Studied by 6 people
Social Influence
What is the process by which individuals and groups change each other's attitudes and behaviours?
Conformity
What term describes a change in a person's behaviour or opinions as a result of real or imagined pressure from a person or group.
Herbert Kelman (1958)
Who suggested that there were three types of conformity: internalisation, identification and compliance?
Internalisation
The type of conformity where we take on the majority view, accepting it as correct, both publicly and privately, causing a persistent and usually permanent change.
Identification
The type of conformity where we change our behaviour publicly to identify with and be part of a group
Compliance
The superficial form of conformity where we agree publicly but not privately because of real or imagined pressure from a group.
Informational social influence
An explanation for conformity that states we agree with the majority because we are in an ambiguous situation and therefore believe that they are correct.
Normative social influence
An explanation for conformity where we agree with the majority due to a wish for social approval.
Unanimity
What term describes the extent to which all members of a group agree?
Asch (1951, 1955)
Who investigated conformity in an unambiguous situation?
Group size, unanimity and task difficulty
Asch carried out some further studies, investigating the effect of which factors on conformity?
Social roles
What term describes the 'parts' people play as members of a social group?
The Stanford Prison Experiment
Zimbardo carried out what seminal study on conformity to social roles?
Obedience
What form of social influence involves an individual, usually an authority figure, following a direct order?
65%
In Milgram's (1963) study on obedience, what percentage of participants continued to the highest level of 450V?
Proximity, location and uniform
What three situational variables did Milgram investigate?
Agentic state
What term describes a mental state where we feel no personal responsibility for our behaviour because we are acting as an 'agent' for an authority figure?
Legitimacy of authority
What explanation for obedience suggests we are more likely to obey people we perceive to have authority over us?
Agentic shift
What term is used to describe the process of changing from an autonomous to an agentic state?
Binding factors
What term describes aspects of a situation that allow an individual to ignore or minimise the damaging effect of their behaviour?
Social identity theory
What theory suggests that behaviour is motivated by our social identity, made up of our personal identity and our social identity?
Dispositional explanations
What explanations for behaviour highlight the importance of an individual's personality?
Authoritarian personality
What type of personality is particularly susceptible to obeying people in authority?
Adorno et al (1950)
Who investigated the authoritarian personality?
Resistance to social influence
What term describes the ability of people to resist the social pressure to conform or obey authority?
Social support
What term describes the presence of people who resist the pressures to conform, thereby helping others to do the same?
Locus of control
What term refers to the sense we each have about what directs events in our lives?
Julian Rotter (1966)
Who developed the concept of a locus of control?
Minority influence
Name the type of social influence where a minority of people persuade others to adopt their beliefs, attitudes or behaviours.
Consistency, commitment and flexibility
What three factors are central in bringing about social change through minority influence?
Social change
Name the process by which whole societies adopt new attitudes, beliefs and ways of doing things.
Social cryptomnesia
What term describes the phenomenon whereby the minority influence that leads to the wide adoption of new attitudes is often forgotten?
Note 
Flashcard (21)