Unit 4.3 - Social Situations: Conformity and Obedience

Norms

Unwritten guidelines and expectations for how each of us should act in any given situation

Normative

Going along with others in pursuit of social approval or belonging

Informative

Going along with others because their ideas and behaviors make sense, the evidence in our social environment changes our minds

Elaboration likelihood model

People can vary in the extent to which they are willing/able to scrutinize an argument or position

Central route persuasion

Occurs when interested oriole focus on the arguments and respond with favorable thoughts

Peripheral route persuasion

Occurs when people are influenced by incidental cues, such as the speaker’s attractiveness.

Halo effect

Tendency to make a decision based on a single trait or attribute

Foot-in-the-door phenomenon

The tendency for people who have first agreed to a small request to comply later with a larger request

Door-in-the-face phenomenon

The tendency for people to comply to a smaller request after rejecting an initially larger request

Conformity

Adjusting our behavior or thinking to fit in with a group standard

Automatic Mimicry

Behavior is contagious. Chameleon effect

Social Norms

A social script is a culturally modeled guide for how to act in various situations

When are people more likely to conform

When someone is made to feel incompetent, in a group of 3+ people, in a group where everyone else agrees, admire the people in a group, know that others will witness our behavior, or are from a culture that values conformity

Obedience

Yielding to real or imagined pressure from another

Individualist

What’s “best” for you

Collectivist

What’s “best” for everyone

Multiculturalism

A perspective that emphasizes the value and importance of diverse cultures coexisting and interacting within a society. It encourages understanding and respecting cultural differences rather than enforcing assimilation

Diffusion of Responsibility

There are times when the presence of others challenges our normal behavior, especially when it involves helping or hurting others. Many in this situation find themselves blameless, believing that the fact that others were present gives them an excuse

The bystander effect

The tendency for any given bystander to be less likely to give aid if other bystanders are present

Deinvidivuation

The loss of self-awareness and self-restraint occurring in group that foster arousal and anonymity

Social Loafing

The tendency for people in a group to exert less effort when pooling efforts towards a common goal than if they were individually accountable

Social Faciitation

Improved performance on simple or well-learned tasks in the presence of others

Social Impairment

Reduced performance on difficult or unpracticed tasks in the presence of others

False Consensus Effect

A cognitive bias where individuals overestimate the extent to which their beliefs, opinions, or behaviors are shared by others

Superordinate Goal

A shared goal that overrides differences among people and requires their cooperation

A Social Trap

A situation in which a person or group of people actively work to attain a short-term goal, which will ultimately have long-term consequences for the larger population

Group Polarization

A phenomenon wherein the decisions and opinions of people in a group setting become more extreme than their actual, privately held beliefs after discussion within a group.

Groupthink

The mode of reasoning that occurs when the desire for harmony in the decision-making group overrides a realistic appraisal of alternatives

Industrial-Organizational (IO) psychologists

Focus on workplace dynamics, providing employers and leaders with insight on how to get the most out of their employees, promote a positive workplace environment, increase job satisfaction, and bring together effective teams.

Altruism

An unselfish regard for the welfare of others, or engaging in acts of kindness without expecting anything in return.

Social Exchange Theory

States that our social behavior is an exchange process, the aim of which is to maximize benefits and minimize costs

The Social Reciprocity Norm

States that an expectation that people will help those that have helped them

Social Responsibility Norm

An expectation that people will help those in need of help

When are people least likely to help?

The person doesn’t appear to be in need, the person is not similar to us, the person is male, we don’t see others being helpful, we are in a hurry, or we are in a bad mood