Social Influence Part 2: Persuasion

A set of vocabulary flashcards based on key concepts from the lecture on social influence and persuasion.

Social Influence

Change in an individual's thoughts, feelings, attitudes, or behaviors resulting from interaction with others.

Conformity

Changing one’s attitude or behavior to match a perceived social norm.

Normative Influence

Going along with the crowd due to concern about what others think.

Informational Influence

Following the crowd because their actions provide social cues on what is appropriate.

Obedience

An individual’s compliance with an order from someone in authority.

Persuasion

A process by which a message induces change in beliefs, attitudes, or behaviors.

Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM)

A theory describing how the level of elaboration in processing an argument affects persuasion.

Central Route

A method of persuasion focusing on logical arguments, assuming the audience is motivated to think critically.

Peripheral Route

A method of persuasion that relies on superficial cues rather than logic.

Credibility

The quality of being trusted and believed in, often influenced by the speaker's confidence and authority.

Physical Attractiveness

The tendency for attractive individuals to be perceived as more persuasive.

Authority

A status or power relationship that implies access to information not readily available to everyone.

Trustworthiness

The quality of being reliable or truthful, often manipulated in persuasive messages.

Reciprocity

The social norm of returning favors, which can be leveraged in persuasion.

Commitment and Consistency

The principle that individuals are more likely to agree to further commitments after making an initial commitment.

Sunk Cost Trap

The tendency to continue investing in a decision due to previously incurred costs, even when it is no longer beneficial.

Psychological Reactance

An emotional reaction in response to feeling that one's freedoms are being restricted.

Inoculation

A strategy used to build resistance to persuasion by exposing individuals to weaker arguments.