Social Influence

Front 1

Conformity

Back 1

A change in a persons behaviour or opinions as a result of real or imagined pressure from others

Front 2

Internalisation

Back 2

Deep type of conformity where we take on majority view because we accept is as correct, leaving permanent change in behaviour even if group is absent

Front 3

Identification

Back 3

Moderate type of conformity where we act in the same way with the group because we value it & wasn’t to be part of it but don’t necessarily agree with everything

Front 4

Compliance

Back 4

Temporary type of conformity where we outwardly go along with majority but privately disagree so change only lasts in company of group

Front 5

Informational social influence

Back 5

We agree with the opinion of majority because we believe it is correct and accept it as we want to be correct also - may lead to internalisation

Front 6

Normative social influence

Back 6

We agree with opinion of majority because we want to be accepted, gain social approval & be like - may lead to compliance

Front 7

Group size

Back 7

Asch increased group by adding more confederates, increasing size of majority - conformity increases with group size until majority was greater than three

Front 8

Unanimity

Back 8

Extent to which all members of group agree

In study majority was unanimous when all confederates selected same comparison line - produced greater degree of conformity in naive participants

Front 9

Task difficulty

Back 9

Line judging task is more difficult when it becomes more difficult to work out correct answer - conformity increases as naive participant assume the majority are more likely to be correct

Front 10

Social roles

Back 10

The ‘parts’ people play as members of various social groups, accompanied by expectations we and others have & what is appropriate behaviour in each role

Front 11

Obedience

Back 11

An individual followed a direct order & person issuing the order is usually a figure of authority, who has the power to punish when obedient behaviour is not forthcoming

Front 12

Situational variables

Back 12

Factors Milgram believed influenced the level of obedience shown by participants - they’re all related to external factors rather than personality

Proximity, location & uniform

Front 13

Proximity

Back 13

Physical closeness or distance of an authority figure to the person given order - physical closeness of teacher to learner in study

Front 14

Location

Back 14

Place where an order is issued - factor influencing obedience is the status of prestige, associated with the location

Front 15

Uniform

Back 15

People in authority often have a specific outfit, symbolic of their authority, indicating to the rest of us who is entitled to expect our obedience

Front 16

Agentic state

Back 16

A mental state where we v feel no personal responsibility for our behaviour as we believe to be acting for an authority figure, fretting is from demand of our consciousness & allows us to obey even to destructive authority figure

Front 17

Legitimacy of authority

Back 17

Suggests we are more likely to obey people who we perceive to have authority over us - this authority is justified by the individuals position of power within a social hierarchy

Front 18

Dispositional explanation

Back 18

Any explanation of behaviour highlighting importance of individuals personality - often contrasted with situational explanations

Front 19

Authoritarian personality

Back 19

Type of personality Adorno argued was especially susceptible to obeying people in authority - such individuals are thought to be submissive to those of higher status & dismissive of inferiors

Front 20

Resistance to social influence

Back 20

Ability to withstand social pressure to conform to majority or obey authority - this ability to withstand is influenced by situational & dispositional factors

Front 21

Social support

Back 21

Presence of those who resist pressures to conform or obey can help others to do the same - they act as models to show others resistance to social influence is possible

Front 22

Locus of control (LOC)

Back 22

The sense we have about what directs events in our lives -

Internals believe they are mostly responsible for what happens to them

External believe it’s a matter of luck or other outside forces

Front 23

Minority influence

Back 23

Form of social influence where a minority persuades others to adopt their beliefs both overtime and between all the individuals that form the minority - effective as it draws attention to minority view

Front 24

Consistency

Back 24

Most effective if minority keeps same beliefs both overtime & between all that form the minority - effective as it draws attention to minority view

Front 25

Commitment

Back 25

MI is more powerful if the minority demonstrates dedication to their position & is effective as it showed minority isn’t acting out of self influence

Front 26

Flexibility

Back 26

Relentless consistency could be counter productive if seen by majority as unbending & unreasonable - minority influence is more effective if minority shows flexibility by accepting possibility of compromise

Front 27

Social influence

Back 27

Process where individuals & groups change each other’s attitudes and behaviours -

Includes conformity, obedience & minority influence

Front 28

Social influence

Back 28

Process where individuals & groups change each other’s attitudes and behaviours -

Includes conformity, obedience & minority influence

Front 29

Social change

Back 29

Occurs when whole societies rather than individuals, adopt new attitudes beliefs and ways of doing things