Social Influence: Compliance, Obedience, Conformity

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Questions and Answers

What technique involves asking for a small request and then following it up with a larger one?

Bait and switch technique

Door in the face technique

Low balling technique

Foot in the door technique (correct)

Which factor is NOT mentioned as influencing the likelihood of liking?

Similarity

Physical attractiveness

Familiarity

Behavior during conflict (correct)

In the context of compliance, why are individuals more inclined to follow requests from authority figures?

Their requests are always ethical.

They tend to form personal connections easily.

They often provide personal benefits.

They are perceived as knowledgeable and credible. (correct)

What does the norm of commitment imply about people's behavior once they make a commitment?

They feel pressured to maintain consistency. Signup and view all the answers

What was the primary observation of Milgram's Obedience Study regarding participants who continued to the end of the experiment?

They were simply demonstrating strong compliance due to situational factors. Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary difference between compliance and obedience?

Compliance is influenced by peers, while obedience is influenced by authority figures. Signup and view all the answers

Which principle of compliance involves feeling obligated to return a favor?

Reciprocity Signup and view all the answers

What technique uses an unreasonably large initial request followed by a smaller one?

Door in the face technique Signup and view all the answers

What does the norm of consistency compel individuals to do?

Act consistently with past behaviors and commitments. Signup and view all the answers

Which example illustrates the concept of compliance?

Agreeing to go to a party because a friend invited you. Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary reason for conformity due to normative influence?

To be liked and accepted by others Signup and view all the answers

What is meant by social facilitation?

Improved task performance in the presence of others Signup and view all the answers

Which factor does NOT influence social facilitation or inhibition?

Personal interest Signup and view all the answers

What is social loafing?

Decreased effort due to unidentifiable work Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes illusory correlations?

Exaggerated belief that a relationship exists between distinct elements Signup and view all the answers

What does the contact hypothesis suggest regarding prejudice?

Interaction with outgroup members can reduce prejudice Signup and view all the answers

What is the bystander effect?

Decreased likelihood of helping in emergencies with multiple onlookers Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following can negatively influence the efficacy of the contact hypothesis?

Anxiety during interaction Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Social influence = how people affect each other's behavior
Three types of social influence:
- Compliance = changing behavior in response to a direct request (e.g., agreeing to attend an event)
- Obedience = changing behavior in response to an authority figure's directive (e.g., a police officer's order)
- Conformity = changing behavior to match others' responses or actions (e.g., looking in a specific direction)
Why does compliance occur?
- Principles of Compliance (Cialdini & Goldstein, 2004), used in advertising/sales:
  - Reciprocity (repaying favors)
  - Consistency (maintaining consistency)
  - Commitment (fulfilling commitments)
  - Liking (complying with people we like)
  - Authority (complying with authority figures)
Reciprocity
- Norm of reciprocity = obligation to repay others for favors
- Sales examples: free samples (acceptance viewed as social obligation)
- Door-in-the-face technique: start with an unreasonably large request, then lower the request, increasing the likelihood of compliance. People feel obligated to reciprocate the concession

Conformity - Norms

Sherif's autokinetic effect study: participants estimated light movement; over time, their estimates converged, creating a social norm.
Asch's line studies: participants conformed to a group's incorrect answer in a majority of cases
Normative conformity: conforming to be liked and accepted
Informational conformity: conforming because one believes others' understanding of the situation is better.

Social facilitation: improved task performance when others are present (easy tasks)
Social inhibition: decreased task performance when others are present (difficult tasks)
Zajonc (1969): Presence of others increases arousal, strengthening dominant responses (positive or negative).

Social loafing = decreased effort when working in a group compared to working individually

Prejudice

Group schemas = shared attitudes or feelings towards an outgroup (based on group membership)
Stereotypes = generalizations about group members
Discrimination = prejudiced behavior

Illusory Correlations

Illusory correlations = perceived relationship between two elements that doesn't exist or is exaggerated for instance, believing that people from a particular city are always rude.

Contact Hypothesis

Contact hypothesis = reducing prejudice by increasing contact with outgroup members
Factors that increase or decrease success: anxiety, self-fulfilling prophecy, power differentials, length of contact.

Bystander Effect

Bystander effect = less likely to help in an emergency if other onlookers are present.
Latané and Darley (1968) study: participants were less likely to help someone having a seizure when a number of other people were present.

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Description

This quiz explores the concept of social influence and its three main types: compliance, obedience, and conformity. You'll learn about the principles of compliance, such as reciprocity and authority, and their application in everyday scenarios. Test your understanding of how these concepts shape human behavior.