Psych 111 class 10

Social Influence

Social Psychology

The study of how people influence others’ behavior, beliefs, and attitudes

Fundamental Attribution Error

Tendency to overestimate the impact of dispositional influences on other people’s behavior

Attribution

• Process of assigning causes to behavior

• “Assuming”

Ex:

• You see someone getting yelled at by someone else

• You may overestimate the impact of someone’s disposition and you assume the person yelling is crazy or always mad

• You don’t think of why they are reacting like that, for example someone could have stolen from them

Conformity

Tendency of people to alter their behavior as a result of group pressure

1. Don’t know what to do (think others know something we don’t)

2. Want to fit it (not be the “odd man out”)

Asch Study (1955)

This experiment asked participants to pick which line matches the standard line and announce their choice out loud

• Confederates were told to pick the obviously wrong line to see how many participants would conform

Results:

• They found that ¾ people would conform at least once

Much less conformity IF:

• Subjects privately wrote answers (instead of saying out loud)

• One confederate said correct answer

• Subject answered early

Conformity “in the wild”

In this experiment confederates in a dental office would stand each time they heard a beep

This prompted those not aware of the study to also stand when they heard the beep even if they don’t know why

When confederates left, those not aware of the study continued to stand when they heard the beep

• This caused others who did not see the confederates to follow even if they don’t know why

Deindividuation

Tendency of people to engage in uncharacteristic behavior when they are stripped of their usual identities

Cause of behavior change:

• Loss of sense of self

• Anonymity

• Lack of personal responsibility

Ex:

• When someone cyberbullies someone else because they know there identity is hidden

Standford Prison Study

Study was conducted by Philip Zimbardo

• He wanted to see what happens if people deindividualize

• He gathered participants that would either act as guards or prisoners

• During the study, the guards gained a sense of authority (power) and started abusing the prisoners

Results:

• Experiment had to be ended after 6 days because prisoners and guards started to loss a sense of self and believed they were actually guards/ prisoners

Obedience

Adherence to instruction from those of higher authority

We are more likely to obey when there is:

• Command/order + power differential

Milgram Experiments (1960s)

Conducted by Stanley Milgram

• He asked how do situational factors shape obedience?

Study

• There is an experimenter who gives commands to the participants (teacher) when a confederate (learner) would answer correctly or wrong

• If the learner gets an answer wrong then they will receive a shock, the voltage of shock is determined by experimenter

Results:

• When the experimenter asked the teachers to increase the voltage they would, even if they know they are hurting learner

• All participants administered at least some shocks

• 62% went up to 450 volts

• People are more likely to obey those in authority even if they know it is wrong

Milgram Experiment Variations

The teachers are most likely not to obey experimenter if their was more psychological distance between them

• If the experimenter was further away instead of hovering over them

The teachers also are more likely to disobey if the learner was closer to them

• The teacher could hear them

Why did people obey?

1. Socialization of obedience

2. Shedding of responsibility

3. Gradual escalation

People disobeyed because:

• Early resistance prevent rationalization

• If people resist early on or ask more question earlier they are more likely to disobey those in authority

Socialization of obedience

We are taught that we should listen to authority figures

Shedding of responsibility

Who is ultimately responsible?

Gradual escalation

15-volt increments v. one big button

• Button starts off at 450 V