Chapter 18 Socinf

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Social Influence

Chapter 18


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I. Social influence

How your behavior is

affected by others

behavior


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Social influence

Norms socially based rules on what you

should/should not do Deindividuation you lose your identity to

the group, and you do group things that you

dont usually do individually. Eg. Terrorist

acts Social facilitation presence of other

people improve performance


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Social influence

Social impairment presence of other

people hurt performance When we are emotionally aroused, we perform

behaviors that are most dominant = those we

are most familiar with.

Social loafing when you are WORKINGwith others, you make less effort than when

you are doing it yourself.


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Conformity and compliance

Conformity you feel pressured to do so

Compliance you act upon a request


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Aschs (1956) experiment on conformity Participants are asked to match line length of standard

line with test lines Only one participant is the real participant, the rest are

research assistants

Control participant goes first. Experimental assistantsgo first

Experimental assistants choose correct answer for 6trials, and then wrong answers for 12 trials.

70% made at least one errorby conforming to groupnorm.

Conformity and compliance


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Factors for conformity

Ambiguity of situation somethinguncertain is happening

Unanimity and size of majority everyoneagrees, you also agree, and the group islarge.

Minority influence harder for minorities toinfluence majority

Gender men and women conform equally


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II. Obedience

you change yourbehavior according

to what authority

figure says


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Milgram (1963)

Participant is in an experiment the effect ofpunishment on learning

Participant is TEACHER, another participant(actually a research assistant) is STUDENT.Research assistant is strapped to a chair withelectrodes.

Participant goes to another room (he cant see the

assistant) and asks questions. For every 5thwrong question, a shock is delivered. Higher voltsare delivered for every following wrong question.

65% went all the way to the 450volt level


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Factors of obedient behavior

Experimenter status and privilege I have

power Behavior of others If someone says no,

we are more likely to say no too

Personality characteristics people who

are more authoritarian obey more.


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III. Aggression

Action intended to harm

someone else


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When?

Frustration-aggression hypothesis when you are

frustrated, you will act on your frustration

Berkowitz (1998): No, there are in-between factors such

as

Stress makes you more easily frustrated

Negative affect (feelings)

Generalised arousal you are already aroused, makes it

easier to be aggressive

Temperature, noise, crowding source of stress and

arousal


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IV. Altruism

Unselfish concern for

anothers welfare


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Why?

Arousal: Cost-Reward Theory help othersreduce unpleasant feelings

Is there a clear need for help? just look painful vs. sayIm hurt. I need help.

Are there other people? Bystander effect diffusion ofresponsibility more people, less likely to act.

Empathy-Altruism Theory Help others if we feelempathy with others situation question of

whose fault? Evolutionary theory help those who share your

genes


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V. Cooperation, competition, conflict

Conflict when you believe someone is standing

in the way of your achieving a goal.

Mixed-motive conflict there are good reasons to

cooperate, and good reasons to compete

Resource dilemma there are not enough

resources to go around

Conflict management

Third-party interventions

Superordinate goals


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VI. Group processes

Group leadership

Task oriented do the job, give directives Person oriented loose supervision, feelings

concern

Groupthink drive towards agreement

bad decisions

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Chapter 18 Socinf