Social norms and conformity

Question 1

Conformity

Answer 1

Change in behavior because of the influence of other people (real or imagined presence)

Question 2

Social norms

Answer 2

Guidelines that establish what behaviors, beliefs, and/or values are acceptable in a particular context

Question 3

Functions of norms

Answer 3

Master the world and increase/maintain connection with others

Question 4

Informational social influence

Answer 4

Conform to others’ behavior because we believe their interpretation of a situation is correct

Question 5

Normative social influence

Answer 5

Conform to others’ behavior because we want to be accepted by them

Question 6

Study on informational social influence

Answer 6

Had participants view a light in a dark room alone - auto-kinetic effect, had to judge how much it moves (varies by person); had participants view light with 2 other participants, over several trials they started to converge on the same answer

Question 7

Private acceptance

Answer 7

Informational social influence, genuinely believe information even when we are alone

Question 8

Public compliance

Answer 8

Want to be accepted, perform behavior even though we don’t necessarily believe it

Question 9

Study on normative social influence (Asch, lines)

Answer 9

Presented with a line and 2 comparison lines, had to choose the one closest in length (obvious answer); confederates give right answer first then wrong answer in subsequent trials; most participants conformed on at least one trial; follow up study, participants write down answer instead, conformed much less

Question 10

Social impact theory

Answer 10

Three factors that contribute to normative social influence: strength (how important group is to you), immediacy (how close group is physically), and number (how big group is)

Question 11

Follow up on Asch study

Answer 11

Participants given an ally, much less likely to conform

Question 12

Minority influence

Answer 12

Occurs when a minority of group members influence behaviors or beliefs of the majority of the group

Question 13

Injunctive norms

Answer 13

Perceptions of what others want us to do/ not do

Question 14

Descriptive norms

Answer 14

What we notice others actually doing in certain situations regardless of how desirable behavior is

Question 15

Study on injunctive vs descriptive norms (hotel towels)

Answer 15

Gave guests either standard sign (appeal to save environment, injunctive norm) or manipulated sign (join your fellow guests to help save environment - 75% reuse towels, descriptive norm); reusing rates were significantly higher with descriptive norms sign

Question 16

Door-in-the-face technique

Answer 16

Ask for a really big request expecting refusal and then ask for a smaller request that you actually wanted

Question 17

Study on door-in-the-face (volunteering)

Answer 17

Either asked students to spend 2 hours chaperoning a trip or asked them to spend 2 years volunteering then asked for 2 hours; more likely to say yes in second condition; why - you say no and are sensitive to the fact that the other person made a concession, so you want to concede as well and say yes to the next request (reciprocity)

Question 18

Foot-in-the-door technique

Answer 18

First make a small request, then later make a larger request

Question 19

Study on foot-in-the-door (yard sign)

Answer 19

Asked participants if they would put up an ugly large sign vs asked if they would put up a small sticker then later asked if they would put up an ugly large sign; more likely to say yes in second condition; why - committed to being agreeable/supporting the cause, if you say no to second request you experience cognitive dissonance

Question 20

Lowball procedure

Answer 20

Offer a good deal, then “something happens” to make the deal less desirable (person wants to behave consistently with initial commitment, works best when initial commitment is public)

Question 21

Lure/bait and switch

Answer 21

First ask someone to do something appealing, then say you actually need them to do another task instead

Question 22

That’s-not-all technique

Answer 22

Initial request followed by something that sweetens the deal before the person can answer

Question 23

Deadline technique

Answer 23

Sales are effective when they say the deadline is coming up

Question 24

Playing hard to get

Answer 24

Making it seem like many other people want you/what you’re selling

Question 25

When do we conform to informational social influence

Answer 25

When situation is ambiguous, during a crisis, and when others are experts

Question 26

Boomerang effect

Answer 26

Efforts to change behavior using norms backfires; people performing behavior at a below-average level have a risk of performing it higher compared to people performing at an above-average level

Question 27

Propaganda

Answer 27

Systematic attempt to shape perceptions, manipulate cognitions, and direct behavior to achieve a response that furthers the desired intent