Topic 6 - Social influence Flashcards

1
Q

Social influence

A

the effort by one or more people to induce change in one or more others. Involves the real or implied presence of other people.

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2
Q

Descriptive social norms

A

specify what most people do in certain social situation

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3
Q

Injunctive social norms

A

specify how people ought to behave in a certain social situation

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4
Q

Most people don’t go along with all social norms all of the time – we pick and choose. Factors that increase conformity:

A
  • How psychologically significant the group is to us (positive reference groups)
  • How cohesive (level of solidarity) the group is (e.g. sporting clubs, fraternities)
  • How large the group is (the larger it is, the more likely conformity will occur)
  • Your position in the group (low status individuals have more pressure to conform)
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5
Q

Some factors that can make you resist conformity

A
  • When your sense of uniqueness is threatened

- When there is no clear way or correct rule of how to act from the group

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6
Q

There are three proposed motives or theoretical explanations for conformity

A
  1. Informational Social Influence - use people as source of evidence of reality
  2. Normative social influence - use people’s expectations of us how we should act
  3. Referent informational social influence - we use others who are in our social group as source of information
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7
Q

Compliance: How we change our attitude or behavior due to coercion or group pressure.

A
  1. Friendship/liking: integration, self promote, incidental similarity
  2. Scarcity
  3. Commitment / consistency: foot-in-the-door, low-ball
  4. Reciprocity: door-in-the-face, reciprocity norm
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8
Q

Factors that increases obedience:

A
  • Authority figure will take sole responsibility
  • Uniform to remind of social norm.
  • Escalates the orders from mild to severe, especially in a fast moving and uncertain social environment.
  • You strongly identify with the authority figure / cause.
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9
Q

Agentic state

A

Frame of mind characterising by unquestioning obedience, where agents transfer personal responsibility to one giving orders.

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10
Q

Milgram & Zimbardo on obeying authority

A
  • Agentic state
  • Obedience was highest when the person giving the orders was nearby (depersonalisation) and was perceived as an authority figure, especially if they were from a prestigious institution.
  • More likely to comply if they don’t see anyone disobeying, role model of defiance.
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11
Q

Haslam & Reicher on obeying authority

A
  • Willingness to perform unpleasant tasks is contingent upon identification with the group goals
  • making the goals virtuous rather than vicious
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12
Q

Minority Influence:

A

Relies on creating conflict in social norms within group, as people dont like conflict.

Is often how social change occurs

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13
Q

How can

minorities influence majorities:

A
  • Consistent message across time and members.
  • Message is distinct from the majority.
  • Should avoid being too rigid/flexible.
  • Must be seen as active on principle, not self-interest.
  • The position they are arguing should be in line with the current social trend.
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14
Q

Social loafing

A

the tendency for people in a group to exert less effort when pooling their efforts toward attaining a common goal than when individually accountable.

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15
Q

Deindividuation

A

the loss of self-awareness and restraint that can occur in group situations. A reduced sense of self when in crowds

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16
Q

Social facilitation

A

Improvement / deterioration in the performance of task, in the mere presence of others