Classic Studies on Social Influence

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Questions and Answers

What is the primary argument of Allport regarding group behavior?

Group behavior can be explained through environmental stimuli alone.

Understanding individual psychology is key to understanding group dynamics. (correct)

Individuals behave uniformly in group settings regardless of stimuli.

Group behavior is solely dependent on the presence of social norms.

What does Sherif's study primarily illustrate about group norms?

Group norms are entirely independent from individual judgments.

Group norms can emerge and develop through social interaction. (correct)

Norms exist only before individuals interact with one another.

Individual responses are unchangeable once formed.

How did participants' judgments about the moving light differ in Sherif's two phases?

Judgments remained unchanged when seen in groups first.

Individuals conformed more in the group phase after individual judgments. (correct)

Participants were inconsistent in both phases regardless of their condition.

There was no significant difference in judgments regardless of the condition.

What is a key limitation of Allport's approach to understanding group behavior?

It does not account for the importance of conformity to social norms. Signup and view all the answers

What is described as a socially shared guideline for behavior?

Social norms that dictate expected behaviors. Signup and view all the answers

What does the term 'internalised' refer to in the context of group norms?

Adopting group norms as personal beliefs Signup and view all the answers

What was the primary goal of Asch's line judgment task?

To show the impact of objective reality on conformity Signup and view all the answers

What was the overall error rate observed in Asch's study?

37% Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following concepts is emphasized by Deutsch and Gerrard's dual process theory?

The distinction between informational and normative influence Signup and view all the answers

In contemporary research, what effect does agreement with fellow group members have on an individual's confidence?

It increases confidence Signup and view all the answers

What was a finding from Platow et al's 2005 comedy study regarding laughter?

In-group members laughed more than out-group members Signup and view all the answers

What impact did reassurance from a fellow group member have in Platow et al's icy water experiment?

It decreased anxiety and improved performance Signup and view all the answers

The term 'referent informational influence' is related to which aspect of group dynamics?

Trust in the group's collective judgment Signup and view all the answers

What did the study involving science students and icy water measure?

Anxiety levels and pain perception Signup and view all the answers

Which result reflects the effectiveness of group norms persisting after group membership changes?

Persisting even when group members change gradually Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Allport (1924): Argued social psychology is just individual psychology applied to social situations. Focuses on individual attributes and responses, which then become stimuli for others. Ignored the role of social norms.

Sherif (1935): Norm Formation

Autokinetic Effect Study: Participants judged the apparent movement of a stationary light.
Two Conditions:
- Alone then in groups: Individual norms initially, then converged on a group norm.
- In groups then alone: Group norm persisted even when judgments were made alone.
Conclusions: Judgments reflect conformity to a group norm, created through interaction and information sharing. This norm becomes internalized and guides future judgments, even without the group present.

Asch (1951): Conformity

Line Judgment Task: Participants judged line lengths. Stooges gave incorrect answers, and the study measured how often participants conformed.
Results: Shows strong conformity despite obvious correct answers. A significant portion of participants gave incorrect answers to conform.

Deutsch and Gerrard (1955): Dual Process Theory

Integration of Sherif and Asch's Findings: Proposed two types of social influence:
- Informational influence: (Sherif) influenced by others' judgments.
- Normative influence: (Asch) influenced by expectations to conform.

Contemporary Research: Referent Informational Influence

Turner (1991): Emphasized the role of group memberships in self-definition. Trust and agreement with fellow group members impacts judgment.
Platow et al (2005): Experiment using comedy and laughter judgments. Participants' laughter and smiles increased for laughter of fellow group members compared to out-group members. Group membership influences how others impact our own behaviour. Laughter and smiling behaviour is influenced by in-group or out-of-group perception.
Platow et al (2005): Science students completing a task (icy water). Findings indicated that reassurance/support from a fellow group member was impactful and decreased anxiety for the task. The result demonstrated that group identification reduces anxiety.

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Description

Explore pivotal experiments in social psychology, including Allport's theories, Sherif's autokinetic effect study on norm formation, and Asch's conformity experiment. This quiz will test your understanding of the impact of social norms on individual judgments and behavior. Dive into how group dynamics shape decision-making processes.