Social Psychology Conformity Flashcards
(24 cards)
social facilitation
EX involving sports
if youre really good @ something or it’s an easy task, youll perform BETTER in front of a group
-do better @ task when others are around
EX) running track, home field advantage
Social impairment
EX involving driving
if it’s a difficult task or you’re not very good @ it, you’ll perform WORSE in front of a group
EX) okay 2 driving, father-in-law in car -> went E not W
social loafing
EX involving sports
tendency for ppl in a group to exert less effort when pooling efforts toward a common goal then if they were individually accountable
-less effort when there’s more ppl
EX) Airplane making lexi & lauren vs class
football less individual effort bc team
conformity, is it always a bad thing?
not always a bad thing, group safe -> do same thing and youre safe
conformity
ex? is behavior contagious? ex?
adjusting one’s behavior or thinking to coincide w/ a group standard
EX: smoking individual but part of a group
tattoos individual but part of a mainstream
military - head shaved and uniform -> group efforts
BEHAVIOR IS CONTAGIOUS! -suicides happen in clumps, clapping, standing ovation
Asch’s Study of Conformity
LINE STUDY 1955 1% individual error, 33% in a group error about 1/3 of participants conformed 70% conformed atleast once
To strengthen conformity (4)
group is unanimous
group is at least 3 ppl (smoking, every does-> more likely)
admires the group’s status (mean girls, cut shirt -> conform)
one had made no prior commitment (tues. to meet -> ok tuesday bc no prior commitment)
Normative social influence
3 examples
resulting from one’s desire to GAIN APPROVAL
- Marco Lokar of seton hall (1991) Italian
- everyone wearing flag, didnt received threats -> left
- toni smith (2003) manhattan
- turned back against flag -> threats
(ex: change way you dress around grandparents)
informational social influence
resulting from one’s willingness to accept others opinions about reality
-accept other ppls beliefs, dont scream in church
(clueless, look at others for what to do)
EX) elevator facing forward not back
-Rebecca denton (2004)- great britain
-wrong side of road, thought everyone else was wrong
-western nations are more individual vs East asian who conform and take part in informational influence
Milgrams study of obedience
participants? what affected the study?
men ages 20-50
women, just as likely to obey
Authority had to be close
prestigious institution
victim depersonalized (buffer btwn each person)
no role models for defiance (obey when no one else says no)
majority of ppl went to top 450 volts
what did we learn from milgram?
ordinary ppl can do shocking things
-ethical issues
other events similar to milgrams findings?
jozefow poland (1942)
-15/500 stood up and refused to kill ppl in village
Le Chambon France (WW2)
-Christian community sheltered ppl bc they defied early
obedience
power of ppl in positions of authority -> influences ppls attitudes and behavior
why do ppl obey?
socialization
foot in door effect
confusion about attitudes
buffers
socialization (dealing with obedience)
socialized to obey authority figures from childhood and doing otherwise conflicts w/ deeply held attitudes about correct behavior
confusion about attitudes
ppl who are aware of attitudes -> more likely to act in accordance to them
-disturbed by whats around them -> less aware & mroe confused about beliefs
buffers
protected from observing consequences of their actions -> more likely to follow orders
EX: Wall, mroe likely to comply and hurt learner
group polarization
groups tend to make more extreme decisions then the individual
EX Ti-pi
2 high school freshman -1 band other basketball, split about bc participate more
(POLAR OPPOSITES, PULL AWAY)
KKK easier to join w/ internet bc similar beliefs
High prejudice -> among others w/ same belief-> mroe prejudice
Positives of group polarization examples?
spiritual awareness- worship in groups-> belief become strong
self-help- believes should quit -> held accountable by group
tolerance
Henry and Roger (dealing w/ group polarization
Henry- 6.12 -> 4.88, demonstrates risky shift (not much to lose so more risk)
Roger 6.84 -> 7.82, demonstrates conservative shirt (a lot to lose so less risk)
Groupthink
Group members suppress their reservations about the ideas supported by the group
more concerned w/ group harmony
EX) Everyone wants to see 1 movie, you want to see another but dont say anything
when is groupthink worse?
worse in highly cohesive groups (less likely to speak up)
EX) Bay of Pigs- “great idea” outweighed opposed ppl didnt speak loud enough (like asch line study, didnt speak up)
-fed by overconfidence, conformity, and group polarization
WANT DIVERSE GROUP OF PPL WHEN LEADER TO AVOID GROUPTHINK
Deindividuation
ppl get swept up in a group & lose sense of self
- feel anonymous & aroused
- explains rioting behaviors
- Zimbardo (1970), uniforms, # used in prison study which takes away individual and replaces them w/ group or uniform
Zimbardo prison study
showed?
showed how we deindividuate & become the roles we are given
-Abu Ghraib (2004) zimbardo brought in to say situation & not disposition
