Psychology: Social Influence and Conformity

Social Influence

• Conformity refers to adjusting one's behavior or beliefs to match those of others in a group
• Informational social influence is a type of social influence that involves conforming to the behavior of others because we believe they have accurate information
• Compliance is the tendency to agree to a request or demand from another person, even if you do not agree with it personally

Prejudice and Stereotyping

• Prejudice refers to the negative attitudes and beliefs toward individuals based on their membership in a particular group
• Social categorization is the process of categorizing individuals into social groups based on common characteristics
• Stereotypes are beliefs or attitudes about individuals based on their membership in a particular group

Group Dynamics

• Groupthink occurs when members of a group prioritize consensus and harmony over critical evaluation of alternative viewpoints
• Roles refer to the expected behaviors and responsibilities associated with a particular position or status within a group

Self-Perception

• Self-efficacy refers to the belief in one's ability to succeed in specific situations or accomplish a task
• Self-concept refers to an individual's perception of themselves, including their beliefs, attitudes, and values
• Self-esteem refers to an individual's overall sense of self-worth or value

Biases

• Fundamental attribution error involves attributing others' behavior to internal factors while overlooking situational factors
• Confirmation bias, hostile attribution bias, and cognitive biases are other types of biases that can affect our perceptions and judgments