Conformity, Obedience, & Persuasion

Conformity

The act of matching attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors to group norms or expectations.

Social norm

An unwritten rule about how to behave in a particular social group or culture.

Informational (social) influence

A type of social influence that leads to conformity because a person believes others are correct in their judgments.

Normative (social) influence

A type of social influence that leads to conformity in order to be liked or accepted by others.

Ambiguous situation

A scenario where the correct behavior is unclear, often leading individuals to rely on others for guidance.

Crisis situation

A high-stress scenario where individuals may look to others for cues on how to behave.

Private acceptance

Genuinely believing in the group's norms or beliefs after conforming.

Public compliance

Outwardly conforming to group norms without necessarily believing in them.

Idiosyncrasy credits

The tolerance a person earns over time by conforming to group norms, allowing them some leeway to deviate without consequences.

Obedience

A form of social influence where an individual acts in response to a direct order from an authority figure.

Compliance

The act of conforming to a request or demand, often from someone perceived as an authority.

Authority

The power or right to give orders, make decisions, and enforce obedience.

Persuasion

The process of convincing someone to change their beliefs or behaviors.

Central route (to persuasion)

A method of persuasion that involves careful and thoughtful consideration of the arguments presented.

Peripheral route (to persuasion)

A method of persuasion that relies on superficial cues rather than the quality of the arguments.

Fixed action patterns (FAPs)

Ingrained behavioral sequences that are triggered by specific stimuli.

Foot in the door

A persuasion technique that involves getting a person to agree to a small request first, followed by a larger request.

Door in the face

A persuasion technique where a large request is made first, which is expected to be refused, followed by a smaller request.

That's-not-all technique

A persuasion strategy that involves adding something extra to the offer to make it more appealing.

Gradually escalating commitments

A strategy where commitments are increased step by step to encourage compliance.

Heuristics

Mental shortcuts that ease the cognitive load of making decisions.

Psychological reactance

An emotional reaction in response to perceived threats to personal freedom, often leading to resistance.

Triad of trust

A concept in persuasion that includes authority, likability, and trustworthiness as key factors.

Trigger features

Specific stimuli that trigger fixed action patterns in behavior.

Maven

An individual who has extensive knowledge about a particular topic and is willing to share it with others.

Sunk Cost Fallacy

The tendency to continue an endeavor once an investment in money, effort, or time has been made.

Inoculation

A strategy in persuasion that involves exposing individuals to a weak version of an argument to build resistance against stronger arguments.

Stinging

A technique used in persuasion that involves making individuals aware of the negative consequences of their compliance.

Social proof

The phenomenon where individuals look to the behavior of others to guide their own actions in uncertain situations.

(Norm of) reciprocity

The social norm that suggests people should return favors or kindnesses to others.

(Rule of) scarcity

The principle that people are more likely to desire something that is perceived as limited or scarce.