Unit 11; Influence of Others

Question 1

Co-Actor

Answer 1

Another individual performing the same task

Question 2

Audience

Answer 2

A group watching an individuals performance

Question 3

Social Facilitation theory

Answer 3

Zajonc

Presence of co-actors / audience = increased arousal to improve performance on well practiced (simple) tasks

Presence of co-actors / audience = hinders performance on complex tasks

Question 4

Social Learning Theory

Answer 4

We learn appropriate behaviors by modeling and imitating the behavior of others.
- no explicit reinforcement

Example: Bandura Bobo Doll Experiment

Question 5

Learning aggression

Answer 5

Witnessing violence (bobo or TV) may desensitize us / habituate us to it

Question 6

Sherif’s autokinetic effect

Answer 6

Imagine movement that never occurred

Individuals adjust their opinions based on others’ beliefs. = you believe it moves further

Subjects gradually conformed to others’ opinion, regardless of starting point

Question 7

Asch

Answer 7

Compare lines to sample
- confederated make up majority + say obviously wrong answer
- real participant comforms and agrees with them

Question 8

Normative function

Answer 8

• conform due to a fear of rejection
• avoiding ridicule
• proven by Asch

Ex. fashion trends and memes.

Question 9

Informational function

Answer 9

Behavior of others provides information about an ambiguous situation.

• conforming due to not knowing how to act
• gaining info
• supported by Sherif’s autokinetic effect

Question 10

Deutsch’s study

ASCD

Answer 10

Similar to Asch’s but with anonymous answers, still shows doubt + conformity

Question 11

Group polarization

Answer 11

Group decisions strengthen original inclinations of individual group members
- more extreme

ex. juries, politics, niche interest groups

Question 12

Groupthink

Answer 12

aka mob mentality

A group decision making environment that occurs when group cohesiveness becomes so strong it overrides realistic appraisals of reality and alternative opinions.

• think they’re unquestionably right

Question 13

Avoid groupthink

Answer 13

• be impartial
• critical evaluation “devils advocate”
• subdivide the group
• provide a second chance

Question 14

The bystander effect

Answer 14

think Kitty Genovese

The presence of other witnesses diffuses responsibility to act

Question 15

Pluralistic ignorance

Answer 15

When each individual in a group sees nobody responding in a given situation, they conclude the situation isn’t an emergency

Question 16

Diffusion of responsibility

Answer 16

In deciding whether we have to act, we determine that someone else in the group is more QUALIFIED (skilled)

Question 17

Reducing bystander effect

Answer 17

• be direct when asking for help
• seeing others be helpful = more likely to help others in the future (ex. “priming” the tip jar)

Question 18

Social loafing

Answer 18

Individuals are less motivated when working in a group than when working alone

(even in a perceived larger group)

Question 19

Milgram’s experiment

and %

Answer 19

65% of participants continue shocking till the end (even though dangerous)

Question 20

Obedience

who do we show it to

Answer 20

We show strong obedience, even to minimally powerful authority figures

Question 21

Predicting our own behaviour

Answer 21

Not very good at it

Question 22

Things that affect obedience

- in Milgram’s study

Answer 22

• appearance of scientist (attire)
• teacher / learner proximity (far = feel less bad)
• teacher / experimenter proximity (close = feel more pressure)

not much effect by location/prestige of institution

Question 23

Cognitive dissonance

Answer 23

Conflict when behaviour doesn’t accurately reflect our attitudes
= psychological discomfort

Question 24

Reducing cognitive dissonance

Answer 24

1. Adjust beliefs to justify actions (ex. maybe it actually wasn’t so bad)
2. Overjustification effect: justification by some external means (ex. payment)
   = attitude doesn’t change

Question 25

Deindividuation

Answer 25

Anonymity; loss of a sense of personal responsibility and restraint in a GROUP setting

Question 26

Persuasion, similarity or credibility more important?

Answer 26

Similarity -> lifestyle choices Credibility -> objective facts

Question 27

Sounding persuasive

Answer 27

- eye contact - concise speech - fast-ish speed

Question 28

Framing (one vs two sided)

Answer 28

Audience initially agrees = use one-sided argument Audience initially disagrees = use two-sided argument

Question 29

Central appeal

Answer 29

Academic audiences Use well reasoned, factual, two-sided arguments

Question 30

Peripheral appeal

Answer 30

Non-academic audiences Use well presented, easy to understand messages

Question 31

Foot-in-door

Answer 31

Make progressive series of requests = every request is considered in relation to the previous request (not the first)

Question 32

Low-ball technique

Answer 32

Change / escalate the terms of an agreement after someone has already agreed to comply (make them think they can't back out)

Question 33

The sunk cost trap

Answer 33

Unrecoverable investments lead to further investment

Question 34

Ben Franklin effect

Answer 34

Convince someone who has negative feelings towards you to complete a favour = cognitive dissonance = convince yourself they're not too bad

Question 35

Self-perception

Answer 35

We don't necessarily have special insight into ourselves. Sometimes we have to figure out by assessing our own behaviour.

Question 36

The communicator

Answer 36

The individual delivering a message - their trustworthiness matters

Question 37

The message | when is it most effective

Answer 37

One or two sided - most effective when it makes the audience feel good

Question 38

The audience | academic vs. non-academic

Answer 38

Academic - Want to make the decision themselves or Nonacademic - Appreciate a good communicator to "give it to them straight"

Question 39

Other ways to persuade (needs, quality, luxury)

Answer 39

Needs (or perceived needs) - more compelling than wants Insinuate good quality (ex. "natural") Advertising luxury - opposite of appealing to needs - cost up = appeal up

Question 40

Normative social influences

Answer 40

We want to be approved of by the people we associate with.

Question 41

The risky shift (in groups)

Answer 41

People make more daring decisions when they are in groups than when alone Determined to be due to group polarization

Question 42

The norm of reciprocity

Answer 42

We are expected to reciprocate when someone else treats us well - we return favours

Question 43

The norm of social responsibility

Answer 43

As a member of society, we are expected to contribute to its welfare in a positive way

Question 44

Empathy-altruism hypothesis

Answer 44

Altruism results from empathy Empathy = share in difficulty "in their shoes" = motivation to alleviate the problem

Question 45

Negative state relief model

Answer 45

We help others because we would feel distressed (and guilty) if we didn't

Question 46

Bystander effect / bystander apathy

Answer 46

Individuals are less likely to offer help when other people are present

Question 47

Who do we help

Answer 47

Female bystanders: - help men and women equally Male bystanders: - help women more

Question 48

Cause of problems | effect on willingness to help

Answer 48

More likely to help people whose problems are beyond their control, rather than those whose problems are their own fault - explains why we donate more to young kids / animals

Question 49

Norms

Answer 49

Commonly accepted but unwritten rules of behaviour

Question 50

Heroic imagination project

Answer 50

Train kids to think like "heroes" aka socially centred positive interactions = more people realize that they don't need to be heroes to to good = less bystander effect

Question 51

Aggressive behaviour

Answer 51

Behaviour intended to harm someone else and that is NOT socially justifiable ex. of socially justifiable - football tackling - pushing back after being shoved

Question 52

Types of aggression + who does each more

Answer 52

Relational aggression: Involves personal interactions - ex. ignoring, spreading rumors - seen more in girls Hostile aggression: Directly confrontational behaviours - ex. fighting - seen more in boys