Social Influence and Persuasion

Podcast

Play an AI-generated podcast conversation about this lesson

Questions and Answers

What defines the phenomenon of social facilitation?

Performing adequately in the presence of others

A decrease in effort when alone

A tendency to perform worse in groups

Performing better in the presence of others (correct)

Which of the following is a characteristic of a cohesive group?

Weaker ties among members

Increased levels of self-censorship

Higher levels of commitment (correct)

Decreased loyalty

What is groupthink primarily concerned with?

Social loafing effects

Striving for group consensus (correct)

Achieving individual goals

Encouraging critical thinking

What is a potential symptom of groupthink?

Illusions of invulnerability Signup and view all the answers

Which factor does NOT contribute to social loafing?

Individual accountability Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following describes deindividuation?

Loss of self-awareness in large groups Signup and view all the answers

What can lead to group polarization?

Discussions with like-minded individuals Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes primary groups?

Casual and interaction-focused Signup and view all the answers

What typically occurs when individuals work in groups and their efforts are not evaluated?

Individuals exert less effort than when working alone. Signup and view all the answers

Which factors help reduce the occurrence of social loafing in a group?

A challenging task and high group cohesion. Signup and view all the answers

What is a primary condition that leads to deindividuation in groups?

Physical anonymity and distraction. Signup and view all the answers

What characterizes group polarization in decision-making?

Groups tend to intensify the opinions of individuals. Signup and view all the answers

What phenomenon occurs when group cohesion overrides realistic appraisals, potentially leading to poor decisions?

Groupthink. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is NOT a symptom of groupthink?

Encouraging dissenting opinions. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following factors has been noted to have a significant impact on group decision flaws according to criticism of groupthink?

Cohesion and isolation from opposing views. Signup and view all the answers

What should not be assumed about group decisions based on historical evidence?

Groups will always make flawed decisions. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following methods can help prevent groupthink?

Encouraging devil’s advocate positions Signup and view all the answers

What is the likely benefit of group problem solving compared to individual problem solving?

Groups can generate more and better ideas Signup and view all the answers

How do task-focused leaders primarily operate?

By emphasizing task completion and efficiency Signup and view all the answers

Which type of leader is characterized by inspiring self-sacrifice for group goals?

Transformational leader Signup and view all the answers

What factors increase the likelihood of minority group members influencing a majority?

Self-confidence and consistency Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best defines altruism?

Selfless acts that prioritize the welfare of others Signup and view all the answers

What is an example of prosocial behavior?

Helping a neighbor move Signup and view all the answers

Which leadership style is typically effective when balancing task achievement and follower needs?

Transactional leadership Signup and view all the answers

What factor is identified as having an influence on aggression?

Genetic predisposition Signup and view all the answers

How does frustration relate to aggression?

It stems from unmet expectations rather than deprivation. Signup and view all the answers

What role does social learning play in aggression?

It teaches that aggression can be beneficial through observation. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following can influence aggressive behavior?

Adverse experiences Signup and view all the answers

What effect does viewing violent media have on individuals?

It can increase aggression, especially in provoked individuals. Signup and view all the answers

How do group dynamics influence aggression?

They create situations that magnify individual aggressive reactions. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following statements regarding violent video games is true?

They may increase aggressive thoughts and behaviors significantly due to active participation. Signup and view all the answers

What is a likely result of heavy exposure to video violence?

A correlation with aggressive behavior. Signup and view all the answers

What increases the likelihood of conformity when faced with group influence?

Group cohesion Signup and view all the answers

Which factor decreases conformity within a group context?

A prior commitment to a belief Signup and view all the answers

What best describes normative influence in conformity?

Desire for acceptance and likability Signup and view all the answers

In which scenario is a person likely to experience reactance?

When faced with blatant social coercion Signup and view all the answers

Which characteristic is NOT typically associated with conformity?

Diversity in group opinion Signup and view all the answers

How do individual differences affect conformity?

They play a larger role in weak social situations. Signup and view all the answers

What is the outcome when social pressure is strong but explicit?

A mix of conformity and reactance Signup and view all the answers

What effect does high status of group members have on an individual’s conformity?

