WEEK 7 Flashcards
Conformity
When peoples own responses (behaviour, attitude, judgment) are influenced by others actions
- You are following others, this is not want you want to do. Feel as though you need to conform to REAL or IMAGINED social pressures.
- Ex. Applause after a bad concert,
Public: Changing outward response. Applauding
Private: Oh maybe I didn’t understand the concert, I did like that one song. Altering ones owns attitudes/beliefs.
Moderating Factors for Conformity
- Group Size: more people, more likely you are to conform.
- Unanimity
- Cohensiveness
- Status
- Gender
- Culture
- Personality (need for individualization)
Why do people conform?
- Informational Social Influence: (Wanting to be right)
2. Normative Social Influence: (Wanting to be liked)
Informational Social Influence
Conforming because we believe that others interpretations are more correct than our own.
WHEN…
1. Ambiguous situation (unsure of correct response) Ex. paying for parking.
2. Crisis situation
3. Others are ‘experts’
4. When getting it right is important
Normative Social Influence
Confirming because we want others to like us and to belong
- Evolutionary- Survival + Reproduction
- Social rejection
Darkside vs Upside of Conformity:
Dark: drinking, sex, drinking and driving, bullying, cheating, buying latest “must haves”
Up: Volunteering, academics, exercising, recycling
Compliance
Definition:
- direct requests, implicit or explicit influence from others
Foot in the door: Small request leads to a larger request
Lowballing
Reciprocity Norm: Sending small gifts with requests for donations
Door in the face: Asking for really big things before you ask for the thing you want.
Illusion of Choice: Obviously inferior option. Ex. Unattractive menu items.
Milgram Experiments
Randomly assigned as ‘teacher’ or ‘learner’
Teacher delivers electric shock if student makes a mistake. 30 switch 15 V increments
It is essential that you continue
63 participants delivered the max shock (450V)
Why didn’t participants stop? Milligram
Status and Power of Authority - white lab coat
Transfer of Responsibility: Belief that the people giving them the instructions are responsible for the harm
Incremental Changes/ Foot in the door Principles: i’ve already issues 315 volts might as well do 330.
Safeguards to prevent mindless obedience in society
Formal Laws: Soldiers do not have to obey unlawful orders.
Education: About milligram experience and mindless obedience. Telling people about these experiments before running similar ones increases the moral way people respond.
Prosocial Behaviour
Random acts of kindness
Other Heroism: donating lottery winnings
Prosocial behaviour:
- any act performed with the goal of benefiting another person
- An act
Altruism
- A motive
- Desire to help another even if it involves no benefit to oneself and can cost oneself
3 Theories on why people help others
- Social Norms
- Evolutionary
- Social Exchange Theory
Social Norms- Reciprocity
Expectation to help someone in need
People in a different country- not included in the social norm.
Reciprocity: More likely to help those who help us (neighbours) “treat others as you would like them to treat you”
Evolutionary Explanations
Drive to reproduce our genes
Kin Selection: Helping Kin survive/Reproduce
R * B > C
B= benefit to recipient
C= cost to altruist
R= Degree of relatedness between altruist and recipient
Kin Selection Studies/ Reciprocal Altruism
More trust for people who look similar to you
People want to leave their money to relatives
Relatedness does not matter if the situation is nonthreatening
Social Exchange Theory
People engage in interactions that maximize their own reward and minimize their costs
People will only help when the reward outweighs the cost of helping
Altruism vs Benevolence:
Altruism: Only the recipient Gains
Benevolence: Both donor and recipient gain. Ex. Blood donation- feel like you saved a life.
5 Personal Determinants of Prosocial Behaviour
- Empathy: feelings of the other person rather than ones own distress.
- Gender Differences- TYPE of help.
- Socioeconomic Status Difference: Lower SES more empathy.
- Cultural Differences. Tending to help in group members more than out-group members.
- Mood Effects: Feel good, do good. Feel bad, do good–> to alleviate negative states.
Situational Determinants of Prosocial Behaviour (3)
- Number of people present (or assumed present)
- Diffusion of responsibility
- ambiguity and interpretation - Time pressure (noticing emergency)
- Pluralistic Ignorance- everyone is helping so they don’t need me
Five steps to helping in emergency situations (& corresponding ways to increase helping)
If you need help vs helping someone in need
- Attract Noise/ Notice Event
- Define as emergency / Notice event
- Get someone to assume responsibility by isolating them/ assume personal responsibility
- Tell the person what you need/ chose a way to help
- Implement decision
