Social Psychology Final

Question 1

Types of Social Influence

Answer 1

Conformity
Compliance
Obedience

Question 1

Social Influence

Answer 1

Efforts on the part of one person to alter the behaviour or attitudes of one or more others.

Question 2

Obedience

Answer 2

Is conformity in response to the commands of an authority figure.

Under strong social pressure, individuals will conform to the authority, even when this means doing something immoral.

Question 3

Compliance

Answer 3

when you get asked to do something and you do it

Question 4

Conformity

Answer 4

A change in behaviour due to the real or imagined influence of others.

Go along to get along, behave in similar manner

Two main reasons for conforming are:
Informational Social Influence
Normative Social Influence

Question 5

Informational Social Influence

Answer 5

Conforming because we believe that others’ interpretation of an ambiguous situation is more correct than our own.

We conform because we see others as a source of information to guide our behavior.

Can bring about private acceptance or public compliance

Question 6

Private acceptance

Answer 6

Conforming to other people’s behavior out of a genuine belief that what they are doing or saying is right. (you actually believe it is right)

Question 7

Public acceptance

Answer 7

Conforming to other people’s behavior publicly, without necessarily believing in what they are doing or saying. (go along to get along)

Question 8

When is informative social influence most likely to occur

Answer 8

Situations which are most likely to produce conformity due to informational social influence include:

Ambiguous or confusing situations
Crisis situations
When other people are experts

Question 9

Resisting Informational Social Influence

Answer 9

Some individuals seek out their own information rather than relying on others.

Using other people as a source of information can be beneficial in some situations and disastrous in others.

It is important to realize that accepting another person’s definition of a situation will influence how you see the world.

Question 10

Normative Social Influence

Answer 10

Conforming to be liked and accepted by others.

Conforming to avoid being ridiculed, punished, or rejected by one’s group.

Results in public compliance but not necessarily private acceptance.

Question 11

Social Norms

Answer 11

Implicit or explicit rules a group has for the acceptable behaviours, values, and beliefs of its members.

Play an important role in driving and maintaining conformity.

Question 12

The Asch Line Judgment Studies (results)

Answer 12

All the other participants (accomplices) gave the wrong answer on 12 of the 18 trials.

Seventy-six percent of the real participants conformed by also giving the wrong answer on at least one trial.

On average, participants conformed about one third of the trials

Conformity dropped dramatically when participants were allowed to write their answers on a piece of paper (maintain anonymity) instead of saying them out loud.

Question 13

Social impact theory

Answer 13

Predicts that the likelihood of conforming to social influence depends on three variables: strength, immediacy, and number.

Question 14

Strength, Immediacy and Number - Social Impact Theory

Answer 14

Strength: how important the group of people is to you.

Immediacy: how close the group is to you in space and time during the influence attempt.
If you are told someone is in another room you conform less, if you are in the same space as them you conform more

Number: how many people are in the group.

Question 15

When is normative influence most likley to occur

Answer 15

We are most likely to conform when the group is unanimous.

However, even one other person not in agreement with the rest will decrease our conformity

Question 16

Gender Differences In Conformity

Answer 16

Small differences found, with women slightly more likely to conform than men in terms of public compliance; but no difference in terms of private acceptance.

Both men and women are less likely to conform when they are knowledgeable about the topic in question.

Question 17

Cultural Differences in Conformity

Answer 17

Conformity is higher in collectivist culture than in individualist ones since they emphasize group coherence and interdependence.

Question 18

We can resist inappropriate normative social influence by…

Answer 18

Becoming aware of what social norms are operating.

Finding an ally who thinks the way we do.

Gathering idiosyncrasy credits; the credits a person earns over time by conforming to the norms of a

Question 19

Normative social influence and women’s body image…

Answer 19

Standards of ideal body type vary across cultures, relative to food supply, with North American women adopting the “thin is beautiful” standard.

Perceptions influenced by both informational and normative social influence.

Question 20

Normative social influence and men’s body image…

Answer 20

Men facing same pressures as women; ideal body for males is much more muscular now than it was in the past.

Like women, men can also experience low self-esteem, body dissatisfaction, depression, and negative behaviours, such as steroid use.

Question 21

Minority Influence

Answer 21

Occurs when a minority of group members influences the behaviour or beliefs of the majority.

Minorities influence the majority via informational social influence; leading to private acceptance.

Question 22

Compliance

Answer 22

A change in behaviour in response to a direct request.

Common compliance techniques include:
Door-in-the-face
Foot-in-the-door
Lowballing

Question 23

Door-in-the-Face Technique

Answer 23

Gets people to comply with a request by first presenting them with a large request, which they are expected to refuse.

Then, they are presented with a smaller, more reasonable request, to which, it is hoped, they will accept.

This happens because you feel bad about saying no the first time

This door in the face technique is based on the reciprocity norm

Question 24

Reciprocity Norm

Answer 24

A social norm by which the recipient of something positive from another person requires you to reciprocate or behave similarly, in return.

Question 25

Foot-in-the-Door Technique

Answer 25

Gets people to comply with a large request by: First presenting them with a smaller request, which they are expected to accept. Then they are presented with the larger request, to which, it is hoped, they will also accept. By agreeing to the small request, it activated (primed?) people’s self-image of someone who helps others. Once this self-image is in place, it makes it difficult not to agree to a second, larger request.

Question 26

Lowballing Technique

Answer 26

Gets people to comply with a request by: Inducing a customer to agree to purchase a product at a very low cost, and then raising the price. The customer will often still make the purchase at the new price because: - The decision seems irrevocable - They want to avoid disappointing others - The new price is only slightly higher

Question 27

Milgram Experiement

Answer 27

Stanley Milgram’s (1963) classic experiment examined if ordinary people can be influenced to to inflict severe pain on an innocent other. 62.5% of participants fully obeyed the experimenter and gave up to the maximum of 450 volts shock. Even when the learner reported a heart condition, his cries did little to reduce the obedience. Normative social influence made it difficult for people to refuse to continue with the study. Did not want to hurt the researchers feelings

Question 28

What Is a Group?

