Unit 8- conformity Flashcards
Conformity
A change in one’s behavior due to the real or imagined influence of other people
Why do we conform?
To fit in and to help us decide what to do
Obedience
acting in accord with a direct order
Compliance
Conformity that involves publicly acting in accord with social pressure while privately disagreeing
Informational social influence
Seeing others as a source of information to guide our behavior
Acceptance
Conformity that involves both acting and believing in accord with social pressure
We conform because…
We believe that others’ interpretation of an ambiguous situation is more correct than ours and will help us choose an appropriate course of action
Private acceptance
conforming to other people’s behavior out of a genuine believe that what they are doing or saying is right
Mass psychogenic illness
The occurrence, in a group of people, of similar physical symptoms with no known physical cause
Contagion
the rapid spread of emotions or behaviors through a crowd
Public compliance
conforming to other people’s behavior publicly without necessarily believing in what we are doing or saying
What is the most crucial variable for determining how much people use each other as a source of information
Ambiguity
Social norms
the implicit and explicit rules a group has for the acceptable behaviors, values and beliefs of its members
Normative social influence
the influence of other people that leads us to conform in order to be liked and accepted by them
Social impact theory
The idea that conforming to social influence depends on:
- the strength of the groups importance
- its immediacy (proximity)
-the number of people in the group
