Social psychology Key Words

Question 1

Agentic state

Answer 1

A mental state where we feel no personal responsibility for our behaviour as we feel we are acting for an authority figure.

This frees us from our conscience and allows us to obey even a destructive authority figure

Question 2

Legitimacy of authority

Answer 2

An explanation for obedience which suggests that we are more likely to obey people who we perceive to have authority over us.

This authority is justified by the individuals position of power within the social hierarchy.

Question 3

Autonomous state

Answer 3

Means to be independent or free free

To behave according to their own principles and therefore feels a sense of responsibility for their own actions.

Question 4

Binding factors

Answer 4

Being reluctant to disrupt the experiment

Pressures of the surroundings e.g. legitimate authority and financial incentive

Question 5

Destructive authority

Answer 5

compliance with the direct or indirect orders of a social, military, or moral authority that results in negative outcomes, such as injury to innocent victims, harm to the community, or the loss of confidence in social institutions.

Question 6

Conformity

Answer 6

Yielding to group pressure

Question 7

Compliance (conformity)

Answer 7

Publicly but not privately going along with the majority influence to gain approval/avoid ridicule.

Week/temporary and only shown in the presence of a group

Question 8

Internalisation (conformity)

Answer 8

True Conformity
Click and private acceptance of majority influence through adoption of the majority group’s belief system

Longer more permanent form of conformity as it is maintained outside of the group’s pressure

Question 9

identification (conformity)

Answer 9

Public and private acceptance of majority influence in order to gain group acceptance

stronger form of conformity but still temporary don’t always agree with the group

Question 10

Situational (conformity)

Answer 10

Explanations that focus on the influences that stem from the environment which that individual is found

Question 11

Dispositional (conformity)

Answer 11

Explanation of individual behaviour are caused by internal characteristics that reside within the individuals personality e.g. authoritarian personality

Question 12

Conventialism

Answer 12

Adhering to conventional norms

Question 13

NSI (Normative social influence)

Answer 13

It is an emotional process rather than a cognitive one.
an explanation of conformity that says we agree with the opinion of the majority because we want to be accepted, gain social approval and be liked. People do not like to seem foolish. We want to gain social approval.

Question 14

ISI (Informational social influence)

Answer 14

Is a cognitive process because it is to do with what you think. ISI is an explanation of conformity that says we agree with the opinion of the majority because we believe it is correct.

Question 15

Resistance to social influence

Answer 15

The ability of people to withstand the social pressure to conform to the majority or to obey authority.
This ability is influenced by situational and dispositional factors.

Question 16

locus of control

Answer 16

Refers to the sense we each have about what directs event in our lives.
INTERNALS - believe they are mostly responsible for what happens to them.
EXTERNALS - believe it is mainly a matter of luck or other outside forces.

This can be tested by the: Rotter (1966), Locus of control Test

Question 17

Social change

Answer 17

This occurs when whole societies rather than just individuals, adopt new attitudes, beliefs and ways doing things

Question 18

Social Cryptomnesia

Answer 18

The public opinion changes gradually over time and is accepted as the norm

Question 19

Social identity theory

Answer 19

When a group creates a shared identity as a cohesive group