Social norms, conformity, and obedience

Question 1

You have observed that there is more litter
around signs that say “$500 fine for littering”
than around signs that say “Please keep our state
clean.” Which social psychological theory would
you use to explain this observation?

Answer 1

Reactance theory

Question 2

The elaboration likelihood model explains the
conditions under which someone will
__________.

Answer 2

be influenced by what the speech says, and when influence occurs by superficial cues

Question 3

Social influence is …

Answer 3

pervasive

Question 4

What does social influence others to do?

Answer 4

Conform

Question 5

What are two types of social norms?

Answer 5

Implicit and explicit

Question 6

What are four functions of social norms? Describe them.

Answer 6

1. Informational social influence
   - Conforming with others’ behavior because they believe that other’s interpretation of an ambiguous situation is correct
2. Increase/maintain connection with others
3. Normative social influence
   - Conforming because of the desire to be liked or accepted

Question 7

When are we most likely to use informational social norms?

Answer 7

Ambiguous situations or if the person is an expert

Question 8

What do the autokinetic studies tell us about informational social influence?

Answer 8

People changed their estimate of how much the light was moving due to presence of other people until they had around the same guess as the other person

Question 9

What type of acceptance does informational social influence lead to?

Answer 9

Private acceptance

Question 10

What type of compliance does normative social influence lead to?

Answer 10

Public compliance

Question 11

What did Asch’s follow up study confirm about private acceptance versus public compliance?

Answer 11

When participants were able to write down their answers beforehand, this reduced public compliance

Question 12

What is the social impact theory?

Answer 12

The factors that contribute to normative social influence
- Strength
- Immediacy
- Number (number of allis reduces public compliance to normative social influence)

Question 13

When can minority populations influence the stance on a certain issue? Why would a majority consider the alternative?

Answer 13

• Consistency (we just want to vote)
• Informational social influence: It is going to make them question their own beliefs since they are consistence

Question 14

Alex is on vacation in Turkey and is visiting a mosque for the first time. She looks around and notices that other people take their shoes off before entering, so she does the same. This is an example of _______________.

Answer 14

Informational social influence

Question 15

Paul is hanging out with 12 of his friends from class. They start talking about a professor they dislike. Even though Paul likes him, he joins in the conversation how annoying the professor is. The next day, Paul is hanging
out with 8 of his friends from class and the same conversation comes up. Paul is _______ likely to conform in this situation.

Answer 15

Just as: over 4 and 5 range

Question 16

What is the door-in-the-face technique? What social influence effect does it have? Why does it work?

Answer 16

• Make a large request, followed by a smaller request
• Influences the likelihood that they will agree to that smaller request
• The norm of reciprocity and relative size

Question 17

What is the foot-in-the-door technique? What social influence effect does it have? Why does it work?

Answer 17

• Make a smaller request and then a larger request
• The person is more likely to agree
• Cognitive dissonance

Question 18

What is the low-ball procedure?

Answer 18

• Offer a good deal, then “something happens” to make the deal seem less desirable

Question 19

What is the lure effect/bait-and-switch?

Answer 19

First ask someone to do something appealing, then say you actually need them to do another task instead

Question 20

What is the that’s-not-all technique?

Answer 20

Initial request followed by something that sweetens the deal before person can answer.

Question 21

What is the deadline technique?

Answer 21

Sales are effective when they say the deadline is coming up

Question 22

What is the playing hard to get technique?

Answer 22

Making it seem like many people want you

Question 23

Dana’s friend Ralph is a chef. She asks him if he would cook dinner for her and a few friends one night. Ralph eagerly says yes. Dana then asks if he could actually babysit her daughter that night instead. This is an example of _____________.

Answer 23

Bait and switch

Question 24

What are injunctive norms?

Answer 24

Our perceptions of what other people want us to do (or not do).

Question 25

What are descriptive norms?

Answer 25

What we notice other people actually doing in certain situations, regardless of how desirable behavior is

Question 26

What does the hotel guest/towel study tell us about norms?

Answer 26

Descriptive norms increased participation in the towel program rather than the standard message

Question 27

What was so powerful about the Milgram situation?

Answer 27

• People conformed to the wrong norm (in this case authority)
• Self justification: experienced dissonance about creating pain but they were told to obey to authority
• Normative social influence: Participants want to meet norm of following instructions so they obeyed to the instructions
• Informational social influence: This is what they expect from participants? Look to scientist with lab coat to confirm that social norm
• Loss of personal responsibility: They placed responsibility on the experimenter who told them to shock the participants

Question 28

What types of things altered obedience in Milgram’s experiment?

Answer 28

• Institutional authority: Changed to Bridgeport instead of Yale, the obedience to authority lessened
• Victim’s distance: When the teacher was in the same room as the learner the obedience lessened
• Physically shock learner instead of flipping switch: Obedience lessened even more
• Closeness: Over the phone instead of in the same room the obedience lessened even more
• Legitimacy of experimenter: Told it was a clerk, the obedience lessened even more
• Group influence: Additional teachers in the room made less people obey