Social Influences on behaviour Flashcards
what is a group
two or more people who interact with each other, are influenced by each other and who share a common purpose
define power
Power is the ability a person has to get someone to do something for someone else
what are the types of power
reward coercive informative legitimate expert referent
whats reward power
ability to provide a desired response
whats coercive power
the ability to use an unpleasant consequence
whats informative power
having knowledge others desire
whats legitimate power
power is given by a higher authority
whats expert power
power is due to skills or depth of knowledge
whats referent power
power comes from the desire to relate to the (powerful) person
what are the three styles of leadership
democratic, authoritarian and laissez-faire
democratic leadership
the leader negotiates with the group and takes their views into account when making decisions
authoritarian leadership
leader makes all the decisions with no consultation/ negotiation and controls behaviour of all members of the group
laissez-faire leadership
a ‘leader’ is present but takes no part in the groups dynamics or decision making. There is no real structure or authority.
what is meta analysis
research that examines the results of other studies and combines all findings to develop a conclusion
what is helping behaviour
Also known as prosocial behaviour, it is that which benefits other people and society in general. It is voluntary and it is intended to benefit others.
factors that influence helping behaviour
- Empathy: Our emotional response to a persons distress
- Mood: Generally, people who are in a good mood are more likely to demonstrate pro social behaviour than people who are in a bad mood.
- Competence: the way bystanders perceive their competence to deal with a situation/emergency will influence whether they will provide help
bystander intervention
the act of a person voluntarily helping someone else
bystander effect
a phenomenon where a bystander is more likely to help others in an emergancy when he/she is alone rather then when they are surrounded by other bystanders.
whats a social norm
A norm is a a form of action or behaviour that is standardised and expected in society, they are learned and provide a background for human social interaction
social responsibility norm
the expectation that members of a society will provide help to someone who are dependent or in need, without the expectation of the favour being returned
reciprocity norm
‘do unto others as they do unto you’
the social expectation that you will respond in kind to someone who has helped you or done you a favour
what are the factors affecting conformity
normative influence, culture, informational influence, group size, unanimity, deindividuation, social loafing
normative influence
refers to a persons tendency to go along with the group so that they will fit in and gain the approval of other group members
culture
individualist culture: when your focused on yourself to achieve your own goals
collectivist culture: about group goals rather than individual goals
e.g. in easter cultures its rude to point out others mistakes
informational influence
when we conform to others because we believe they have more knowledge about the situation/ accurate information
e.g. asking a friend which spice to use example
group size
groups tend to work most productively in groups of 3-4’s. work efficiency decreases in groups larger than this
unanimity
the agreement by all people involved. when everyone agrees the group works better and is harmonious (everyone goes along with ideas)
deindividuation
participants cannot be identified by other group members. participants are less likely to conform when they are deindividualised. e.g. prisoners were given numbers and were only known as their numbers, dehumanised. increases conformity
social loafing
the tendency of an individual to reduce their effort when working in a group compared with when they are alone
what are the personal characteristics of the helper
empathy, mood, alturism, competence. these will influence a persons pro social behaviour
empathy
our emotional response to someone else’s distress
mood
how we are feeling on the day. generally people who are in a good mood are more likely to demonstrate pro social behaviour than people who are in a bad mood
competence
their skills/ ability to help. e.g. more likely to help someone who is injured if you have first aid training etc
altruism
a unique influence on pro social behaviour where, for no personal gain and sometimes at a great personal cost, a person helps others due to a deeply felt concern for human beings
diffusion of responsibility
Where the presence of others leads each bystander to believe they have less responsibility for helping the person in need. “Someone else will do it”
audience inhibition
Where people are afraid that others will judge them by their actions if they step into help/ make an incorrect move while helping. Makes the potential helper feel self conscious and thus inhibits helping behaviour
social influence
The reaction of other bystanders will influence the likelihood of help. e.g. if someone jumps in to help you are more likely to assist yourself, if no one is helping you are less likely to help.
proximity of the victim
The proximity of the victim to the bystander influences the action of the potential helper. The greater the distance between the victim and the bystander, the less responsible the bystander will feel
nature of the bystander
The nature of the bystander can influence the potential to help. Depends on a range of factors including mood, relationship with the victim, an individuals past experiences with helping behaviour, level of moral development and personality.
cost benefit analysis
When a bystander is confronted with an emergency, he or she weighs up the costs and benefits of providing help compared with not helping.
bullying
a form of behaviour where an individual or group will intentionally and repeatedly cause another person physical or mental injury
types of bullying
physical, emotional, cyber
the decision stage model of helping (five stages)
The decision stage model of helping is a model of the situational influences on bystander interventions. it says that when confronted with a situation that might require assistance, potential helpers go trough five stages before deciding whether to help or not.
These stages include;
1. Noticing the need for help
2. Deciding whether the situation is an emergency
3. Deciding to take responsibility
4. Deciding on a way to help
5. Taking action to help
prosocial behaviour biological
sees prosocial behaviour as genetic - humans naturally asist others as a way of protecting our common gene pool
prosocial behaviour environmental
suggests prosocial behaviour is learned during the socialisation process. children can learn prosocial behaviour by copying others around them, and through being rewarded for appropriate behaviour
prosocial behaviour interaction of biological and environmental
suggests that prosocial behaviour is both biological and environmental (nature and nurture)
positive influences of advertising and the media on individuals and groups
cultural and political awareness quick and easy access to the media and information educational sites youtube online shopping
negative influences of advertising and the media
social isolation privacy at risk exposure to online predators misinformation distraction
kitty genovese
demonstrates the bystander effect (murder case study)
