Conformity and Obedience

These flashcards cover key concepts related to conformity and obedience as discussed in the lecture notes.

Internalisation

A type of conformity where individuals change their private beliefs to align with the majority.

Compliance

A type of conformity that involves publicly agreeing with the group while privately disagreeing.

Normative social influence

Conformity driven by the desire to be accepted by others, often leading to superficial changes in behavior.

Informational social influence

Conformity based on the need for accurate information and guidance from others, often in ambiguous situations.

Asch's study (1951)

An experiment investigating conformity where participants estimated the lengths of lines in a group setting.

Conformity

The act of adjusting one’s opinions, judgments, or behaviors to align with those of a group.

Agentic state

A psychological state where individuals see themselves as agents executing another's orders rather than acting independently.

Legitimacy of authority

A situational variable affecting obedience; people are more likely to obey when they perceive the authority figure as legitimate.

Authoritarian personality

A personality type characterized by strict adherence to authority, potentially leading to higher levels of obedience.

Milgram's experiment

A study on obedience conducted by Stanley Milgram that demonstrated high levels of compliance to authority even when causing harm.

Social support

The idea that individuals are less likely to conform or obey if they have allies who dissent or provide non-conformist opinions.

Minority influence

A form of social influence where a smaller group changes the beliefs or behaviors of the larger group, often requiring consistency and dedication.

Moscovici's theory

A theory emphasizing that minorities can influence majorities through consistent and dedicated advocacy.

Situational variables

Factors that can influence behavior in a social context, such as group size, unanimity, and the presence of an authority figure.

Ecological validity

The extent to which research findings can be generalized to real-world settings and situations.