Social Influence Flashcards
(30 cards)
Social influence
Social influence refers to the many ways people affect one another, including changes in attitudes, beliefs, feelings, and behaviour resulting from the comments, actions or even the simple presence of others,
Conformity
Changing oe’s beliefs or behaviour to more closely align with those of others, in response to explicit or implicit pressure (real or imagined) to do so.
In Western society it can be seen as bad, but some forms of conformity are beneficial, eliminating potential conflict, making interactions with others smoother and letting us not have to think much about every possible action.
i.e., surpressing anger, paying taxes, standing in line at the grocery store.
Automatic mimicry
The most subtle form of conformity, which allows us to mindlessly imitate other people’s movements and behaviours. We mimic posture, mannerisms, expressions and other actions.
i.e., experiment in which a participant and actor took turns describing photogrraphs. Condition A - confederate frequently rubbed their face, condition B - confederate shook their feet. As the discussion went on, the participants imitating whatever the actor was doing.
Why?
* William James (1980) - simply thinking about a behaviour makes performing it more likely to happen. The brain regions responsible for perception overlap with those responsible for actions.
* We mimic others to facilitate smooth interactions, and foster social connection. People tend to like those who mimic them more than those who do not, even when they are unaware they are being mimicked, and they tend to engage in more prosocial behaviour afterwards.
* Synchronised sction can create especially powerful feelings of closeness and bonding.
Sherif’s Conformity Experiment (1936)
Aim:Sherif (1936) conducted an experiment with the aim of demonstrating that people conform to group norms when they are put in an ambiguous (i.e., unclear) situation.
Method: Sherif used a lab experiment to study conformity. He used the autokinetic effect – this is where a small spot of light (projected onto a screen) in a dark room will appear to move even though it is still (i.e., it is a visual illusion). He asked participants to estimate how much the line moved each time. It was discovered that when participants were individually tested, their estimates of how far the light moved varied considerably.
He then brought everyone together to call out their estimates. Over time, their estimated tended to converge. Those on the higher end lowered their estimated, those on the lower end raised theirs.
Informational social influence
The reliance on other people’s comments and actions as an indication of what’s likely to be correct, proper, or effective. Wer are more likely to conform to others’ views when we only have vague ideas about the topic than when we are familiar with it. We are also more likely to conform in a foreign country than in our own. This type leads to internalization
Internalization
the private acceptance of the position advanced by the majority., we don’t just mimic a response, we adopt the group’s perspective.
Normative social influence
The desire to avoid being criticized, disapproved of, or shunned. This type leads to public acceptance
Public acceptance
To avoid disapproval, we sometimes do or say one thing, when we still continue to believe something else.
Asch’s Conformity Experiment (1956)
Eight male students were gathered together to perform a perceptual task: determining which of three lines were the same length as the target line. Each of them had to answer publicly, one after the other. In the first two trials the task was uneventful. In the third, one participant’s judgement was different from everyone else’s (the only true participant). The confederates responded wrongly 11 times during the experiment. The aim was to see how many times the subject would conform. There was no ambiguity, the answer was clear. Three quarters of the participants conformed at least once.Overall, they conformed on a third of the trials. Control participants who did not experience social pressure got the answer right almost 100% of the time. People conformed primarily to avoid standig out negatively in the eyes of the group
Factors affecting conformity pressure
Group size
Group unanimity
Anonymity
Expertise and status
Culture
Group size
People are more likely to conform in a bigger group, however only when it comes to groups of 3 or 4, after that the amount of conformity levels off.
Group unanimity
The conformity levels drop in groups where the true participant had even just one single ally that also deviated from the majority. The presence of an ally weakens both informational and normative social influence, and they do not even need to provide the correct answer.
Anonimity
Anonymity eliminates normative social influence, substantially reducing conformity.
Expertise and status
Expertise and status go hand in hand.We grant greater status to those we believe to be experts and we assume that those with high status are experts. Expertise mostly affects informational social influence, since experts are assumed to be more likely right. Status mainly affects normative social influence because they can do more to hurt our social standing than lower-status individuals can.
Culture
Interdependent cultures are more susceptible to both informational and normative influence. In contrast, individualism encourages individuals to stand out from the majority.
Tight cultures
- have strong social norms regardig how people should behave, and have little tolerance for those who deviate from them
- more likely to have autocratic or dictatorial governments, to have more laws and monitor obedience to them, inflict more punishment for disobedience
Loose cultures
- their norms about how peope should behave are loose, not as strong
- their members tolerate more deviance
Minority Influence on Majority
- main effect on informational social influence
Minority opinions can influence the majority to consistent and clear messages. that persuade them to systematically examine and reevaluate their opinions
Compliance
Responding favourably to an explicit request from another person.
Foot-in-the-door technique
A compliance approach that involves making an initial small request with which nearly everyone complies, followed by a larger request involving the real behaviour of interest. The idea is that the initial agreement leads to a change in self-image as someone who does this sort of thing. thus, the person has reason to agree to the subsequent request.
Obedience
In an unequal power relationship, submitting to the demands of the person who holds authority.
Identification
Identification occurs when someone conforms to the demands of a given social role in society. For example, a policeman, teacher or politician. This type of conformity extends over several aspects of external behavior. However, there still be no changed to internal personal opinion.
Pluralistic ignorance
a phenomeon whereby people act in ways that conflict with their true attitudes or beliefs because they believe others do not have them. when a great amount of people do so, their behaviour reinforces the erroneous group norm.
i.e., college binge drinking
Norm of reciprocity
A norm dictating that people should provide benefits to those who benefit them. By failing to respond favourably, the person would violate the social norm and risk beeing seen in a negative light.