Increases likelihood of conformity Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary effect of a mild attack on one’s position regarding persuasion?

It creates resistance to later persuasion. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes the concept of deviance?

Behavior that goes against societal expectations. Signup and view all the answers

What does Control Theory suggest about social bonds?

Stronger social bonds lead to less deviance. Signup and view all the answers

In labeling theory, which of the following is emphasized?

Societal reactions to deviance. Signup and view all the answers

What is an example of secondary deviance?

A person internalizing the label of being a thief. Signup and view all the answers

What does differential association theory propose?

Individuals learn criminal behavior from their primary groups. Signup and view all the answers

Which type of conformity relies on the desire to be accepted by a group?

Normative conformity Signup and view all the answers

What challenge does anomie theory address?

Strain from unattainable goals. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is NOT a component of social bonds theory?

Innovation Signup and view all the answers

What does the term 'denial of victim' refer to in techniques of neutralization?

Justifying actions by stating no one was harmed. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Social influence occurs when one person (the source) influences another (the target) to engage in a specific behavior.
Persuasion is changing someone's beliefs, attitudes, or behaviors by providing information or arguments.
The communication-persuasion paradigm involves the source, message, target, and response.
The source's credibility (expertise, likeability, attractiveness, trustworthiness, hierarchy of credibility) affects the persuasiveness of the message.
The message can be based on facts or emotions. Discrepancy between the message and the target's prior beliefs can influence persuasion. The relationship between source credibility and message discrepancy matters.
Factors impacting whether the target is persuaded include intelligence, degree of involvement, personality, and focus/distraction.
Compliance occurs when someone yields to a threat or promise. Obedience is compliance with a direct command.

Sherif's auto-kinetic experiments demonstrated how social norms are formed.
Asch's conformity experiments explored group influence on individual opinions.
Milgram's obedience experiments documented the powerful influence of authority on obedience to harmful commands.

Conformity and Nonconformity

Conformity is acting or thinking differently in a group setting than one would individually.
Different types of conformity include compliance, obedience, and acceptance.
Classic studies show that people conform to others' opinions and actions.
People conform out of normative influence (desire for acceptance) or informational influence (belief that others are correct).
Deviance is acting differently from the norms of society. Merton's theory of deviance suggests that it occurs when individuals reject society's goals or means of achieving them.

The Impact of Norms

Cultural norms dictate when helping behavior is appropriate and inappropriate.
Social responsibility norm suggests we should help those in need.
Norm of reciprocity suggests we should help those who have helped us
Bystander intervention effect implies that the presence of others can decrease individual's helping behavior.

Group Influence

Groupthink is striving for group consensus. This often leads to poor decisions.
Group polarization is group discussions tending towards more extreme decisions.
Social Loafing describes individuals exerting less effort in a group compared to individually.
Deindividuation describes losing self-awareness in large groups leading to more aggressive or impulsive behaviors.

Altruism

Prosocial behavior means actions beneficial to others.
Altruism is selfless concern for the well-being of others.
Social exchange theory explains helping behavior by considering the potential costs and benefits of helping.
Evolutionary perspectives suggest that helping behavior evolved to increase survival chances of relatives and those who might reciprocate.

Aggression

Aggression is behavior intended to cause harm. It can be physical or social.
Aggression may be motivated by instinct, frustration, aversive emotions, or learned behavior.
Learning through imitation, media portrayal of aggression influence the likelihood of aggression.
Social factors like situational pressures, group settings and norms can influence the occurrence of aggression.
Frustration-aggression hypothesis is that frustration always leads to aggression.
Reduction of aggression through social learning approaches includes counteracting factors that provoke aggression, through modeling non aggression, and reduction of aversive stimulation.

Studying That Suits You

Use AI to generate personalized quizzes and flashcards to suit your learning preferences.

Description

This quiz explores the concepts of social influence and persuasion, highlighting how one person can affect another's behaviors and beliefs. It covers key elements such as the roles of the source and message in communication, and factors that determine persuasion effectiveness. Test your understanding of these foundational theories in social psychology.