week 7 - Understanding Conformity and Social Influence

Viral Videos

Content that spreads rapidly online, attracting millions.

Flash Mob

Spontaneous gathering for a performance or event.

Mass Psychogenic Illness

Contagious psychological symptoms without physical cause.

Social Media Influence

Impact of social platforms on group behavior.

Despacito

Most viewed YouTube video with 6.15 billion views.

Water Battle

Flash mob event involving water play among participants.

Pillow Fight

Mass gathering with pillows as props for fun.

Social Influence

Effects of individuals on each other's behaviors.

Contagious Behavior

Actions that spread among individuals in a group.

Group Dynamics

Interactions and behaviors among individuals in a group.

Unison Singing

Group singing together in harmony or rhythm.

Automated Bots

Software mimicking human behavior on social platforms.

Social Influence Power

Ability of individuals to affect others' actions.

Mundane Events

Ordinary activities influenced by social interactions.

Sports Fans

Audience members engaging in collective cheering.

Behavioral Contagion

Spread of behaviors through social interactions.

Emergency Room Evacuation

Medical response to mass illness or panic.

Symptoms Reporting

Sharing of health issues leading to collective response.

High School Incidents

Unusual events affecting students in educational settings.

Suicide Clusters

Series of suicides linked to social influence.

Social Influence Examples

Illustrations of how groups can affect individual actions.

Contagious Disease Metaphor

Comparison of viral content spread to disease spread.

Mark Twain Quote

Commentary on conformity and group behavior.

Social Influence

Effects of real or imagined pressures from others.

Conformity

Adjusting behavior to align with group norms.

Compliance

Agreeing to a request from another individual.

Obedience

Following commands from an authority figure.

Independence

Maintaining personal beliefs against social pressure.

Assertiveness

Confidently expressing one's own rights or opinions.

Defiance

Open resistance to authority or control.

Continuum of Social Influence

Range of influence from yielding to resisting.

Group Norms

Shared standards that dictate acceptable behavior.

Mindless Influence

Automatic responses to social cues without awareness.

Pressure Variability

Influence intensity varies by situation and context.

Cialdini & Goldstein

Researchers studying social influence dynamics.

Kiesler & Kiesler

Scholars focused on social behavior and influence.

Social Animals

Species that interact and influence each other.

Yawn Contagion

Involuntary yawning triggered by seeing others yawn.

Viral Videos

Content that spreads rapidly across the internet.

Tip Jar Effect

Behavioral mimicry encouraged by visible actions.

Cultural Variability

Differences in conformity across cultures and generations.

Behavioral Impact

Influence of others on individual actions.

Automatic Responses

Instinctive reactions to social stimuli.

Peer Pressure

Influence from peers to conform or comply.

Social Psychology

Study of how individuals influence and are influenced.

Lobtail Feeding

Humpback whale behavior trapping prey fish.

Automatic Imitation

Unconscious mimicry of others' behaviors.

Stanley Milgram

Psychologist known for conformity experiments.

Network-Based Diffusion Analysis

Method to study behavior spread in populations.

Chameleon Effect

Mimicking others' behaviors unconsciously in social settings.

Imitation in Infants

Babies mimic gestures shortly after birth.

Humpback Whale Culture

Behavioral techniques transmitted among whale populations.

Emiel Cracco

Researcher studying automatic imitation in humans.

Meltzoff & Moore

Researchers on infant imitation of gestures.

Susan Jones

Studied imitation development in infants aged 6-20 months.

Rudimentary Imitation

Basic forms of mimicry observed in animals.

Motor Behaviors

Physical actions often mimicked in social interactions.

Confederate

An actor in psychological experiments simulating real participants.

Social Instances of Imitation

Examples of mimicry occurring in social contexts.

Infant Gesture Mimicking

Infants copy actions like head movements and tongue sticking.

Behavior Spread

Adoption of behaviors by observing others.

Cultural Transmission

Passing behaviors and techniques through generations.

Humpback Whale Population

Group of whales studied for behavior imitation.

Controlled Studies

Experiments designed to test specific hypotheses.

Meta-Analysis

Study combining results from multiple experiments.

Facial Mimicry

Subtle imitation of facial expressions during interactions.

Behavioral Techniques

Specific methods used by animals to achieve goals.

Research Findings

Results from studies on imitation and conformity.

Chameleon Effect

Mimicking others' behaviors subconsciously in social settings.

Mimicry

Nonconscious imitation of others' behaviors and expressions.

Mood Contagion

Emotional states spread from one person to another.

Facial Electromyography (EMG)

Technique measuring facial muscle activity related to emotions.

Social Function of Mimicry

Facilitates smoother interactions and social bonding.

Chartrand and Bargh Study

Research demonstrating automatic mimicry in social interactions.

Language Style Matching

Subtle alignment of language use with others.

Motivation to Affiliate

Desire to connect with others influences mimicry.

Negative Mimicry Effects

Mimicking negative behaviors leads to unfavorable perceptions.

Affective Displays

Visible expressions of emotions influencing others' feelings.

Participant Interaction

Engagement between individuals affecting emotional responses.

Confederate

An actor in a study simulating social interactions.

Personal Pronouns

Words like 'I' and 'you' reflecting language style.

Conjunctions

Connecting words like 'but' and 'while' in speech.

Quantifiers

Words indicating quantity, like 'many' and 'few'.

Social Benefits of Mimicry

Enhances likability and social connection among individuals.

Facial Expression Influence

Facial cues affect observers' emotional states.

Study by Neumann and Strack

Research on voice tone affecting participants' mood.

Dynamic Mimicry Process

Coordination increases over time in social interactions.

Chartrand and Lakin Research

Found increased mimicry when individuals feel excluded.

Smith-Genthôs Study

Demonstrated negative mimicry effects in social contexts.

Roland Neumann's Study

Explored mood changes based on voice tone.

Kandice Varcin's Findings

Facial expressions trigger corresponding facial muscle responses.

Conformity

Changing perceptions or behaviors to match group norms.

Social Norms

Expected standards of behavior within a group.

Cass Sunstein

Author discussing the pervasive nature of conformity.

Visual Problems

Tasks requiring observation and interpretation of visuals.

Pendulum Distraction Task

Activity used to study synchronization in behavior.

Converged Tempos

Synchronization of swinging speeds between individuals.

Nonconformist

Individual who resists changing behavior to fit norms.

Conformist

Individual who changes behavior to align with group.

Research Assistants

Individuals conducting experiments on social behavior.