Week 7 - Social Influence Flashcards by Tiegen Espetveidt

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?!?!

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What’s the definition of social influence?

Effects of other people on an individuals attitudes, values or behaviour

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What are the 4 different types?

1) social learning
2) conformity
3) compliance
4) obedience

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1) what is social learning?

CAPACITY to learn from observing others

Can be encouraged or discouraged

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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

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2) what is conformity?

Altering behaviours or beliefs to bring them in ACCORDANCE with others

Good or bad?

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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

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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

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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)

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Why do we conform?

When…?

Situation is AMBIGUOUS

There is a CRISIS

Others are EXPERTS

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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

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What are 6 factors that affect conformity?

1) individual differences
2) age differences
3) group size
4) group unanimity
5) culture
6) gender

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3) What is compliance?

Changes in behaviour elicited by DIRECT requests by others

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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

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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

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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

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What is the liking technique?

People are MORE likely to comply with requests from those who are LIKEABLE, SIMILAR or ATTRACTIVE

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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”

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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

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4) what is obedience?

Behaviour change produced by COMMANDS of authority

Many ways social order depends on respect to authority

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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”