Social Psychology: Social Influence

Front 1

Agentic shift

Back 1

Milgram terminology. In situations requiring obedience to authority and individual may shift from an 'autonomous' state (taking responsibility for their own actions) to an 'agentic' level (acting for another person), where responsibility is attributed to the authority figure.

Front 2

Attributional style

Back 2

This is a personality attribute that indicates how people explain to themselves why they experience a particular event. Personal, Permanent and Pervasive.

Front 3

Compliance

Back 3

When an individual accepts influence because they hope to achieve a favourable reaction (e.g. approval) around them.

Front 4

Conformity

Back 4

A form of social influence that results from exposure to the majority position - leads to compliance with that position. It is the tendency to adopt the behaviours, attitudes and values of other members of a reference group.

Study - Asch 1956

Front 5

Informative social influence

Back 5

This is the result of wanting to be right, looking to others for the right answer.

Front 6

Internalisation

Back 6

When an individual accepts influence because the values and beliefs are consistent with their own value system.

Front 7

Locus of control

Back 7

This is an aspect of our personality. People are different in their beliefs of whether the outcomes of their actions are contingent on what they do (internal control) or on events outside their personal control (external control).

Front 8

Minority influence

Back 8

Form of social influence where people reject the established norm of the majority of the group members.

Study - Moscovici 1969

Front 9

Normative social influence

Back 9

This is the result of wanting to be liked and be part of a group.

Front 10

Obedience to authority

Back 10

This refers to a type of social influence whereby somebody reacts in response to a direct order from a perceived authority figure.

Study - Milgram 1963

Front 11

Social change

Back 11

This is when a whole society adopts a new belief or way of behaving which then becomes widely accepted as the 'norm'.

Front 12

Social impact theory

Back 12

This states that the likelihood that a person will respond to social influence will increase with strength, immediacy (how close it is) and number.