Social Psychology Flashcards
The tendency for people to behave in line with group expectations due to implicit influence of others, or “peer pressure”
Conformity
Individual conforms due to uncertainty of what to do, or believing others know what to do
Usually occurs when individual views other group members as experts
Informational influence
Individual conforms to gain approval or acceptance from others
Usually occurs when individual identifies with group members and wants to be accepted by group
Normative influence
Private vs public conforming
Private conforming: one changes their underlying beliefs and values to fit those of the group
Public conforming: one changes their outward beliefs but their internal beliefs remain the same
Group decision-making results in decisions and viewpoints that are more extreme than the individual opinions
More likely to occur in groups composed of like-minded members
Group polarization
Example: Juries often end up awarding punitive damages higher than any of the individual jurors would recommend
Occurs when group members arrive at an incorrect or irrational decision because harmony within the group is valued above critical analysis of the information
More likely to occur in groups that are homogenous, have biased leadership, and are experiencing stress
Groupthink
Example: Groupthink caused the US Navy to believe in their invincibility and not take necessary precautions, leading to the Pearl Harbor attacks
Individuals are less likely to offer help to a victim when other people are present
Bystander effect
People feel less personally responsible in the presence of others, and assume others will take action or have already done so
Helps explain the bystander effect
Diffusion of responsibility theory
The concept that those in a group are more likely to act inappropriately because the crowd conceals an individual’s identity
Deindividuation
Example: Riots
Improved individual performance when working with other people rather than alone
Most applicable to easy, well-rehearsed tasks (presence of others increases arousal)
Social facilitation
Hindered individual performance when working with other people rather than alone
Most applicable to difficult or unfamiliar tasks (presence of others increases arousal)
Social impairment
Occurs when an individual expends less effort when working as part of a group than when working alone
More likely to occur with increased group size, lack of motivation, absence of leadership or oversight, and disconnectedness
Social loafing
Example: People clap less loudly in a group than alone
Performance is optimized with moderate levels of physiological or mental arousal
Arousal improves performance, but only up to a certain point
Yerkes-Dodson law
Example: A ballet dancer performs better in front of a small audience, but gets too nervous when performing for a large audience
People modify their behavior due to the awareness of being observed, also known as the observer effect
Hawthorne effect
Example: People participating in a research study of diet eat healthier while they are a study subject
Which experiment?
Question:
“Can normal people be pushed to hurt innocent people due to an authority figure?”
Design:
Authority figure instructed subjects to deliver fake electric shocks to a “learner”, escalating to levels that would have been fatal if they were real
Lessons:
Fundamental attribution error: People tend to emphasize others’ internal characteristics, rather than external factors, in explaining other people’s behavior
Milgram obedience experiment
