ALEVEL PSYCH Social Influence

Social influence

The process by which an individual's attitudes, beliefs, or behavior are modified by the presence or action of others.

Conformity

A type of social influence where there is a change in belief or behavior in response to real or imagined social pressure.

Compliance

A type of conformity where a person agrees in public with a group, but privately disagrees with their viewpoint or behavior.

Internalization

A type of conformity where there is a public and private change in behavior, and the beliefs of the group become part of the individual's own belief system.

Identification

Conforming to the demands of a given social role in society without a change in internal personal opinion.

Normative influence

Conforming to fit in with the group to avoid appearing foolish or being left out.

Informational influence

Conforming because of a desire to be right and looking to others who may have more information.

Asch's Line Study

A study on conformity where participants had to match a standard line with three comparison lines, and the presence of confederates influenced participants' responses.

Jenness' Bean Jar Experiment

A study on conformity where participants estimated the number of beans in a jar individually and then as a group, showing the influence of the group on individual estimates.

Factors affecting conformity

Group size, group unanimity, difficulty of task, and answering in private can all influence the level of conformity.

Social roles

The part people play as members of a social group, and there is pressure to conform to the expectations of a social role.

Stanford Prison Experiment

A study on conformity where participants played the roles of guards and prisoners in a simulated prison environment, showing the influence of social roles on behavior.

Obedience

A type of social influence where a person follows an order from an authority figure.

Milgram's Shock Study

A study on obedience where participants were instructed to administer electric shocks to a learner, showing the willingness to obey authority figures.

Prod 1

Definition 1:The first prod given by the experimenter in Milgram's study, which was "please continue."

Prod 2

Definition 2:The second prod given by the experimenter in Milgram's study, which stated that "the experiment requires you to continue."

Prod 3

Definition 3:The third prod given by the experimenter in Milgram's study, which emphasized that "it is absolutely essential that you continue."

Prod 4

Definition 4:The fourth prod given by the experimenter in Milgram's study, which stated that "you have no other choice but to continue."

Ecological Validity

Definition 5:The extent to which the findings of a study can be generalized to real-life settings or situations.

Sample Bias

Definition 6:A limitation of a study where the participants used are not representative of the larger population, leading to limited generalizability of the results.

Value of Milgram's Work

Definition 7:The significance and insights provided by Milgram's study, such as understanding why people obeyed orders to harm others and highlighting the tendency to blindly follow authority.

Standardized Procedure

Definition 8:A method used in research where the same procedures and conditions are applied to all participants, increasing the reliability of the study and establishing a causal relationship.

Deception

Definition 9:A potential ethical issue in research where participants are misled or not fully informed about the true nature of the study.

Protection of Participants

Definition 10:The ethical responsibility of researchers to ensure the well-being and safety of participants during a study, minimizing potential harm or distress.

Agentic State

Definition 11:A psychological state proposed by agency theory, where individuals perceive themselves as agents acting on behalf of an authority figure, leading to obedience to their commands.

Situational Factors

Definition 12:Environmental or contextual factors that can influence an individual's behavior or decision-making process.

Legitimacy of Authority Figure

Definition 13:The perception of an authority figure as having the right to exert influence or give commands based on their moral or legal position.

Status of Location

Definition 14:The influence of the physical setting or environment on an individual's behavior, with higher-status locations potentially increasing obedience.

Proximity of Authority Figure

Definition 15:The physical closeness or distance between an individual and an authority figure, which can affect the level of obedience.

Dispositional Explanation

Definition 16:An explanation of behavior based on individual personality traits or characteristics, rather than external situational factors.

Locus of Control

Definition 17:A psychological concept referring to an individual's belief about the extent to which they have control over their own behavior and the outcomes of their actions.

Social Support

Definition 18:The presence or availability of others who provide encouragement, validation, or assistance, which can influence an individual's resistance to social influence.

Minority Influence

Definition 19:The ability of a small group or minority to influence the opinions or behaviors of a larger group or majority.

Consistency

Definition 20:The quality of being unchanging or unwavering in one's beliefs or actions, which can enhance the impact of a minority's influence on the majority.

Social change

The adoption of a new belief or behavior by a whole society, becoming widely accepted as the norm.

Minority influence

When a small group of people (the minority) persuades the majority to adopt their point of view.

Consistency

The most important factor in determining the influence of a minority, where the minority must be clear on their message and not change their minds or disagree amongst themselves.

Internal locus of control

When individuals believe they have control over their own actions and decisions, resisting pressures to conform or obey.

Snowball effect

The gradual adoption of the minority opinion by more and more people, leading to a shift in the majority opinion.

Social cryptomnesia

When people remember a change in society but not how it came about.

Dissenter or disobedient role model

A person who goes against the majority and influences the behavior of others.

Identification

The importance of individuals being able to identify with a minority group in order to change the behavior of the majority.