Conformity, Obedience, and Group Influence in Social Psychology

What is the difference between informational and normative social influence?

Informational influence stems from a desire to be correct in ambiguous situations, while normative influence stems from a desire to be liked or accepted.

What is the primary outcome of informational social influence?

Private acceptance, or a genuine change in belief.

What is the primary outcome of normative social influence?

Public compliance, which does not necessarily involve private acceptance.

What are descriptive norms?

Norms that describe what people actually do in a given situation.

What are injunctive norms?

Norms that describe what people approve or disapprove of.

What is the 'boomerang effect' in social norms?

When using norms incorrectly causes individuals who are already performing better than the norm to worsen their behavior.

According to Social Impact Theory, what three factors influence conformity?

Strength, immediacy, and the number of people in the group.

What conditions allow a minority group to influence the majority?

The minority must be consistent over time and its members must agree with each other.

What is the 'foot-in-the-door' compliance technique?

Getting a person to agree to a small request to increase the likelihood they will agree to a larger subsequent request.

What is the 'door-in-the-face' compliance technique?

Making a large request that is likely to be rejected, making a smaller, subsequent request more likely to be accepted.

What were the primary findings of the Milgram obedience study?

Approximately 65% of participants were willing to deliver the maximum shock (450 volts) when instructed by an authority figure.

What are 'idiosyncrasy credits'?

Tolerance for non-conformity that is earned by conforming to group norms over time.

How does group cohesiveness affect group performance?

It promotes participation and recruitment, but can harm performance if maintaining relationships is prioritized over completing the task.

What is social facilitation?

The tendency for the presence of others to improve performance on simple tasks but worsen performance on complex or new tasks.

What is social loafing?

The reduction of individual effort when working in a group where individual performance is not identifiable.