Chapter 7

Question 1

A cultural orientation in which interdependence, cooperation, and social harmony take priority over personal goals.

Answer 1

Collectivism.

Question 2

Changes in behavior that are elicited by direct requests.

Answer 2

Compliance.

Question 3

The tendency to change our percepions, opinions, or behaviour in ways that are consistent with social or group norms.

Answer 3

Conformity.

Question 4

A two-step compliance technique in which an indluencer prefaces the rela request with one that is so large that it is rejected.

Answer 4

Door in the face technique.

Question 5

A two step compliance technique in which an influencer sets the stage for the real request by first getting a person to comply with a much smaller request.

Answer 5

Foot in the door technique.

Question 6

Interpersonal “credits” that a person earns by collowing group norms.

Answer 6

Idiosyncrasy credits.

Question 7

A cultural orientation in which independent, autonomy, and self reliance take priority over group allegiances.

Answer 7

Individualism.

Question 8

Influence that procudes conformity when a person believes others are correct in their judgements.

Answer 8

Informational influence.

Question 9

A two step compliance technique in which the influencer secures agreement with a request but then increases the size of that request by revealing hidden costs.

Answer 9

Lowballing.

Question 10

The process by which dissenters produce change within a group.

Answer 10

Minority influence.

Question 11

Influence that produces conformity when a person fears the negative social consequences of appearing deviant.

Answer 11

Normative influence.

Question 12

Behavior change produced by the commands of authority.

Answer 12

Obedience.

Question 13

The change of beliefs that occurs when a person privately accepts the position taken by others.

Answer 13

Private conformity.

Question 14

A superficial change in overt behavior without a corresponding change of opinion that is produced by real or imagined group pressure.

Answer 14

Public conformity.

Question 15

The theory that social influence depends on the strength, immediacy, and number of source persons relative to target persons.

Answer 15

Social impact theory.

Question 16

A two step compliance technique in which the influencer begins with an inflated request, then decreases its apparent size by offering a discount or bonus.

Answer 16

That’s not all technique.

Question 17

Define social influence? (Long answer)

Answer 17

The process by which individuals thoughts, feelings, attitudes, and behaviors are altered or controlled by others, either real or imagine, through social communication or pressure, leadings to changes in opinions, beliefs, or behaviors.

Question 18

Distinguish three forms of social influence: Conformity, compliance, and obedience. (Long answer)

Answer 18

Conformity: The tendency to change our perceptions, opinions, or behavior in ways that are consistent with social or group norms.

Compliance: Changes in behavior that are elicited by direct requests.

Obedience: Behavior change produced by the commands of authority.

Question 19

Distinguish between normative influence and informational influence? (Long answer)

Answer 19

Normative influence: Influence that produces conformity when a persona fears the negative social consequences of appearing deviant.

Informational influence: Influence the produces conformity when someone believes the group possesses competent and correct information, especially in ambiguous situations or tasks.

Question 20

Describe the effects of being socially ostracized? (Long answer)

Answer 20

People typically respond with distress, feeling alone, hurt, angry, and lacking in self esteem. Social pain that feels like physical pain.

The effects however, depend on the source of exclusion and cultural context. People are more distressed when they are excluded by someone they are close to. Culturally, Farmers vs Herders in Turkey noted that the farmers relied heavily on people within the social circles, whereas herders relied heavily on people outside of their social circle. Herders did not make the same in group out group distinctions that the farmers did.

Question 21

Distinguish between public conformity and private conformity? (Long answer)

Answer 21

Private conformity: The change of beliefs that occurs when a person privately accepts the position taken by others.

Public conformity: A superficial change in overt behavior without a corresponding change of opinion that is produced by real or imagined group pressure.

Question 22

Explain how normative and informational influence, and public and private conformity operate in Sharif’s and Asch’s studies. (Long answer).

Answer 22

Sherifs ambiguous autokinetic effect: It was based on informational influence - eventually the group provided information about the distance the light was from one another and settled on a distance as a group. This was an experiment of private acceptance as the participants privately accepted the position taken by others.

Asch’s simple line judgements: This was an experiment of normative influence as people feared the social consequences of appearing deviant. This was an example of public conformity as there was a superficial change in their overt behavior that was produced by real or imagined group pressure.

Question 23

Distinguish between majority influence and minority influence? (Long answer)

Answer 23

Majority influence refers to the social pressure to conform to the beliefs and behaviors of the larger group.

Minority influence describes the ability of a smaller group to sway the opinions and actions of the majority, often through unique perspectives and information.

Question 24

Explain the different processes by which majorities and minorities can exert pressure to affect people’s behavior. (Long answer)

Answer 24

Majority influence: 1. The size of the group. 2. The focus on norms. 3. The presence of an ally. 4. The gender.

1. The size of the group: The size of the group does matter but only up to a certain point. As was seen in Solomon Asch’s studies there is only a necessary limit of up to 3 or 4 confederates. However, there is a law of diminishing returns. What matters is not the actual number of others in a group, but rather one’s perception of how many distinct others who are thinking independently the group includes.
2. A focus on norms: Social norms give ride to conformity only when we know the the norms and focus on them.
3. The presence of an ally: It is substantially more difficult for people to stand alone for their convictions than to be part of even a tiny minority. Second, Any dissent, can break the spell cast by a unanimous majority and reduce the normative pressures to conform.
4. The gender: Sex difference depend on how comfortably people are with the experimental task. One’s familiarity with the issue at hand, not the gender, is what affects conformity.

