Week 8 Flashcards
Terror management theory predicts…
How we may respond when we are reminded of our own mortality
What is a theory?
an organized set of principles that can be used to explain observed phenomena
Theory DOES NOT cause behaviour
Social cues that something is funny when others are laughing is an example of…
informational social influence.
What is conformity?
Changing our behaviour as a result of real or imagined influence of other people.
People conform for many different reasons. Not inherently good or bad- it can be either.
What are social norms?
implicit or explicit rules of behaviours, values, and beliefs for group members
Failure to comply to social norms can lead to…
ridicule, punishment or exclusion.
What is normative social influence?
conforming in order to be liked and accepted by others.
What does normative social influence often lead to?
A) Public compliance
NOT private acceptance.
In relation to normative social influence, what is public compliance?
doing what others do or following other’s actions
What is private acceptance?
a genuine belieg that the copied thoughts, beliefs or actions are correct.
Ash line study: Conformity for social approval
7 confederates and 1 real participant seated around a table
asked the question: which comparison line matches the standard line?
What did the Asch Line study show?
People knew their behaviour was incorrect but did so anyway.
–> public compliance but not private acceptance.
How would results of the Asch line study be different if responses were private? (written instead of reported aloud)
People would show much less conformity.
Whether people conform to social influence depends on:
Strength, immediacy, and number of people in a group
SOCIAL IMPACT THEORY.
In relation to social impact theory, what is strength?
how important the group is to you can influence whether you conform to social influence.
In relation to social impact theory, what is immediacy?
the proximity in time in space, can influence whether you conform to social influence.
In relation to social impact theory, what is number of people?
The number of people (size of group) can influence whether you conform to social influence.
What helps to resist conformity?
an Ally
Asch study: conformity dropped from 32 to 6% when one ally gave the correct answer.
What is informational social influence?
When we follow other’s to gain information
- When we don’t know what’s going on, we turn to others for information and follow what they do.
the more important the outcome, the more we follow others.
When will people conform to informational social influence?
- ambiguous situations, crisis situations, when an expert is present.
What are the 2 types of norms?
Injunctive + Descriptive
what are injunctive norms?
Rules about how people are SUPPOSED to behave. (ex. no littering)
What are descriptive norms?
How people actually behave
What happens when we ignore or resist social influence?
others try to bring us back in line and, if we still resist, we are rejected.
Fear of exclusion explains why we conform.
What are strategies for overcoming normative social influence?
- Be aware
- Find an ally to resist with you
- Cash in your idiosyncrasy credits
What are idiosyncrasy credits?
Credits earned from conforming to group norms before, allows you to deviate on occasion.
What is compliance?
when we change our behaviour in response to a direct request from another person
What is the door-in-the-fact technique?
To get peopel to do something you want.. request something big (knowing they will refuse), and then present a small, reasonable request
Why does the door-in-the-fact technique work?
norm of reciprocity
What is the norm of reciprocity?
if I do something for you, then you are obligated to return the favor and do something for me.
What are the downsides to the door-in-the-fae technique?
people are not likely to comply again
- Already fulfilled their part of the reciprocity norm
- no drive or reason to help in the future
What is the foot-in-the-door technique?
presenting people with a small request at firt to which they will likely agree, then asking for a larger request hoping they will agree again
Why does the foot-in-the-door technique work?
change in self-perception
“I’m the kind of person who really cares about safe driving. I’ve signed a petition, so what’s the harm in putting up a sign?”
When prisoners’ rights are curtailed or ambiguous, expressions of pain may provide little protection from
inhumane treatment.
