social influence

definitons

conformity

a change in a person’s behaviour or opinion due to real or imagined pressure from an individual or a group of people. This is where minority influence shits to align with the majority

compliance

a superficial and temporary type of conformity where an individual agrees publicly but disagrees privately. a shallow type of conformity where the behaviour change only exists as group pressure is present. Often driven by NSI

internalisation

the deepest type of conformity. an individuals belief system changes and they believe the belief to be correct even when group pressure is removed. often driven by ISI 

informational social influence (ISI) 

an individual will look to the majority for guidance when unsure about how to behave. an individual is likely to conform as they believe the majority is correct as the individual looks to them for the right answer 

ISI evaluations lucas et al

lucas et al (2006)

asked students to give answers to mathematical problems that were easy or more difficult. there were higher levels of conformity to incorrect answers for the difficult maths questions than there was for the easier maths questions. this was especially true for the students who were weaker at maths, this shows that individuals conform when they don’t know the answer.

Normative social influence (NSI)

driven by the desire to be liked. the individual wants to seem normal and be a part of the majority. this is a superficial and temporary change of behaviour. the individual conforms to gain approval and avoid rejection, this leads to compliance

evaluation of NSI Mcghee and Teevan

Mcghee and Teevan

people high in need for affiliation conform more. this shows that the desire to be liked underlies conformity more than others. emotional in nature rather than cognitive 

evaluation of NSI Asch 

Many participants conformed to obviously wrong answers. in post experiment interviews they reported they did so they avoided standing out 

ISI evaluations - fein et al

participants changed their vote decisions after seeing others choices, showing influence from perceived right decisions  

obedience 

a form of social influence in which an individual follows a direct order usually given by an individual of a higher authority. who usually has the power to punish if obedient behaviour is not shown 

agentic state

a mental state where we feel no responsibility for our actions as we believe ourselves to be acting for a responsible authority figure 

legitimacy of authority

an explanation of authority where we are more likely to obey an authority figure

kelman and hamilton (1989)

legitimacy of the system

• this concerns the extent to which the ‘body’ is a legitimate source of authority

legitimacy of authority within the system 

• this is the power individuals hold to give orders due to their position in a system

legitimacy of demands 

• this refers to the extent the order is perceived to be a legitimate area for the authority figure 

authoritarian personality

a distinct personality characterised by the strict adherence to conventional values and the belief in complete obedience to authority

social support 

the presence of individuals who resist the pressure to conform or refuse to obey. they can help others to do the same 

locus of control + internal and external

locus of control refers to the say we believe we have in what directs our lives. internal locus of control refers to individuals that believe they are responsible for what happens in their lives. external locus of control believe that they it is a matter of luck or external forces.

factors affecting minority influence

consistency

commitment

flexibility

consistency

consistency in the individual that has the minority view attracts interest and makes others rethink their own views

commitment 

those with the minority view may partake in extreme activities which put them at some sort of risk, this is important as it attracts attention from the majority view

flexibility

if the minority are perceived to be inflexible and uncompromising then the majority are unlikely to change. the minority should balance consistency and flexibility so they do not appear ridged