Week 7 - Social Influence Flashcards
What was the Jonestown example?
900 people DIED
He ordered everyone to commit a “revolutionary suicide” kids were given it first punch mixed with cyanide
How does this happen?!?!
What’s the definition of social influence?
Effects of other people on an individuals attitudes, values or behaviour
What are the 4 different types?
1) social learning
2) conformity
3) compliance
4) obedience
1) what is social learning?
CAPACITY to learn from observing others
Can be encouraged or discouraged
What did Albert Bandura do?
OBSERVATIONAL learning
(Behaviourism)
(Psychodynamics) - catharsis
(Modeling)
(Good and bad behaviour)
Ex) his Bobo doll
His results are OPPOSITE of the dominant psychodynamic idea of catharsis
2) what is conformity?
Altering behaviours or beliefs to bring them in ACCORDANCE with others
Good or bad?
What are two influences why people conform?
1) Informational influence: influence producing conformity, person believes other is CORRECT in their judgement
2) normative influence: ^^^, when a person wants to FIT in and fears negative consequences
What are the two types of conformity that sources of influence produce?
1) private conformity: changes in beliefs when a person truly ACCEPTS the position taken by others
2) public conformity: SUPERFICIAL change, real or imagined group PRESSURE
What was Sherifs conformity research?
Used auto kinetic illusion
Did task INDIVIDUAL = more deviation in answers
Then did it TOGETHER = less deviation in answers (came to consensus)
Why do we conform?
When…?
Situation is AMBIGUOUS
There is a CRISIS
Others are EXPERTS
What is normative social influence?
What does it result in?
Conforming in order to be liked/accepted to FUFILL others expectations
= results in public compliance
What are 6 factors that affect conformity?
1) individual differences
2) age differences
3) group size
4) group unanimity
5) culture
6) gender
3) What is compliance?
Changes in behaviour elicited by DIRECT requests by others
What is the foot in the door technique?
Compliance technique
One makes one SMALL request followed by a LARGER request involving real behaviour of interest
Ex) door to door people
Scared that refusing would be a public inconsistency
What is the free gift technique?
Giving a small gift to someone INCREASES the likihood to complying with a subsequent request
Norm of reciprocity… people should provide benefits to those who benefit them
What is the door in the face technique?
Making a very LARGE request that one will certainly refuse and then following it with a more MODEST request
What is the liking technique?
People are MORE likely to comply with requests from those who are LIKEABLE, SIMILAR or ATTRACTIVE
What is the scarcity technique?
Strategy in which appeal of item increased by making it appear RARE or TEMPORARY
EX) “only a few left!!! Buy them now”
What’s the low balling technique?
Strategy in which the person secures agreement with a request, but increases the SIZE of the request by REVEALING HIDDEN COSTS
Once made public commitment, might feel like they’re obligated to follow through
4) what is obedience?
Behaviour change produced by COMMANDS of authority
Many ways social order depends on respect to authority
What did Milgrams obedience study show?
Delivering shocks
Teachers THINK they are sending shocks
Learner RECEIVES them
Normative social influence: he says it’s essential that you complete this study
Informational social influence: the situation is UNSURE… look to experimenter/expert
What are some explanations to Milgrams study on obedience?
We are…
1) socialized to obey
2) increased in small increments (foot in the door)
3) hard to say no to authority
4) automatic pilot to “obey experimenter”
5) not evil people, but bad situation
What are some cross-cultural differences in obedience?
Studies conducted worldwide found…
Evidence higher rates of obedience compared to the US
No gender differences
Why is tempting to dismiss this findings?
People in these studies just obeyed
Tried to minimize pain and shocks as much as possible
Distressed, and sometimes pleaded for experimenter to STOP
Still are just like us
What is attitude?
Are evaluations of a target expressed with some sort of INTENSITY
Can vary in dimensions and strength
How does attitude and behaviour relate?
Attitudes sometimes conflict with determinants of behaviour
^^ based on DIRECT experience more strongly predict behaviour
^^ less PREDICTIVE when assessing general attitude/behaviour
What are the factors that predict how well attitudes predict behaviour? (5)
1) matching attitude to behaviour
2) self-presentational concerns
3) measuring implicit attitudes
4) attitude accessibility
5) attitude strength
Accessible attitudes “______ ________” but attitudes are not always “____________”
Predict behaviour
Accessible
What is the theory of planned behaviour?
That’s planned behaviour is BEST explained by combined influence of….
1) attitudes
2) subjective norms - beliefs how people around them view their behaviour
3) perceived behavioural control
What are the problems with theory of planned behaviour?
Rational and deliberative
Intentions = NOT good predictors of behaviour
Behaviours are sometimes spontaneous/unintentional
DOES NOT take into account implicit attitudes
What is persuasion?
Shift in attitude or behaviour as the result of the INFLUENCE of appeals by other peoples sources
How it commercials persuade?
Create positive, favourable attitude toward product in the consumer
When does a behaviour follow from an attitude? (2)
1) SALIENCE
2) POSITIVE ASSOCIATIONS
What is salience?
More we are exposed to a STIMULUS = the more we will like it (exposure effect)
Simpler = like quicker, less liking long run
Complexity = less likely initially, over time longer lasting
What is positive associations?
NOT JUST EVALUATION
It is a COGNITIVE link b/w positive and positive events
Humour, attraction, recall famous ppl in commercials, music
What are the two routes to persuasion?
1) central/systematic route: people think carefully about CONTENT of message, influenced buy strength & argument
2) peripheral/heuristic route: people influenced by SUPERFICIAL cues in message, such as length & attractiveness
What is the assumption we make in terms of media and persuasion?
Assume that ‘other’ people are more prone to persuasive messages than we are
THIRD PERSON EFFECT
However,
Media shapes what we think is important and true
Why are attempts at persuasion not always effective?
Attentional biases: people inclined to select info that’s confirms their original attitude
What is inoculation?
Exposure to weak versions of a persuasive message increases later RESISTANCE to that argument
What is reactance?
People react to their THREATS of freedom or by asserting themselves, perceive freedom as more ATTRACTIVE
Opposing that argument
May SHUT DOWN when we sense someone is trying to influence us
What it’s the chameleon effect?
Unconsciously MIMIC the NONVERBAL mannerisms of someone you’re talking to
Injunctive VS descriptive norms?
Injunctive: behaviour beliefs generally approved/disapproved in ones culture
Descriptive: beliefs about what people NORMALLY do
What is social contagion?
Ideas, feelings and behaviour seem to spread among people like WILDFIRES
What is the effect of group size on conformity?
More likely as the group increases from 1 person to 3 people, but then the influence begins to LEVEL OFF
Because the norm of reciprocity is strong, often it is used to induce “________”
Compliance
What are 2 main factors that affect obedience?
1) distance
2) legitimacy
What is the “sleeper effect”?
People FORGET the source of the message, but can remember the message content
What is the mere exposure effect?
The more we are EXPOSED to a novel stimulus, the more we like it
What is balance theory?
The NEED to maintain CONSISTENT ideas about people or things
What are 3 factors that effect persuadability?
1) ages most likely 18-25
2) low self esteem
3) low education and intelligence
What is psychological reactance theory?
Explains why forceful, demanding efforts to compel obedience or persuasive attitude can BACKFIRE
Related to REVERSE PSYCH
Attitudes “______” always predict behaviour
Don’t
They don’t represent the “gut-feeling”