Minority influence: Moscovici’s theory, Processes and outcomes of minority influence.

1. Moscovici’s theory: Nonconformists derive power from the style of their behavior. It’s not just what nonconformists say that matters but how they say it. However, there is a warning, people should work to become full fledged members of a group otherwise they run the risk their opinions will fall on deaf ears. They should earn enough “idiosyncrasy credit” or “brownie points”.
2. Processes and outcomes of minority influence:

Question 25

Describe how mindlessness and the norm of reciprocity can influence compliance with the requests of others? (Long answer)

Answer 25

Mindlessness - Sometimes we process oral requests lazily without critical thought. Experiments (the xerox experiment) have shown that simply providing a reason for a request is enough for compliance out of other people. Words alone, if they sound good, can be used to elicit compliance. A state of mindlessness however, can also make us less compliant - such as the experiment with panhandlers where someone asked for change to mindless strangers walking through the street. However, using the pique technique (asking for 17 cents instead of a quarter) piqued peoples interest to the point they were no longer mindless and increased the compliance of those who gave money. The norm of reciprocity - we treat others as they have treated us. This can be found in the "Lyft app" where drivers rate their customers after they have received a rating.

Question 26

Compare several two step request techniques that are effective in influencing compliance? (Long answer)

Answer 26

Four techniques: 1. Foot in the door, lowballing, door in the face, and that's not all. Foot in the door technique: "Begin with a very small request, secure agreement, than make a separate, larger request." Lowballing: "Secure agreement with a request and then increase the size of that request by revealing hidden costs." Door in the face: "Begin with a very large request that will be rejected, then follow that up with a more modest request." That's not all: "Begin with a somewhat inflated request, then immediately decrease the apparent size of that request by offering a discount or bonus."

Question 27

Explain why the foot in the door technique works? (Long answer)

Answer 27

Generally, when were asked for the first request, we want to be seen as the kind of person who is compliant in the face of the request. When the second request occurs we seek to respond in ways that maintains this new self image. However, if the first request is too trivial or we're paid for the first request, we do not need to maintain this new self image, and the technique does not work.

Question 28

Explain why the low balling technique works? (Long answer)

Answer 28

It has to do with the psychology of commitment. Once people make a commitment to an action, they think of all of the positive aspects that action will incur. As the commitment increases to that positive action, they grow more resisitant to changing that action, even if the initial reasons have been changed or withdrawn entirely.

Question 29

Explain why the door in the face technique works? (Long answer)

Answer 29

This involves the principle of perceptual contrast. The person exposed to the first larger request seems much smaller than a second request that is far less assertive. Secondly, it involves the process reciporical concessions. This refers to the pressure face when the bargaining position changes. We see the change in concession as being matched by our own compliance and ultimately take the newer position in compliance to the concession.

Question 30

Explain why the "that's not all" technique works?

Question 31

Briefly describe the hypothesis, research design, procedure, and results of Milgram’s original experiment on obedience to authority. (Long answer)

Answer 31

Hypothesis: Why, the face of doing horrible thing, did the Nazis commit to the atrocities they did? Why are we obedient to authority? Research Design & Procedure: You read a list of words to the confederate, this is a memory test, if he answers correctly, you leave the switches alone. If he answers incorrectly, you shock the participant. With each wrong answer, the intensity of the shocks gets gradually more and more intense. Results: It was thought that most of the teachers (participants) would not extend past a certain threshold of electric shocks. However, it was found that under conditions where they were prompted by an authority to continue, up to 65% of the particpants would go on to administer 450 volts of electric shock.

Question 32

List the variables that affected the level of obedience in Milgram’s series of experiments on obedience to authority. Summarize how each of these variables affected the level of obedience in the studies.

Answer 32

1. Teachers were led to believe they were free of any personal responsibility in the Milgram experiments. When they were led to believe this, they were more likely to comply to the authorities requests. 2. Gradual escalation in small incriments; once they were aligned to higher and higher levels of the shock, they had to make a decision - to stop the experiment or align themselves with the authorities commands. 3. Participants found themselves in a novel situation, unlike any they'd ever faced before. 4. The task was quick paced. They were prompted to work at a brisk pace. Those who were hesitant were immediately prompted to proceed.

Question 33

Describe how the participants in the Milgram study behaved differently from the participants in the Gamson et al. study (1982; described in our textbook on p. 306), and explain why.

Answer 33

Those in the Milgram study, who were alone, behaved quite differently from those in the Gamson study who were in groups. It was found that disobedience, when it is not criminally, but morally, religiously, or politically motivated, is always a collective act. As such, in the Milgram experiment, when there was a confederate that posed as a teacher and defied the authority, it was found that compliance to the authority dropped to less than 10%. It appears the disobedience in groups is more likely.

Question 34

Describe the social impact theory. Identify the factors that influence the source’s impact and the target’s resistance.

Answer 34

Social impact theory states that social influence that the total impact of others on a target person - is a function of the other strength, immediacy, and number. 1. The strength of the source is determined by his or her status, ability, or relationship to the target. The stronger the source, the greater the influence. 2. Immediacy refers to the sources proximity to time and space of the target. The closer the source, the greater its impact. (Eg. Milgrams study, the compliance was greater in relationship to the aithority being present versus being at a distance.) 3. As the number of sources increases so does their influence. (Eg. Asch's experiments when increased from 1-5 confederates compliance rates increased. However, more had negligible impact.)