SP: Norms and Behaviour

Question 1

What is required for norms to influence

Answer 1

if the norm is activated and thus the most activated norm is often followed

Question 2

What three ways can norms be activated?

Answer 2

Direct reminders, environments and groups

Question 3

What happens in regards to norms if we encounter an environment repeatedly?

Answer 3

we make mental associations between the environment and norms that apply there. When these mental connections are so well learned the environment itself can activate the appropriate behaviour.

Question 4

What about a group activates the groups norms?

Answer 4

The thing that makes groups salient activates the group’s norms.

Question 5

What is the effect of the presence of group members on norms?

Answer 5

The more group members who are present, the more accessible and effective the group norm is.

Question 6

What is the effect of out-group comparisons on norms?

Answer 6

Out-group comparisons can change the perception of a norm and change behaviour.

Question 7

What is the effect of biased estimates?

Answer 7

Biased estimates can lead us to follow the crowd although the estimate about what the crowd is doing is false.

Question 8

What happens if behavioural and injunctive norms mismatch?

Answer 8

If descriptive and injunctive norms mismatch, behavioural intentions are low.

Question 9

What does the type of norms people use depend on?

Answer 9

The motivation and ability to think about it. If someone does not have the motivation and/or ability to think about it, descriptive norms are used, otherwise, injunctive norms are used.

Question 10

Which norm has stronger effect on behavioural intention?

Answer 10

Injunctive Norms

Question 11

Why are social norms accepted

Answer 11

People accept group consensus as truly reflecting reality and expressing the kind of people they are.

Question 12

What is the effect of surveillance on conformity?

Answer 12

Surveillance undermines group identity and decreases conformity

Question 13

How may norms be enforced in groups

Answer 13

Reward and punishment.

Question 14

What is meant by the norm of reciprocity?

Answer 14

The norm of reciprocity is the shared view that people are obligated to return to others the goods, services and concessions they offer to us.

Question 15

What is the effect of adherence to the norm of reciprocity?

Answer 15

Adherence to this norm builds trust, strengthening the bonds that hold the group together

Question 16

What is the effect of this norm, even after paying back the favour?

Answer 16

People are more likely to accept another request.

Question 17

What is meant by the door in the face technique?

Answer 17

The door-in-the-face technique is a technique in which the influencer makes an initial request so large that it will be rejected, and follows it with a smaller request that looks like a concession, making it more likely that the other person will concede in turn.

Question 18

What norm does the door in the face technique activate? What conditions must be met?

Answer 18

Norm of reciprocity, the initial request must be large enough that it is sure to be refused but not so large that it will breed resentment or suspicion, the target must be given the chance to compromise and the second request must be related to the first request.

Question 19

What is meant by the norm of social commitment?

Answer 19

The shared view that people are required to honour their agreements and obligations.

Question 20

Describe the low-ball technique

Answer 20

A technique in which the influencer secures agreement with a request but then increases the cost of honouring the commitment.

Question 21

What is the influence of culture on these two norms? (Commitment and reciprocity)

Answer 21

The norm of social commitment and the norm of reciprocity are stronger in collectivistic cultures.

Question 22

What factors regarding participant, culture, setting or time are necessary for obedience to authority?

Answer 22

Obedience to authority can occur regardless of participant, culture, setting or time.

Question 23

What is meant by the norm of obedience to authority?

Answer 23

The norm of obedience to authority is the shared view that people should obey those with legitimate authority.

Question 24

How is legitimacy derived?

Answer 24

Legitimacy derives from the group.

Question 25

What conditions must be necessary for someone to obey authority?

Answer 25

The authority must be legitimate, authority must accept responsibility and the norm of obedience must be activated.

Question 26

What can convey status and power?

Answer 26

The facial expression, tone of voice, posture and emotional expression can all convey status and power.

Question 27

Name another obvious cue to authority

Answer 27

Uniform

Question 28

What is meant by the agent state?

Answer 28

The agentic state refers to people seeing themselves as the agent of the authority figure. They believe that they only perform actions of others and not their own.

