Psychology - Social Influence Flashcards

Question

How does the agentic state relate to Milgram’s experiment?

Answer 1

Milgram found that participants were more likely to obey when the experimenter took responsibility for their actions, as in the agentic state, where participants felt less personally accountable.

Answer 2

People are more likely to obey those they perceive as legitimate authority figures, such as teachers, police officers, or scientists, especially when their authority is supported by societal norms or institutions.

Answer 3

Obedience is higher in prestigious settings, like a university. In Milgram’s study, obedience dropped when the experiment was moved to a run-down office, suggesting that the status of location influences obedience.

Answer 4

Obedience is higher when the authority figure is physically present. For example, in Milgram’s study, obedience dropped when the experimenter gave instructions by phone instead of being in the same room.

Answer 5

The authoritarian personality is a dispositional trait where individuals are more likely to obey authority and are hostile toward people of inferior status. It is characterized by respect for authority and an inclination toward prejudice.

Answer 6

Adorno found that individuals with an authoritarian personality were more likely to harbor prejudices and have rigid, conformist attitudes. He used the F-scale to measure these traits.

Answer 7

A limitation is that it cannot explain widespread obedience, such as that shown by many Germans during the Holocaust, as not everyone with authoritarian traits obeyed orders

Answer 8

Social support refers to the presence of others who resist pressure, which increases an individual’s confidence to resist conformity or obedience.

Answer 9

In Milgram’s study, when two confederates refused to obey, obedience dropped to 10%, showing that social support can significantly reduce obedience.

Answer 10

Locus of control refers to how much control a person feels they have over their own behavior. An internal locus of control means they believe their actions are self-determined, while an external locus of control attributes actions to external factors.

Answer 11

People with an internal locus of control are more likely to resist conformity and obedience, as they feel responsible for their actions. Those with an external locus of control are more likely to conform or obey.

Answer 12

Minority influence occurs when a smaller group (the minority) changes the opinions of a larger group (the majority).

Answer 13

Consistency is key to minority influence. A consistent minority view is more likely to be taken seriously and influence the majority to reconsider their stance.

Answer 14

In Moscovici’s experiment, two confederates consistently called blue slides "green" in front of a group of participants. When consistent, about 8% of participants conformed, but only 1% did when the minority was inconsistent.

Answer 15

Diachronic consistency refers to consistency over time, where the minority holds the same view without changing it, making their position more convincing.

Answer 16

Synchronic consistency refers to when all members of the minority group express the same opinion, strengthening the impact on the majority.

Answer 17

Commitment refers to when a minority demonstrates self-confidence and dedication to a cause, which makes the majority more likely to assume the minority has a valid point.

Answer 18

Flexibility involves the minority appearing willing to compromise, which makes them seem more reasonable and cooperative. This increases the chances of changing majority views.

Answer 19

Nemeth found that when a consistent minority compromises and moves toward the majority’s position, the majority is more likely to change their views, suggesting that flexibility is crucial for minority influence.

Answer 20

Consistency is important because it makes the minority position appear more credible. A consistent minority can create uncertainty in the majority, making them more likely to reconsider their own beliefs.

Answer 21

When the consistent minority refused to compromise, it had no effect. However, when the minority showed some flexibility and compromised, the majority also compromised and changed their view.

Answer 22

Consistency, Commitment, and Flexibility.

Answer 23

Marcus should consistently communicate that he wants to go travelling and keep repeating the same message to the group.

Answer 24

Marcus can show his commitment by planning and organizing the trip, demonstrating his dedication to the idea of travelling rather than a beach holiday.

Answer 25

Marcus could compromise by suggesting they spend time at the beach during the travels, thus accommodating the majority's preference while still pushing for the travelling idea.

Answer 26

Social change occurs when a society adopts a new belief or behavior, which becomes the new "norm," replacing the old belief or behavior.

Answer 27

Minority influence is the primary mechanism through which social change happens, where a committed minority convinces the majority to adopt their beliefs and behaviors.

Answer 28

The snowball effect refers to how, once the minority starts to persuade more people, their influence grows, and gradually the minority becomes the majority.

