Psych Social Groups, Obedience, Conformity etc

Social Influence

The effect of the presence or actions of others, either real or imagined, on the way people think, feel and behave. Can be exerted by a person, a group, or an institution. May be constructive, destructive, or neutral. Involves a degree of pressure, varying from slight to intense.

Social Groups

Two or more people who interact and influence each other and share a common objective. Requires at least two members, interaction, mutual influence, and a shared goal.

Aggregation

A collection of people in one location who have no obvious social structure or organisation and have minimal shared purpose, interdependence or direct interaction.

In-group

A group that an individual belongs to or identifies with.

Out-group

A group that an individual does not belong to or identify with.

Group Norms

A standard, value, or rule that outlines an appropriate behaviour or experience within a society or a smaller group. Can be formal (explicitly outlined rules) or informal (inferred through consequences).

Formal Group Norms

Explicitly outlined rules or regulations (e.g. driving without a seatbelt).

Informal Group Norms

Often not explicitly outlined and are, instead, inferred, often through consequences (e.g. tipping, eating with cutlery, giving up your seat for an elderly person).

Social Identity Theory

Outlines the tendency for people to favour their in-group over an out-group in order to enhance their self-esteem.

Social Loafing

An individual’s reduction in effort when work is performed in a group as compared to individually, due to the belief that others will put in the effort. Occurs most commonly when individual efforts cannot be identified.

Culture

Outlines the customs, behaviours, and values of a particular group in society. Can be linked to an individual’s ethnicity, religious beliefs, nationality, or even the area in which they live in. An individual may identify with more than one culture at once.

Individualist Cultures

Cultures that prioritise the needs and goals of individuals and value independence.

Collectivist Cultures

Cultures that prioritise the needs and goals of groups.

Role

A behaviour adopted by a person that influences how they behave in a situation. Carries with it expectations of how to behave when in the group or on behalf of the group.

Power

An individual’s (or groups) ability to control or influence the thoughts, feelings or behaviours of another individual (or group).

Social Power

When power is involved in a social interaction, it is often described as social power.

Status

The importance of an individual’s position in a group as perceived by the members of the group.

Ethics

Refers to standards that guide individuals to identify good, desirable, or acceptable conduct. Ethical concepts include beneficence, integrity, justice, non-maleficence, and respect.

Beneficence

The commitment to maximising benefits and minimising the risks and harms involved in taking a particular position or course of action.

Integrity

The commitment to searching for knowledge and understanding, the honest reporting of all sources of information and results, whether favourable or unfavourable, in ways that permit scrutiny and contribute to public knowledge and understanding.

Justice

The moral obligation to ensure that there is fair consideration of competing claims; that there is no unfair burden on a particular group from an action; and that there is fair distribution and access to the benefits of an action.

Non-maleficence

Involves avoiding the causations of harm.

Respect

Involves consideration of the extent to which living things have an intrinsic value and/or instrumental value; giving due regard to the welfare, liberty, and autonomy, beliefs, perceptions, customs and cultural heritage of both the individual and the collective.

Confidentiality

The privacy, protection and security of a participant’s personal information in terms of personal details and the anonymity in individual results, including the removal of identifying elements.

Debriefing

Ensures that at the end of the experiment, the participant leaves understanding the experimental aim, results and conclusions. Addresses any questions participants have and provides support to ensure there is no lasting harm from their involvement in the study.

Informed Consent Procedures

Ensure that participants understand the nature and purpose of the experiment, including potential risks (both physical and psychological), before agreeing to participate in the study.

Voluntary Participation

Ensures that no coercion or pressure is put on the participant to partake in an experiment, and they freely choose to be involved.

Withdrawal Right

Involves a participant being able to discontinue their involvement in an experiment at any time during or after the conclusion of an experiment, without penalty.

Obedience

Complying with the commands which are often given by a source of authority (someone with power, usually with legitimate power).

Milgram’s Obedience Experiment

Sought to determine if people would obey the demands of a person who they perceived to have authority. Concluded that people have a tendency to obey individuals who are perceived to have authority, even if it involves inflicting harm on another person.

Factors Affecting Obedience

Include the status/legitimacy and proximity of an authority figure, and group pressure.

Conformity

Involves adjusting one’s thoughts, feelings, or behaviours to match those of others, a social group, a social situation.

Asch’s Conformity Study

Investigated whether individuals would conform to a group and the extent to which people conformed. Showed that people were willing to ignore reality and give an incorrect answer in order to conform to rest of the group.

Factors Affecting Conformity

Include the size of group, unanimity, whether the group is viewed as a valuable source of information (informational influence), awareness of accepted standards about how one should behave (normative influence), and cultural background.

Informational Influence

Occurs when people conform because they view the group as a valuable source of accurate information.

Normative Influence

Occurs when people conform to group behaviours because they are aware of social norms and want to be accepted or avoid rejection.

Groupthink

A psychological phenomenon that occurs within a group of people where the desire for harmony and conformity results in irrational or dysfunctional decision-making.

Group Polarisation

A phenomenon that occurs when discussions within a group lead to an enhancement of the group's prevailing attitudes or decisions and lead to people making more extreme decisions.

Deindividualisation

Refers to a psychological state characterised by a loss of self-awareness and reduced self-regulation in group situations. It often occurs when individuals feel anonymous within a group, leading to a decrease in personal accountability and resulting in behaviors that are more impulsive or deviant than an individual might typically exhibit alone.

Anticonformity

Refers to a behavior where individuals deliberately choose to oppose or reject the norms, values, or expectations of a group, even in situations where conformity might be expected or accepted.

Independence

Is the state or condition of being self-sufficient and not reliant on others for support or decisions but is able to maintain their individuality and personal beliefs, separate from the norms, pressures, or expectations of a group.

Use of deception in research

It is only permissible when participants knowing the true purpose of the experiment may affect their behaviour whilst participating in the study, and the subsequent validity of the experiment.

Factors that Promote Social Loafing

The ease of the task. Individuals are more likely to loaf whilst completing group tasks that they consider to be easy, as compared to more difficult tasks.

• Meaningfulness of the task: Individuals are more likely to engage in social loafing if they don't personally identify with the task. For example, you may be more likely to loaf in a subject that you have no interest in, as compared to your favourite subject.

Factors that Prevent Social Loafing

Clear indications of individual efforts within a group. For example, having to write your name next to the section of work you completed for a school assignment.

• Group interaction: The more that a group interacts during task completion, the less likely individuals are to loaf.