Question 29

What is the effect of responsibility being displaced or diffused

Answer 29

If responsibility is displaced or diffused, people ignore the possibility that they could or should control their own behaviour.

Question 30

What is the effect of an obvious authority?

Answer 30

The more obvious the authority figure is, the more likely it is that the norm of obedience is activated

Question 31

Name two similar ways of suppress other norms that are compatible with obedience

Answer 31

Physically distancing oneself from the event is a way to suppress other norms that are incompatible with obedience. Psychologically distancing oneself works too.

Question 32

How may someone psychologically distance themselves?

Answer 32

Blaming the victim, sometimes a product of a just world belief

Question 33

Name a physical process that can reinforce legitimacy and acceptance of the norm of obedience; and a mental one which can maintain obedience once it occurs

Answer 33

The gradual escalation of obedience reinforces the legitimacy of the authority and the acceptance of the norm of obedience. Dissonance processes also help maintain obedience once it occurs.

Question 34

Name the three processes that lead to resistance rather than capitulation

Answer 34

Reactance, systematic processing, using norms against norms

Question 35

What is meant by reactance?

Answer 35

Reactance is the motive to protect or restore a threatened sense of behavioural freedom.

Question 36

How is reactance bypassed?

Answer 36

Reactance is bypassed if someone is perceived as having legitimate authority

Question 37

What can make people more susceptible to future influence attempts?

Answer 37

Attempting to resist social influence

Question 38

What three strategies can systematic processing take advantage of?

Answer 38

Thinking about the use of the norms, thinking about the relationships (reasserts an individual identity) and considering someone else’s view of the situation

Question 39

When is it best to offer an alternative view to the situation?

Answer 39

The sooner you offer an alternative the better, because the longer someone else’s definition of the situation is accepted, the harder it will be to resist.

Question 40

Explain using norms against norms

Answer 40

By providing an alternative consensus, the norm that requires obedience can be resisted

Question 41

What two factors can help instigate resistance to and rebellion from established norms?

Answer 41

Group-based anger and high group efficacy help instigate resistance to and rebellion from established norms.

Question 42

What two ways can attitudes and norms guide behaviour?

Answer 42

In the superficial route, attitudes and norms can guide behaviour rather simply and directly. In the thoughtful route, perceptions of control, attitudes and perceived norms are used in, order to guide behaviour.

Question 43

When is the superficial route most likely to be utilised?

Answer 43

Attitudes and norms are especially likely to affect behaviour directly when the resources and motivation to process systematically are not available.

Question 44

When attitudes and norms disagree, what will have a greater influence on behaviour?

Answer 44

When attitudes and norms disagree, their impact on behaviour depends on their relative accessibility. Whichever is more accessible will have a greater influence on behaviour. Individual attitudes tend to have more influence over private, individual behaviours.

Question 45

What is meant by social facilitation?

Answer 45

An increase in the likelihood of highly accessible responses and decrease in the likelihood of less accessible responses, due to the presence of others.

Question 46

What is the effect of expectancy on performance when being observed

Answer 46

If you expect to succeed you will do better, if you expect to fail you’ll do worse

Question 47

What two explanations are given for the effect of the arousal

Answer 47

Evaluation apprehension and distraction

Question 48

Explain distraction

Answer 48

As our want to react and our need to focus conflict, our scope of attention for the task grows narrower. This may improve importance on difficult tasks that required picking up a task relevant cue among irrelevant ones

Question 49

What are the rewards of social interdependence?

Answer 49

Feelings of connectedness, social and emotional rewards and a positive social identity

Question 50

What do people in isolation often report?

Answer 50

fear, insomnia, memory lapses, depression, fatigue and general confusion

Question 51

What was the result of a test telling people they’ll end up alone?

Answer 51

Act more aggressively, Perform worse on a cognitive aptitude test

Question 52

Give another term for social proof

Answer 52

Informational influence

Question 53

What is meant by moral disengagement?

Answer 53

more likely to engage in morally reprehensible behaviour because people do not feel responsible for their actions

Question 54

How may social identity theory explain the pilgrim experiment?

Answer 54

Identification with science and the goals of the study