Answer 28

A group is a collection of three or more people who interact with each other and are interdependent. Their needs and goals cause them to rely on one another.

Question 29

Why People Join Groups

Answer 29

Forming relationships with others fulfils a number of basic human needs – and is very likely innate. Groups help us define who we are as individuals. Group membership also motivates people to become involved in social change.

Question 30

Social roles

Answer 30

shared expectations by group members on how particular people in the group are supposed to behave. Getting too caught up in a role, however, can result in a loss of identity and personality change.

Question 31

Gender roles

Answer 31

Expectations about how men and women should behave and what professions they ought to pursue.

Question 32

Group cohesiveness

Answer 32

Qualities of a group that bind members together and promote liking among them. Cohesiveness influences the extent to which members are likely to stay in the group, take part in group activities, and recruit like-minded members.

Question 33

Group diversity

Answer 33

Groups tend to be homogeneous, comprised of members who are alike in age, sex, beliefs, and opinions. Interestingly, it seems that it is the more diverse groups that tend to make better decisions (however, there is no evidence for this in the corporate world).

Question 34

Social Facilitation

Answer 34

The presence of others increases physiological arousal Tendency for people (and cockroaches???) to do better on simple tasks but worse on complex tasks, when they are in the presence of others and their individual performance can be evaluated. When that arousal exists, it is easier to do something simple, and more difficult to do something complex or new.

Question 35

Three theories which attempt to explain the role of arousal...

Answer 35

The presence of other people causes us to become alert and vigilant maybe because of safety reasons or embarrassment. Others make us apprehensive about being evaluated (evaluation apprehension). We are very anxious of embarrassing ourselves in the presence of others! Others distract us from the task.

Question 36

Social loafing

Answer 36

The tendency for people to do worse on simple tasks, but better on complex tasks, when they are in the presence of others and their individual performance cannot be evaluated.

Question 37

Social Loafing: When the Presence of Others Relaxes Us

Answer 37

When our performance in a group cannot be identified, we become more relaxed. Being relaxed improves performance on complex tasks and impairs performance on simple tasks. Research shows that the tendency to loaf is stronger in men than women

Question 38

Deindividuation

Answer 38

The loosening of normal constraints on behaviour when people are in a group, leading to an increase in impulsive and deviant acts. Being in a group and wearing a uniform or disguise increases anonymity, thus making people feel less accountable for their actions. This is used in the military

Question 39

Process loss

Answer 39

Is any aspect of group interaction that inhibits good problem solving. Example: the tendency for groups to mainly focus on what its members already know in common.

Question 40

When Group Interactions Inhibit Bad Problem Solving

Answer 40

A common occurrence in groups that contributes to process loss is the tendency to focus mainly on what its members already know in common. As a result, there is a failure to share unique information that each person might have.

Question 41

Groupthink

Answer 41

A kind of thinking in which maintaining group cohesiveness and solidarity is more important than considering the facts in a realistic manner. Causes people to reach an inferior decision sometimes with disastrous consequences.

Question 42

Group Polarization

Answer 42

The tendency for groups to make decisions that are more extreme than the initial inclinations of their members. Believed to occur because people become exposed to even more persuasive arguments than they had at the onset.

Question 43

Great Person Theory

Answer 43

The theory that certain key personality traits make a person a good leader, regardless of the situation the leader faces.

Question 44

Leadership Styles

Answer 44

Transactional leaders set clear, short-term goals and reward people who meet them. Transformational leaders inspire followers to focus on common, long-term goals. Good leadership varies and should depend on the situation.

Question 45

Contingency Theory of Leadership

Answer 45

The theory that leadership effectiveness depends both on how task-oriented or relationship-oriented the leader is, and on the amount of control and influence the leader has over the group.

Question 46

Task-oriented leader and Relationship-oriented leader

Answer 46

Task-oriented leader concerned more with getting the job done than with the feelings of and relationships between workers. Relationship-oriented leader concerned primarily with the feelings of and relationships between the workers.

Question 47

Gender and Leadership

Answer 47

Women who act in accordance with social norms by being more communal may be seen as having less leadership potential than those who act more agentic. By the same token, women who are agentic in their leadership styles are derogated for defying social norms. No winning for women!

Question 48

Prisoner’s Dilemma

Answer 48

The dilemma is that the choice which seems best from the viewpoint of most individual players will not lead to the best outcome if both players choose it. The best outcome for both players is to choose a cooperative strategy, even though the competitive strategy seems more appealing.

Question 48

Social Dilemma

Answer 48

A conflict in which the most beneficial action for an individual will, if chosen by most people, have harmful effects on everyone.

Question 49

Players will be more cooperative if they are...

Answer 49

Players will be more cooperative if they are: - Playing against a friend. - Expecting to interact with their opponent in the future. - Playing in small, rather than large groups

Question 50

Tit-For-Tat Strategy

Answer 50

A means of encouraging cooperation by first acting cooperatively, and then responding the way your opponent did on the previous turn.

Question 51

Negotiation

Answer 51

Is a form of communication between opposing sides in a conflict in which offers and counter-offers are made. A solution occurs only when both parties agree (when, as we say, “everybody wins”).

Question 52

Integrative Solution

Answer 52

A solution to a conflict whereby the parties make trade-offs on issues according to their different interests. Each side concedes the most on issues that are unimportant to it but important to the other side. Mediators can play a key role in helping each side recognize that there are mutually agreeable solutions to a conflict.