TOPIC 7: OPINION FORMATION IN GROUPS

what are social norms

they are shared expectations on how people should think, feel, and behave in society

what are the two types of norms

descriptive

injunctive

descriptive

what people actually do

ex: open the middle gate in uni to leave the building

injunctive

what people should do

ex: using the e-gate to leave the building

two types of social influence

informational (mastery)

normative (connectedness)

informational (mastery)

people conform to be right

normative (connectedness)

people conform to be similar to the group (to seek approval)

ex: Asch’s paradigm; conforming to the confederate’s option to not be the odd one out

what is conformity

the convergence of thoughts and beliefs to be in line with group norms

two types of conformity

private

public

private conformity

when the person truly believes what the group believes

public conformity

when the person’s beliefs does not align with the group internally, so publicly they agree with the in-group

The similarity–difference paradox

The similarity–difference paradox describes a tension between who we trust and who actually provides the most accurate information.

we agree with people in our in-group, but also with people from the out-group because they come from external sources and still share similar ideals

• Psychological comfort → preference for similarity

• Informational accuracy → benefit of diversity

Groupthink

a mode of thinking where the desire for consensus overrides careful evaluation of decisions.

False consensus effect

a cognitive bias in which people overestimate how widely their own beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors are shared by others.

Pluralistic ignorance

a social bias where most individuals privately reject a norm or belief, but mistakenly assume that others accept it, leading everyone to comply publicly.

group polarization

when the group’s beliefs become more polarized after discussion due to normative or informational influence.

Deindividuation

the loss of self awareness and lack of adherance to social norms in large group settings