Week 10 - Social influence Flashcards
Social Influence
Ways that people affect one another through changing attitudes, beliefs, feelings, or behaviors resulting from the real or imagined presence of others
Social Influence
Conformity (Do as others d0): Changing behavior in response to real or imagined pressure from others.
Compliance (Do as others want): Changing behavior by responding favorably to an explicit request.
Obedience (Do as others command): Responding to an explicit request from someone who has power over you.
Conformity: Do as others Do
Unconscious (automatic) conformity
- Automatic behavioral mimicry
Conscious (deliberate) conformity
- Informational social influence
- Normative social influence
Conscious (Intentional) Conformity
Informational Social Influence: Using others’ actions or comments as a source of valid information about what is correct, proper or effective.
Normative Social Influence: Using others’ actions or comments as guides for how to fit in and avoid disapproval or social sanctions (e.g., ridicule, ostracism)
Informational Social Influence: Why?
Accuracy Motive: We want to be right!
Informational social influence is likely to occur when:
The situation is difficult or ambiguous
In other words, when we feel low in knowledge or competence about a task or topic, so we need help - i.e. Clapping when you see others clap
Normative Social Influence
Conformity based on the desire to be liked or socially accepted when the situation is clear/ unambiguous but one’s own beliefs conflict with group beliefs.
Informational or Normative?
Informational and normative influence almost always happen together
You are unsure about what is appropriate, and you want to fit in!
However, sometimes one is more important than the other.
Informational influence leads to internalization (private acceptance) of the majority opinion/behavior, and actual change in your attitudes and beliefs.
Normative influence leads to temporary public compliance with the majority opinion/behavior, without any change in your attitudes and beliefs.
Factors That Influence Conformity
Group size Unanimity Anonymity Expertise/status Culture Minority influence
Group Size
Larger groups have more informational and normative social influence
After a certain point, conformity rates level off - If you are in a huge lecture, you don’t feel the need to conform as much cause you are just a face in a sea of people
Unanimity
If there is a break in unanimity, even if it is not in line with the person’s private belief, it is enough to reduce conformity
If there are other dissenters, it becomes easier to dissent, even if you are dissenting in different ways
Anonymity
When people cannot find out what your opinions are, conformity is reduced
Expertise & Status
People tend to conform to the opinions of expert or high status people
Groupthink
GROUPTHINK: A (faulty) style of thinking in which maintaining group cohesiveness and solidarity is more important than considering the facts in a realistic manner.
The presence of high status individual(s) and lack of anonymity in providing answers or expressing opinions can lead to groupthink!
Culture
Culture: Interdependent (collectivist) groups tend to conform more (focus on social relationships)
Tight vs. Loose Cultures: Cultures with strong norms/rules for behavior (tight) elicit more conformity than those with weaker norms/rules (loose)
E.g., Tight cultures: China, Japan, South Korea, Britain, Turkey
E.g., Loose cultures: Greece, Israel, Netherlands, Brazil, Ukraine
Gender
Females are more likely to conform than men
But this difference is somewhat small…depends on the domain!
- In stereotypically “male domains” (e.g., geography, hunting), females tend to conform more than males
- In stereotypically “female domains” (e.g., childrearing, cosmetics), males tend to conform more than females