Answer 29

Crypto amnesia is when people forget the origin of a new belief or behavior, and the minority's influence becomes widely accepted as the new "norm."

Answer 30

Moscovici found that a consistent minority had a greater impact on the majority than an inconsistent minority. Consistency is key in creating uncertainty and convincing the majority to reconsider their views.

Answer 31

The two conditions were: one in which the confederates consistently said "green" for blue/green slides, and another where they were inconsistent in their responses.

Answer 32

The consistent minority group had a greater influence on the majority than the inconsistent group, supporting the idea that consistency is crucial for minority influence.

Answer 33

People with an internal locus of control are more likely to resist pressures to conform or obey, making them more likely to engage in independent behavior and support social change efforts.

Answer 34

Committed minorities who risk their well-being for their cause are perceived as more serious and important, which makes the majority more likely to value and eventually adopt their beliefs.

Answer 35

People may be less likely to adopt behaviors suggested by a minority group if they cannot identify with them, which limits the effectiveness of minority influence, especially in cases like environmental behaviors.

Answer 36

Being able to identify with a minority group is as important as agreeing with their views for influencing behavior. If the majority cannot identify with the minority, they are less likely to change their behaviors.

Answer 37

Psychopathology is the study of mental disorders, including their causes, development, course, classification, and treatment.

Answer 38

Examples include depression, anxiety disorders, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and various personality disorders.

Answer 39

A behavior is considered abnormal if it is rare or statistically unusual, such as an extremely low or high IQ.

Answer 40

It fails to distinguish between desirable and undesirable behaviors, as behaviors like high intelligence can be rare but are not considered abnormal.

Answer 41

A behavior is abnormal if it deviates from the unwritten social rules or norms that dictate acceptable behavior in a given society.

Answer 42

Social norms vary across cultures and time periods, so what is considered abnormal in one culture or era may be seen as normal in another.

Answer 43

In some cultures, standing close to strangers is normal (e.g., Southern Europe), whereas in others, such as the UK, it may be seen as abnormal.

Answer 44

It refers to when a person is unable to carry out the expected range of behaviors, such as holding down a job or maintaining relationships, due to abnormal behavior.

Answer 45

Criteria include personal distress, unpredictability, irrationality, and loss of control, among others.

Answer 46

The GAF scale rates an individual's social, occupational, and psychological functioning to assess how well they are coping with everyday life.

Answer 47

It provides a practical checklist for clinicians to assess abnormality based on the person’s own perception of distress and dysfunction.

Answer 48

It can be influenced by other factors, such as economic circumstances, and may vary across cultures, leading to different diagnoses in different settings.

Answer 49

It defines abnormality as the absence of characteristics that contribute to ideal mental health, such as resilience to stress, self-actualization, and a positive self-concept.

Answer 50

1. Resistance to stress 2. Growth, development, or self-actualization 3. High self-esteem and a strong sense of identity 4. Autonomy 5. Accurate perception of reality 6. Positive relationships with others

Answer 51

It is difficult to meet all of the criteria, and very few people would meet all the requirements, making it an unrealistic measure for mental health.

Answer 52

The criteria are based on Western ideals of mental health and may not be applicable or appropriate when applied to non-Western cultures.

Answer 53

OCD is an anxiety disorder characterized by intrusive and uncontrollable thoughts (obsessions) and the need to perform repetitive actions (compulsions) to neutralize the anxiety caused by these obsessions.

Answer 54

Common obsessions include fears of contamination, violent thoughts (e.g., harming someone), sexual obsessions, and obsessive doubts.

Answer 55

Common compulsions include cleaning, washing, checking, counting, and touching, often performed to neutralize the anxiety from obsessions.

Answer 56

A cognitive characteristic of OCD is the persistence of intrusive, obsessive thoughts that are recognized as excessive but are difficult to control.

Answer 57

A behavioral characteristic of OCD is performing repetitive actions (compulsions), like cleaning or checking, to reduce the anxiety caused by obsessive thoughts.

