Comprehensive Study Guide: Social Psychology, Conformity, Persuasion, and Group Dynamics

What are the two primary ways biology influences behavior?

Natural selection and evolutionary psychology.

What are the three key areas of cultural influence on behavior?

Social norms, cultural similarities, and cultural differences.

What is the Chameleon Effect?

The tendency to unconsciously mimic the postures, mannerisms, and facial expressions of others.

What is the difference between informational and normative influence in conformity?

Informational influence is conforming to be accurate, while normative influence is conforming to be liked or accepted.

What are four factors that breed obedience in Milgram's experiments?

The victim's distance, closeness and legitimacy of the authority, institutional authority, and the liberating effects of group influence.

What is the Fundamental Attribution Error?

The tendency to underestimate situational influences and overestimate dispositional influences on others' behavior.

What are six factors that predict conformity?

Group size, unanimity, cohesion, status, public response, and no prior commitment.

What is the Elaboration Likelihood Model?

A model describing the two paths to persuasion: the central route (logical arguments) and the peripheral route (incidental cues).

What is the Sleeper Effect in persuasion?

The delayed increase in the persuasive impact of a non-credible source as the source is forgotten but the message is remembered.

What is Heider's Balance Theory?

The theory that people prefer consistency in their attitudes and relationships to maintain psychological balance.

How do fear appeals affect persuasion?

They can be effective if they provide a clear, actionable way to reduce the fear being induced.

What is the difference between primacy and recency effects in message content?

Primacy effect is when information presented first is most persuasive; recency effect is when information presented last is most persuasive.

What is the Zajonc model of social facilitation?

The theory that the presence of others increases arousal, which strengthens dominant responses.

What are three reasons why the presence of others causes arousal?

Evaluation apprehension, distraction, and mere presence.

What is social loafing?

The tendency for individuals to exert less effort when working in a group than when working alone.