Quiz #2 Flashcards
What is ISI?
(Informational Social Influence)
When we find ourselves in situations where we’re not sure how to act, we often look to the behavior of others to determine the appropriate response
Examples of ISI.
Being in a new country or area with different customs.
3 conditions where ISI is likely to occur
- When the situation is new to you (fancy restaurant etiquette)
- When others in the situation seem more experienced or knowledgable than us (dancing the Macarena)
- When acting appropriately is important (emergencies or large public forums)
Describe Sherif’s research findings and the conclusions one can draw from it.
(The light staring experiment)
After staring at the light for a long amount of time, the light looks like it is moving. Sherif asked Ps how much the light moved in four trials and after the last 3 Ps were put in a room together. Ps heard each other’s estimates, which led to the estimates being similar to each other. When Ps were alone each estimate varied.
Describe Dr. Philips’ ISI explanation of copycat suicides and the evidence that supports his explanation
Copycat phenom.:
-similarities to the original suicide and the copy cats
-an average of 58 suicides happened within 2 months after a highly publicized suicide story came out
-airplane and motorcycle deaths spiked after the story as well
What is NSI?
(Normative Social Influence)
Altering our judgment or behavior in order to fit in and/or be accepted by others
Examples of NSI.
Peer pressure, wearing trendy clothing, religious scenarios, etc.
Describe Asch’s “line estimate” study and conclusions about NSI we can draw from the results
Actors and one unaware P were asked questions about the lines presented. Actors were supposed to reply incorrectly to see if Ps conformed bc of group size.
20% of Ps never conformed
65% conformed a moderate amount
15% conformed a lot
How does group size affect NSI?
-The larger the group the stronger the social pressure
If one is able to report their opinions/beliefs anonymously, how does that affect the chances they will display normative conformity?
They will rarely conform
What is the basic motive underlying ISI? NSI?
ISI=to be correct
NSI=to be liked
What were the procedures and findings of Milgram’s original obedience study?
Ps were given the role “teacher” and actors were given the role “student” or “learner”.
Ps were to ask a number of questions to the actors and if answered incorrectly the actor would be “shocked” up to a lethal amount.
65% or 2/3rds conformed to authority in this experiment
What is the “agentic shift” and how does it explain obedience to authority?
When we move or shift accountability/responsibility for our actions away from ourselves to an authority figure.
How did Norm Triplett define social facilitation?
The presence of others releases “latent energy”, which in turn improves our performance.
How/Why did Triplett come up with the idea? Describe the methods and results of the study he conducted to test his theory.
Triplett noticed he goes faster on his bike when he was with a group.
His experiment:
-Kids would reel in the fishing line as fast as they could alone while being watched, and competing against another.
-Ps alone were slower than the observed or competing
-Observed and competing did not differ
How does Zajonc (1965) define social facilitation? Describe research using cockroaches that support his theory.
-The presence of others increases our arousal, which increases (or exaggerates) our dominant response.
-The cockroaches:
An easy or hard maze
1/2 with spectators and 1/2 alone
In the easy maze, they navigated better alone and in the difficult maze, they navigated better alone than being watched.
Describe Baron’s theories of social facilitation and research findings that support the theories.
-The presence of others creates distractions, which increased arousal, which increases the dominant response.
-Performing in a noisy room with flashing lights has the same effects on our performance as being observed
Describe Cottrell’s theories of social facilitation and research findings that support the theories.
-The presence of others creates “evaluation apprehension” (fear of being judged harshly), which increases arousal, whihc increases the dominant response
- When Ps performed tasks that could only be judged visually (ex:juggling) they performed equally well when alone as when in front of blind folded audience
Define and give examples of social loafing.
Pooling effort in an easy, group task lowers each individual group member’s level of effort.
ex: - coworker who texts while you do most of the work
- the roommate (oof) who doesn’t help clean the apartment
When is social loafing most likely to occur?
-a member finds the task boring or unimportant
-a member believes their efforts are dispensable
-a member believes they are unaccountable for their level of effort
Describe gender and cultural social loafing differences and why those differences exist.
-Women tend to be more involved in relations with others than men.
-People are likely to loaf when they expect to work together with team members from a different culture
How can one reduce social loafing?
-Limit the size of the group
-pick a task or topic that all members find interesting, important, or challenging
- identify and publicize each members contribution
-assign specific tasks that only they can perform
What is De-Individuation and what are some examples?
-The loosening of normal constraints on behavior when people can’t be identified
-When in a crowd
-When online/anonymous
What are antecedents and what are the symptoms of groupthink?
- An event or stimulus that precedes some other event or stimulus and often elicits, signals, or sets the occasion for a particular behavior or response.
-illusion of invulnerability, belief the moral correctness of the group, stereotyped views of out-group, self-censorship, direct pressure on dissenters to conform, illusion of unanimity, mind guards.
