Social Psychology: Conformity and Influence

• Social psychology involves scientifically studying how people think, feel, and behave in social contexts
• Conformity refers to changing behaviors or beliefs due to real or imagined group pressure

Key Figures in Social Psychology

• Solomon Asch studied conformity using a line judgment task
• Stanley Milgram is known for obedience and social influence studies
• Muzafer Sherif conducted the "autokinetic effect" experiment on informational influence
• Philip Zimbardo studied the effects of social roles in a simulated prison environment

Social Influence

• Social influence includes the impact of real or imagined others on an individual's thoughts, feelings, or behaviors
• Informational influence occurs when people conform because they believe others have more accurate information
• Normative influence occurs when people conform to fit in and avoid rejection, even if they don't agree internally

Conformity Types

• Private conformity involves conforming both outwardly and internally, truly adopting the group's belief
• Public conformity involves conforming outwardly but not actually believing in the group's decision

Group Dynamics

• Social loafing is a phenomenon where people exert less effort in a group compared to working alone
• Group polarization occurs when groups adopt more extreme positions after discussion
• Groupthink is when groups prioritize harmony over critical thinking, leading to poor decision-making
• Deindividuation is the loss of self-awareness and self-restraint in group situations that increase anonymity
• Social facilitation refers to the tendency for people to perform better on simple tasks when being watched by others

Persuasion Techniques

• The foot-in-the-door technique involves agreeing to a small request to increase the likelihood of agreeing to a larger request
• The door-in-the-face technique involves refusing an initial large request, followed by a smaller request that is more likely to be accepted
• The low-balling technique involves making an initial agreement, but later adding additional costs or conditions
• The that's-not-all technique involves adding extra benefits before someone agrees to a request

Helping Behavior

• Prosocial behavior is voluntary behavior intended to benefit another person
• The norm of social responsibility is the social rule that people should help those who are dependent on them
• The norm of reciprocity is the concept that people return favors and help those who have helped them
• Audience inhibition occurs when individuals hesitate to help due to fear of embarrassment

Bystander Effect

• The bystander effect describes the failure to intervene in an emergency when others are present
• Diffusion of responsibility occurs when individuals assume that someone else will take responsibility in an emergency
• Pluralistic ignorance includes the belief that if no one else is reacting to an emergency, there is no need for concern
• People in urban areas/big cities may be less likely to help

Steps in Helping in an Emergency

• First, notice the situation
• Second, interpret the situation
• Third, take responsibility
• Fourth, decide how to help
• Fifth, provide help

Obedience

• Obedience includes following direct commands from an authority figure

Stanford Prison Experiment

• The Stanford Prison Experiment had students assigned to roles as prisoners or guards, leading to extreme behaviors
• Guards & Prisoners were the two roles assigned in the Stanford Prison Experiment

Explore social psychology, including conformity's impact on behavior and beliefs due to group pressure. Learn about key figures like Asch, Milgram, and Zimbardo and their influential studies. Understand informational and normative influence, as well as private conformity.