Social Influence, Conformity, Compliance & Obedience: Key Concepts and Studies

What is social influence?

The exercise of social power to change others' attitudes or behaviors through money, status, force, or authority.

What are the three main consequences of social influence?

Conformity, Compliance, and Obedience.

What is conformity?

Changing one's behavior or beliefs to match others without being directly told to do so.

What is normative conformity?

Conforming to gain approval or avoid punishment from others.

What is informational conformity?

Conforming because others are seen as more knowledgeable or correct in uncertain situations.

What are social norms?

Expected standards of behavior and belief established and enforced by a group.

When are social norms most powerful?

When situations are ambiguous or uncertain, and we look to confident or powerful others.

What did Aarts & Dijksterhuis (2003) find in the "library study"?

Participants expecting to visit a library spoke more quietly, showing that anticipating a situation activates its norms.

What was Jonestown and who led it?

A settlement led by Reverend Jim Jones and the People's Temple, resulting in a 1978 mass suicide of 909 members.

What psychological concept does Jonestown demonstrate?

The power of authority, conformity, and obedience to influence behavior.

What is compliance?

Acting in line with a direct request (not an order).

What are the two types of compliance?

Internal compliance (acting according to beliefs) and external compliance (acting to appear cooperative or avoid disapproval).

What three factors increase compliance?

Positive mood, reciprocity, and giving reasons.

How does a positive mood affect compliance?

People are more likely to comply when in a good mood, especially for helpful requests.

What is the reciprocity principle in compliance?

People feel obligated to return a favor or kindness; small gifts or favors increase compliance.

Why does giving a reason increase compliance?

People use the heuristic "If they gave a reason, it must be important," even if the reason is weak.

What was the main finding of the "Copy Machine Study"?

People complied more when a reason was given, even if the reason was meaningless.

What is obedience?

Performing an action in response to a direct order from authority.

Do people prefer being asked or ordered to do something?

People prefer to be asked rather than ordered.

What did the Milgram study test?

Whether ordinary people would obey authority figures even when ordered to harm others.

What were the results of Milgram's experiment?

Many participants obeyed authority, administering what they believed were harmful shocks.

What do conformity, compliance, and obedience all have in common?

They show how social power and group dynamics shape our thoughts and behaviors.

What's the main lesson from social influence research?

Ordinary people can be powerfully influenced by authority and group norms—often without realizing it.

What was the purpose of Aarts & Dijksterhuis (2003) "Library Study"?

To test whether anticipating a situation activates its social norms.

How was the Aarts & Dijksterhuis (2003) study conducted?

Participants were shown pictures of a library or a train station and told they might visit one of them; their voice volume was then measured during a reading task.

What were the results of Aarts & Dijksterhuis (2003)?

Participants who expected to visit the library spoke more quietly, showing that anticipation of a setting can trigger its social norms.

What does the Aarts & Dijksterhuis (2003) study demonstrate?

That social norms can be activated automatically when people anticipate certain situations.

Who was Jim Jones?

The founder and leader of the People's Temple, which later became Jonestown.

What was Jonestown?

A religious community in Guyana led by Jim Jones where over 900 members died in a mass suicide in 1978.

What psychological principles are shown by Jonestown?

The dangers of conformity, obedience to authority, and social control in group settings.

What was the main idea behind the Langer, Blank, & Chanowitz (1978) "Copy Machine Study"?

To test whether giving a reason for a request increases compliance, even if the reason is weak.

How was the Langer, Blank, & Chanowitz (1978) study conducted?

Participants were asked to cut in line at a copier with different requests: with no reason, with a good reason, or with a meaningless reason.

What were the results of the "Copy Machine Study"?

People complied more when any reason was given, even if the reason was meaningless.

What does the Langer, Blank, & Chanowitz (1978) study reveal about human behavior?

People often comply automatically when a reason is offered, relying on mental shortcuts rather than thinking critically.

What was the Milgram Obedience Study inspired by?

By the atrocities of World War II, specifically questioning how ordinary people could commit harmful acts under authority.

What was the design of the Milgram Obedience Study?

Participants were instructed to give electric shocks to a "learner" for wrong answers, with shocks increasing in intensity.

What did Milgram find?

Most participants obeyed authority figures and continued administering shocks, even when they believed they were harming someone.

What does the Milgram study demonstrate?

The power of authority to compel obedience, even when actions conflict with personal morals.