Week 2: Conformity & Obedience

This flashcard set includes key terms and definitions related to social influence, conformity, compliance techniques, and obedience studies as discussed in the lecture.

Social Influence

The ways that people impact one another, affecting attitudes and behaviors.

Compliance

A form of social influence where the target agrees to a request without changing their underlying attitude.

Door-in-the-Face Technique

A compliance strategy that begins with an extreme request, which is likely to be refused, followed by a more moderate request.

Foot-in-the-Door Technique

A compliance strategy that involves making a small request first, which is likely to be granted, followed by a larger related request.

Low-Balling

A technique where initial compliance is followed by the introduction of a less favorable version of the request.

Minority Influence

The capacity of a minority group to influence the beliefs or behaviors of the majority.

Majority Influence

Social influence resulting from exposure to the opinions of a majority.

Conformity

The act of matching attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors to group norms, often in response to social pressure.

Normative Social Influence

Conforming to fit in with the group and gain social approval or avoid disapproval.

Informational Social Influence

Conforming because we believe others' interpretations of an ambiguous situation are more accurate than our own.

Agentic State

A mental state where individuals view themselves as agents executing the wishes of those in authority, relinquishing personal responsibility.

Ethical Issues in Obedience Studies

Concerns raised about the stress, deception, and lack of informed consent in studies like Milgram's.

Milgram's Obedience Study

A study that examined the extent to which individuals would follow orders from an authority figure, even to the point of administering harm.

Replication of Milgram's Study

Burger's (2009) study aimed to investigate obedience levels while ensuring ethical standards were improved.

Conformity and Ethical Compliance

The shift in behavior that may occur in response to perceived social norms or authority figures.

Public Compliance

Agreeing with the group publicly without necessarily agreeing with them privately.

Private Conversion/Internalization

A genuine change in personal beliefs as a result of conforming to group norms.

Question: What is the primary difference between Normative and Informational Social Influence?

Normative influence is driven by the desire to be liked and leads to public compliance, whereas Informational influence is driven by the desire to be correct and leads to private internalization.

MCQ: In Milgram's original study on obedience, what percentage of participants administered the maximum shock of 450 volts?

A) 35\%
B) 50\%
C) 65\%
D) 90\%

C) 65\%. This finding highlighted the unexpected power of authority over personal conscience.

Question: What did Zimbardo's Stanford Prison Experiment (1971) demonstrate regarding social influence?

It demonstrated the power of social roles, showing that situational factors and assigned roles can cause individuals to conform to behavioral expectations, sometimes leading to abusive or passive behavior.

MCQ: Which technique involves starting with a small request to gain later compliance with a larger, related request?

A) Door-in-the-face
B) Foot-in-the-door
C) Low-balling
D) That's-not-all

B) Foot-in-the-door. This relies on the principle of consistency in self-perception.

Question: How does the 'That’s-Not-All' technique differ from 'Low-Balling'?

That’s-Not-All adds incentives or lowers the price before a decision is made to make the deal sweeter; Low-Balling secures a commitment first, then reveals hidden costs or less favorable terms.

MCQ: According to Solomon Asch’s findings, which factor is most likely to decrease conformity in a group?

A) Increasing group size to 10 members
B) The presence of a dissenter who disagrees with the majority
C) Making the task more difficult
D) Requiring participants to respond out loud

B) The presence of a dissenter. Having an ally breaks the unanimity of the majority, significantly reducing social pressure.

Question: What is 'Legitimacy of Authority' in the context of obedience?

The perception that an individual has a justified right to issue commands based on their position within a social hierarchy or institution.

MCQ: What term describes the loss of self-awareness and restraint occurring in group situations that foster anonymity?

A) Social Facilitation
B) Deindividuation
C) Groupthink
D) Internalization

B) Deindividuation.

Question: What are the three behavioral styles identified by Moscovici (1976) as essential for effective Minority Influence?

1. Consistency: Maintaining the same viewpoint over time.

2. Commitment: Demonstrating dedication, often through personal sacrifice (the Augmentation Principle).

3. Flexibility: Showing a willingness to adapt and accept reasonable counter-arguments rather than appearing dogmatic.

MCQ: What is the psychological phenomenon where individuals exert less effort when working in a group compared to when they work individually?

A) Social Facilitation

B) Social Loafing

C) Deindividuation

D) Groupthink

B) Social Loafing. This occurs because individual accountability is diffused within the group, leading to a reduction in personal motivation.

Question: What does the 'Augmentation Principle' refer to in social influence?

The principle that if a minority group performs a risky or sacrificial act for their cause (showing great commitment), the majority will assign more weight and importance to the minority's message.

MCQ: In one of Milgram's variations, obedience dropped to approximately 20\% when which of the following occurred?

A) The study was moved to a run-down office in Bridgeport

B) The experimenter gave orders via telephone instead of being in the room

C) The learner was placed in the same room as the teacher

D) The teacher had to force the learner's hand onto a shock plate

B) The experimenter gave orders via telephone. This variation demonstrated that the physical proximity of the authority figure significantly impacts the level of obedience.

Question: What is a 'Buffer' in the context of obedience research?

A 'buffer' is any factor that creates physical or emotional distance between the participant and the consequences of their actions. For example, in Milgram's study, the wall between the teacher and learner acted as a buffer that made it easier to administer shocks.

MCQ: According to Bibb Latané's Social Impact Theory (1981), the total impact of social influence depends on which three factors?

A) Intelligence, Age, and Gender

B) Strength, Immediacy, and Number

C) Compliance, Obedience, and Conformity

D) Consistency, Flexibility, and Commitment

B) Strength (the status or power of the source), Immediacy (the proximity in space and time), and Number (the amount of people exerting the influence).

Question: What are the characteristics of 'Groupthink' as identified by Irving Janis (1972)?

Groupthink typically involves an illusion of invulnerability, collective rationalization of the group's decisions, direct pressure on dissenters, and the emergence of 'mindguards' who protect the group from conflicting information.

MCQ: Which compliance technique relies on the 'Reciprocity Norm', where a person feels obligated to return a concession made by another?

A) Foot-in-the-door

B) Low-balling

C) That's-not-all

D) Door-in-the-face

D) Door-in-the-face. When the requester scales down from an extreme request to a moderate one, the target perceives this as a concession and feels a social pressure to reciprocate by agreeing.