Answer 58

OCD is believed to be polygenic, involving multiple genes. The SERT gene (affecting serotonin levels) and the COMT gene (affecting dopamine levels) are linked to the disorder.

Answer 59

An overactive prefrontal cortex is thought to lead to exaggerated control over primal impulses, which contributes to the persistence of compulsive behaviors in OCD.

Answer 60

Low serotonin levels and high dopamine levels are believed to play a role in the development of OCD, leading to obsessive thoughts and repetitive behaviors.

Answer 61

Serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SRIs) and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are used to increase serotonin levels, which can help alleviate OCD symptoms.

Answer 62

Depression involves symptoms like fatigue, loss of appetite, disturbed sleep, withdrawal from others, intense sadness, feelings of worthlessness, negative thoughts, and difficulty concentrating.

Answer 63

Beck’s Negative Triad refers to negative thoughts about oneself, the world, and the future. These automatic, pessimistic thoughts contribute to depression.

Answer 64

Negative schemas are deeply held beliefs, often formed in childhood, that influence how individuals interpret their experiences, leading to depressive thinking patterns.

Answer 65

llis’ ABC Model explains that depression is caused by irrational beliefs (B) triggered by negative events (A), which then lead to depressive consequences (C).

Answer 66

Cognitive biases involve logical errors in thinking, such as focusing only on negative aspects of a situation, which reinforces depressive thoughts and behaviors.

Answer 67

The cognitive approach is criticized for ignoring genetic factors and social influences, such as life events, in the development of depression.

Answer 68

Lewinsohn et al. (2001) found that negative thinking in adolescents was a risk factor for developing depression when exposed to stressful life events.

Answer 69

The cognitive theory doesn’t account for genetic factors, social influences, or explain whether negative thinking causes depression or is a consequence of it.

Answer 70

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is used to identify and challenge negative thoughts and cognitive distortions, aiming to change the patterns that contribute to depression.

Answer 71

The goal of CBT is to change maladaptive thought processes by challenging irrational beliefs and replacing them with more realistic ones, which in turn changes behavior.

Answer 72

In CBT, clients learn to identify and observe their negative thoughts, differentiate them from reality, and challenge their dysfunctional beliefs by testing them.

Answer 73

The behavioral part involves setting homework tasks, such as keeping a diary of thoughts or engaging in activities to challenge irrational beliefs, to help clients change their behaviors.

Answer 74

A person with social anxiety may be given a homework assignment to meet a friend at a pub to practice facing social situations, challenging their anxiety-provoking beliefs.

Answer 75

CBT has shown to be highly effective, producing longer-lasting recovery from depression compared to antidepressants.

Answer 76

The precise role of cognitive processes in depression is unclear, and it is uncertain whether faulty cognitions cause depression or are a result of it.

Answer 77

CBT empowers clients by making them actively involved in their treatment, which can reduce ethical concerns compared to therapies where clients are more passive.

Answer 78

A CBT therapist might help Jack identify his absolutist thoughts about negativity, challenge their accuracy, and introduce alternative, more balanced thoughts, along with setting behavioral tasks like socializing to test his beliefs.

Answer 79

Phobias are characterized by excessive and persistent fear of specific objects or situations, with symptoms falling into behavioral (avoidance), emotional (anxiety), and cognitive (irrational fear) categories.

Answer 80

Classical conditioning explains phobias as the result of associating a neutral stimulus with a fear-inducing event, which then leads to the fear response when encountering the previously neutral stimulus.

Answer 81

Phobias are maintained through negative reinforcement, where avoidance behaviors reduce anxiety, reinforcing the avoidance and strengthening the phobia.

Answer 82

The Two-Process Model states that phobias are developed through classical conditioning and maintained through operant conditioning, where avoidance behaviors reduce anxiety, reinforcing the phobia.

Answer 83

Kirsty’s phobia of balloons likely developed through classical conditioning when a balloon burst near her, associating the balloon with fear, and is maintained through avoidance of situations with balloons.

Psychology - Social Influence Flashcards

(109 cards)