PSY 3310 Unit 4

social influence

the process in which other people affect an individuals thoughts and actions

conformity

a type of social influence in which people change their behavior to stay in line with the norm

-the tendency to think and act like the people around us

normative influence

people go along with the crowd because they are concerned about what others think of them

-people reflexively tend to not want to look out of step or become the target of criticism

-fitting in with others also brings rewards such as camaraderie and compliments

pluralistic ignorance

know its wrong but you go along

cognitive dissonance

anxiety —> does not align beliefs/attitudes change your attitude

informational influence

people go along with the crowd because the actions of others often provide information as to what is socially appropriate

-other people often have information that we do not, especially when we find ourselves in unfamiliar situations

why do we conform?

-inherent tendency to imitate/mimic others

• brain

-chameleon effect —> imitate others

medial prefrontal cortex

controls mimicking

superior temporal sulcus

visual movement

cerebellum “tiny brain”

social connection

1956 Asch study of conformity

-participant, confederates

-16 cards

-12 trials

-1/3 conformed

-76% agreed at least once

obedience

an individuals compliance when given an order or command from someone in a position of authority

Milgram study of obedience

wanted to know why so many otherwise decent german citizens went along with the brutality of the nazi leaders during the holocaust

-”electrocuting”

-teacher, learner, experimenter

-pervasive climate of prejudice and dehumanization controversy

-some argue that today we are more aware of the dangers of blind obedience than we were when the research was conducted back in the 1960s and vice versa

-ethical treatment of research participants

persuasion

the process by which a message induces changes in beliefs, attitudes, or behaviors

-form of social influence- more deliberate

-elaboration likelihood model (ELM)

elaboration likelihood model (ELM)

proposes there are two different routes to persuasion: central and peripheral route

central route of persuasion

-employs direct, relevant, logical messages

-it is expected that your audience is motivated, will think carefully about what is presented, and will react on the basis of those arguments

-intended to produce enduring agreement

peripheral route of persuasion

-relies on superficial cues that have little to do with logic

-common sales technique, relying on low effort

-often relies on heuristics that trigger mindless reactions

manipulating perceptions of trustworthiness

-endorsements

-presenting the message as education

-word of mouth

-the maven- an expert of a connoisseur

reciprocity

we feel compelled to repay what another person has given us

foot in the door

an initial difficult to refuse “small request” leads to progressively larger requests (that were the target from the beginning)

a door in the face

reject → compromise

and thats not all

high price → pause → lower price or bonus product

scarcity

the degree to which something is limited or may become unavailable

psychological reactance

the tendency to asset our freedom when we feel others are attempting to control us

-interest in something tends to increase if it is under threat of being restricted or banned

-consumers backlash against companies that discontinue or significantly change well-loved products

defending against persuasion

-inoculation- building up resistance to unwanted persuasion by practicing resisting

-stinging- immediately drawing an individuals attention to the way they have been persuaded

triad of trustworthiness

likability, authority, honesty

authority

from earliest childhood, we learn to rely on these figures for sound decision making because they signify status and power, as well as expertise. these two facets often work together

-respect is a moral virtue

-uncritical trust may lead to bad decisions. can be problematic

honesty

the moral dimension of trustworthiness

likability

-celebrities. endorsements

-we trust people we like

-physically attractive people tend to be liked more