Social Influence Concepts

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Questions and Answers

What is meant by normative social influence?

Seeking accuracy through information

Seeking approval from others (correct)

Submitting to requests from others

Following authority figures

What factor does not play a role in an individual's tendency to conform?

Number of people in the group

Anonymity of responses

Importance of the group to the individual

Personal upbringing and family values (correct)

Which type of obedience is deemed beneficial for society?

Destructive obedience

Constructive obedience (correct)

Blind obedience

Coercive obedience

How does anonymity affect conformity in social situations?

Reduces the tendency to conform Signup and view all the answers

What is emotional contagion?

Adopting behaviors or symptoms from others in a group Signup and view all the answers

What concept describes the influence experienced in social situations according to Social Impact Theory?

The strength, immediacy, and number of people exerting influence Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is a strategy to resist social influence?

Seeking out social support from like-minded individuals Signup and view all the answers

What type of social influence involves submission to requests from others?

Compliance Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary goal of the reciprocal concessions technique?

To present a smaller favor after a large favor request Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes the negative state release hypothesis?

Negative feelings lead to an increase in compliance Signup and view all the answers

What defines a group in social psychology?

Three or more individuals who share a common identity Signup and view all the answers

What is one of the key aspects of group influence?

Informational social influence Signup and view all the answers

What occurs during groupthink?

Desire for harmony limits realistic appraisal of alternatives Signup and view all the answers

In what context was groupthink notably demonstrated?

The Stanford Prison Experiment Signup and view all the answers

What is one effect of conformity in group settings?

Alteration of behavior to fit group norms Signup and view all the answers

Which factor contributes to the likelihood of groupthink occurring?

Strong leadership and high cohesion Signup and view all the answers

What led to the early termination of the study involving guards and prisoners?

The ethical concerns surrounding the guards' behavior Signup and view all the answers

What is a primary drive related to survival?

The need for food Signup and view all the answers

In which type of maze did the performance of cockroaches improve when another cockroach was present?

Simple maze Signup and view all the answers

What effect does social facilitation have on performance for complex tasks?

It hinders performance Signup and view all the answers

How do secondary drives differ from primary drives?

Secondary drives are not related to survival Signup and view all the answers

What behavior was observed in the guards that reflected their perceived power?

They became increasingly cruel Signup and view all the answers

What describes the impact of social inhibition on performance?

Decreased performance in challenging situations Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary result of the increased arousal due to the presence of others?

It facilitates dominant responses in tasks Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary focus of Self-Awareness Theory?

Introspective evaluation of behavior against personal standards Signup and view all the answers

What does the Spotlight Effect describe?

The phenomenon where people think others notice them more than they actually do Signup and view all the answers

What effect does focusing attention on the self typically have on behavior?

More careful and deliberate decision-making Signup and view all the answers

In the Barry Manilow T-shirt study, participants overestimated the number of people who would remember the shirt. What percentage did they estimate versus the actual recall?

50% estimated, 25% remembered Signup and view all the answers

What is an effect of heightened self-consciousness as described in the context?

Inhibition of authentic self-expression Signup and view all the answers

What is social loafing primarily characterized by?

Reduced effort due to perceived unimportance of individual contributions Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is NOT a method to reduce social loafing?

Increasing group size Signup and view all the answers

What outcome is associated with group polarization?

Members adopting more extreme positions than they initially held Signup and view all the answers

Which factor contributes to group cohesiveness?

Qualities that promote liking and unity Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes the role of social facilitation?

Performance improvement is dependent on task familiarity Signup and view all the answers

What is a consequence of social loafing in group settings?

Reduced overall group performance Signup and view all the answers

How can creating a cooperative task structure affect group performance?

It promotes individual effort and reduces social loafing Signup and view all the answers

What is a benefit of groups as mentioned in the content?

Essential for survival and reproduction Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Conformity is the act of aligning oneself with others' behaviors, attitudes, or beliefs.
Obedience involves following directions or commands given by an authority figure.
Normative social influence stems from the desire to gain approval from others.
Compliance refers to yielding to a request.
Informational social influence arises from seeking accurate information from others.
Constructive obedience benefits society through actions following a directive.
Destructive obedience involves harming others due to obeying a command.

Factors Influencing Conformity

Group size: Larger groups tend to exert more pressure to conform.
Group importance: The more important a group is to an individual, the greater the likelihood of conformity.
Group liking: Individuals are more likely to conform to groups they like.
Anonymity: Anonymous responses reduce conformity, as individuals feel less pressured to align with group opinions.
Social and behavioral context: Social situations and surrounding behaviors impact conformity levels.

States that the amount of influence an individual experiences in a social situation depends on the strength, immediacy, and number of people exerting the influence.
Explains the influence of social contexts on conformity behavior.
Example: Voting anonymity allows individuals to express genuine opinions without conforming to pressures.

Cultivate self-belief: Maintain confidence in personal values and beliefs to resist pressure.
Seek social support: Connect with like-minded individuals for validation and encouragement.
Question motives: Analyze the motivations behind attempts to influence you to assess their legitimacy.
Use humor or persuasion: Deflect pressure to conform with cleverly used humor or persuasion tactics.

Emotional Contagion

Spreading of emotions: Individuals display symptoms, leading others to believe they are also affected, even if there is no actual threat.

Reciprocal Concessions Technique

Compliance strategy: Involves a large initial request that is likely to be refused, followed by a smaller request that appears as a concession, increasing the likelihood of compliance.

Negative State Release Hypothesis

People engage in actions to relieve negative feelings and improve their self-image.

Group Dynamics

Group definition: Three or more individuals interacting, sharing a common identity, and accepting expectations and obligations as members.
Group influence: Individuals' behaviors and decisions are affected by group dynamics, including conformity, obedience, and persuasion.
Groupthink: Occurs when a desire for group harmony overrides critical thinking, leading to faulty decision-making.
Example: Stanford Prison Experiment: Demonstrated conformity to social roles and norms, leading to extreme behaviors.
Drive Theory: Increased arousal motivates individuals to achieve a specific goal.
Social facilitation: Enhanced performance for familiar tasks in the presence of others.
Example: Zayence's Cockroach Study (1969): Performance improved in a simple maze with another cockroach present, but worsened in a complex one.
Social inhibition: Decreased performance in the presence of others, especially for novel or difficult tasks.
Social loafing: Reduced individual effort in group tasks where contributions are perceived as nonessential or unmonitored.
Example: Moving a Couch: Individuals may exert less effort in a group due to the lack of individual assessment.
Reducing social loafing: Create clear assignments, divide into subgroups, increase supervision, provide individual recognition, and make tasks cooperative.
Group polarization: Discussions leading to more extreme positions than initially held due to persuasive arguments and social comparison.
Group cohesiveness: Factors binding members together, promoting liking, and enhancing group performance and satisfaction.

Benefits of Groups

Vital for survival and reproduction.

Individuation

Enhanced sense of individual identity by focusing on the self, leading to deliberate actions aligned with values.

Self-Awareness Theory

Focusing attention inward on oneself leads to self-evaluation and aligning behavior with internal standards.

Spotlight Effect

People overestimate how much others pay attention to their appearance and behavior.

Example: Barry Manilow T-shirt Study

Participants wearing a Barry Manilow T-shirt overestimated how many others would remember the image.

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Description

This quiz covers key concepts related to social influence, including conformity, obedience, and the factors that affect these behaviors. Explore how group size and importance can impact an individual's tendency to conform, as well as the differences between constructive and destructive obedience.