AP Psychology - Unit 4.3a Psychology of Social Situations: Conformity, Obedience, Group Behavior, Altruism, and Conflict

Social Norms

• a society’s unwritten rules and expectations that guide people’s actions in individual and social settings

• determine appropriate behaviors

• pressure individuals to conform

Social Contagion

• the spontaneous spread of behaviors and emotions through social networks and crowds

• referred to as the chameleon effect

• enables individuals to empathize

• people are more likely to mimic those who they like

Mood Linkage

the sharing of moods between individuals

Positive Herding

a phenomenon where great reviews on a product or service generate more positive reviews

Conformity

the tendency for an individual to adjust their behaviors and attitudes to coincide with a group standard

studied by Solomon Asch

people are likely to conform when they;

• are made to feel incompetent or insecure

• are in a group with at least three other people

• are in a group in which everyone else agrees. (if just one other person disagrees, the odds of our disagreeing greatly increase)

• admire the group’s status and attractiveness

• have not made a prior commitment to any response

• know that others in the group will observe our behavior

• are from a culture that strongly encourages respect for social standards

Collectivist Culture

• emphasizes supporting and prompting a group, family, or society over an individual

• people tend to conform to social norms easily

• cherish group harmony

Individualistic Culture

• focuses on the individual identity of a person and individual accomplishments

• more likely to resist conformity

Multiculturalism

• describes a society that consists of multiple coexisting cultural groups

• focus on diversity

• tend to have greater openness for other ideas

• conformity depends on an individual’s exposure to cultures

Social Influence Theory

examines how and why people are persuaded by others through;

• normative influences

• informational influences

Normative Social Influences

a result of a person’s desire to gain approval and acceptance

Informational Social Influences

a result of an individual’s willingness to accept others’ opinions and information

Dynamic Norms

describes how norms change/evolve over time

Obedience

the act of complying with an order or a command

studied by Stanley Milgram

obedience usually overcomes generosity

people are more likely to obey when;

• the person giving the orders was close at hand and was perceived to be a legitimate authority figure

• a powerful or prestigious institution supported the authority figure

• the victim was depersonalized or at a distance, even in another room

• there were no role models for defiance

Social Control

the power of the situation

Personal Control

the power of the individual

Minority Influence

the power of one or two individuals to sway majorities if they firmly hold their position

Social Facilitation

• the tendency of an individual to have an improved performance on well-learned tasks in the presence of others

• causes increased arousal

Social Loafing

the tendency for people to exert less effort when in a group since they can rely on others to carry the workload

when people are a part of a group, they;

• feel less accountable

• view individual contributions as dispensable

• overestimate their own contributions and downplay others’ efforts

• free ride on others’ efforts

• lack motivation

• hardly identify with the group

• share equal benefits

Deindividualization

• occurs when an individual loses self-awareness, self-restraint, and personal accountability in group settings that foster arousal and anonymity

Group Polarization

• the tendency for an individual’s opinions and attitudes to grow stronger as they discuss them with like-minded others

• can have both beneficial and harmful effects

• more likely to occur when there are little to no opposing views present within the group

Groupthink

describes the tendency of a group to prioritize harmony and consensus over critical evaluation of alternatives

coined by social psychologist Irving Janus

caused by;

• overconfidence

• conformity

• self-justification

• group polarization

Culture

• the enduring behaviors, ideas, attitudes, values, and traditions shared by a group of people and transmitted from one generation to the next

• evolve over time or rapidly

Tight Culture

a place with clearly defined and reliably imposed norms

Loose Culture

a place with clearly defined and reliably imposed norms

Altruism

• selfless behavior that regards the well being of others

• person committing the act does not expect any personal gain or reward

Bystander Effect

the tendency for an individual to be less likely to offer help in a situation where there are other people present

caused by;

• diffusion of responsibility

• inattention

odds of helping are highest when;

• the person appears to need and deserve help

• the person is in some way similar to us

• the person is a woman

• we have just observed someone else being helpful

• we are not in a hurry

• we are in a small town or rural area

• we are feeling guilty

• we are focused on others and not preoccupied

• we are in a good mood

“Good Mood” Result

happy people tend to be helpful people

Social Exchange Theory

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

Social Reciprocity Norm

• operates under the expectation that people should help, not harm, those who have helped them

• motivates people to give (in favors, gifts, or social invitations) about as much as they receive

Social Responsibility Norm

operates under the expectation that people will offer help to those in need, even if the cost outweighs the reward

Conflict

• a perceived incompatibility of actions, goals, or ideas

• may seed positive change or it may be a destructive process that can produce unwanted results

Social Traps

• situations in which individuals or groups pursue their self-interest rather than considering the collective well-being of their community

• often lead to long-term consequences and destructive behaviors

Mirror-Image Perceptions

• mutual views often held by conflicting parties

• each side sees itself as ethical and peaceful and views the other side as evil and aggressive

• can often feed a vicious cycle of hostility

Superordinate Goals

• shared goals that override differences and reduce conflicts among people by encouraging collaborative efforts

• require cooperation between individuals or groups

Prosocial Behaviors

refer to actions that benefit other people or society as a whole, such as;

• helping

• sharing

• donating

• co-operating

• volunteering

Industrial-Organizational Psychologists

• study how people perform in the workplace

• improve relationships among people working together or for a common company or program

GRIT

• known as the Graduated and Reciprocated Initiatives in Tension-Reduction

• a strategy designed to decrease international tensions

Dissent

refers to the expression of disagreement, opposition, or a differing opinion from a prevailing group norm, decision, or authority

Elaboration Likelihood Model

explains how people are persuaded through;

• central route to persuasion

• peripheral route to persuasion

Diffusion of Responsibility

• occurs when an individual feels less personally accountable for taking action or helping in situations where others are present

• often happens in large group settings where individuals have an increased sense of anonymity

False Consensus Effect

a cognitive bias that leads an individual to overestimate how others think and act, causing the individual to think that more people have the same thoughts as them