6. Social influence and conformity Flashcards
(20 cards)
What are social norms?
Attitudes and behaviours that define group membership and differentiate groups
What is social influence?
Attitudes and behaviour are influnced by real or implied presence of other people
What is compliance?
Public change in behaviour and expressed attitudes in response to request, coercion or group pressure but not always a change of internal belief
Briefly summarise Milgram (1974)
Teacher and learner
Administered electric shocks- progressively larger shocks
What is an agentic state?
Unquestionning obedience in which personal responsibility is transferred to the person giving orders
What are some factors that can influence obedience?
Closeness of victim
Victim visible or not
Closeness of authority
Outfit
What is the convergence effect?
Linked with group norms in crowd behaviour- the coming together of individuals with shared ideas of behaviour
What are individual characteristics of conformity?
Low self-esteem
Need for approval
Low IQ
High anxiety
Feeling inferior
What are some group characteristics of conformity?
Speaking-from-ignorance
Low status and insecure in the group
Do individualistic cultures or collectivist cultures typically conform more?
Collectivist- seen as supporting other people
What are some situational factors that can affect conformity?
Group size = as unanimous group increased, conformity increased
Group unanimity = conformity rates are reduced if the majority is not unanimous
What are the two types of conformity?
Informational influence- accepting info from another as evidence about reality
Normative influence- conform to the positive expectation of others to gain approval and avoid disapproval
How can we reduce conformity?
The task is unambiguous
We are not under surveillance
Lack of unanimity among majority
What does majority influence produce?
Direct public compliance- focus on what others say to know how to fit in
What does minority influence produce?
Indirect or private change in opinion
How do in-group minorites have more influence than outgroup members?
By encouraging majorities to make intra-group comparisons they are seen as more similar to the ingroup than outgroup members so have more influence on social change within the group
What is the inhibitory norm model of eating?
Negative stereotypes is not being seen to eat excessively
What is referent informational influence?
Process of adapting behaviour to align with groups norms once a member
What is referential informational influence theory?
Prototypcal in group members are the most reliable source of info
Minorities should be ineffective at influencing a majority
What is the leniency contract?
There is a greater leniency towards in-group minorites because they are unlikely to want to destroy the majorities core attributes
