Flashcards: Social Influence and Obedience — 44 cards

What is social influence according to Doise (1982)?

Processes modifying an individual's perceptions, judgments, attitudes, or behaviors due to others.

In what settings can social influence occur?

Between two individuals, within a group, or within an organization.

How can social influence be perceived?

As deliberate or natural, positive or negative depending on viewpoint.

What are the six vectors of social influence?

Personality factors, social perception, promises of rewards, interpersonal interaction, group phenomena, organizational power.

What distinguishes voluntary agreement from obedience?

Obedience involves coercion or submission to legitimate authority.

How does coercion differ from other behavior-obtaining methods?

Coercion changes behavior without changing mindset or attitude.

Which methods are distinct ways of obtaining behavior?

Authority or coercion, information, persuasion, seduction, and manipulation.

What increased behavior change in Kurt Lewin's 1944 experiment?

Discussing and deciding together based on shared beliefs and norms.

What percentage engaged in group decision in Lewin's 1944 experiment?

32% engaged in the group-decision condition.

What percentage engaged in control condition in Lewin's 1944 experiment?

3% engaged in the control condition.

What were the intervention results in Moriarty's 1975 restaurant experiment?

2% without contact, 12% with contact, 100% after explicit engagement intervened.

Who conducted the 1944 experiment on behavior change and group decision?

Kurt Lewin.

Who conducted the 1975 restaurant experiment on stopping a thief?

Moriarty.

How does identification naturalize a behavior?

By reinforcing the link between behavior and personality.

What effect does identification have on social values?

It raises identification toward higher social values.

How does de-identification prevent bad behavior reproduction?

By cutting the naturalization link between behavior and personality.

What does de-identification establish to prevent behavior recurrence?

A contract about what the person proposes to prevent recurrence.

How do people commonly explain their behavior?

Through their personality, values, or beliefs.

What shift occurs when people explain behavior by personality or beliefs?

From external determinism by circumstances to internal determinism by the self.

What is cognitive dissonance?

A state of conflicting attitudes, beliefs, or behaviors causing discomfort.

What does engagement connect in an individual?

An individual to their own actions through a promise or begun action.

Which factors strengthen engagement in an action?

Public, explicit, repeated, irrevocable, costly, consequential, and freely performed actions.

What happens when people believe they freely engaged in an action?

Their behavior acts like a decision that limits future choices and is maintained despite drawbacks.

What are Cialdini's six weapons of influence?

Consistency, reciprocity, social proof, authority, likeability, and scarcity.

How does the foot-in-the-door technique obtain compliance?

By first requesting an inexpensive behavior then a more costly consistent behavior.

What increase in agreement did Freedman and Fraser find after a preliminary phone call?

Agreement rose from 22% to 53% after the preparatory act.

Which study showed increased compliance after a three-question phone call?

Freedman and Fraser, 1966.

How does reciprocity obtain compliance?

By creating an obligation to repay a gift or concession.

How does likeability increase agreement?

Through positive emotion toward a familiar, similar, or attractive person.

What is the sequence of requests in the door-in-the-face technique?

A very costly request expected to be refused, then a less costly reasonable request.

Why does scarcity increase desirability?

Limited availability or threatened freedom makes opportunities seem more valuable and creates fear of loss.

What is an agentic state in social psychology?

A mental state where one sees themselves as an instrument of an authority and shifts responsibility to it.

Who introduced the concept of the agentic state?

Milgram.

What defines legitimate authority?

A socially recognized source of influence based on status.

On what bases can legitimate authority be grounded?

Social, intellectual, symbolic, or institutional status.

Why are people conditioned to obey legitimate authority from childhood?

Because obedience is praised and disobedience punished.

What role did the true participant play in Milgram's experiment?

The true participant acted as the teacher.

What percentage of participants obeyed to the maximum shock in Milgram's study?

65% of participants obeyed to the maximum shock.

How does the authority figure's prestige affect obedience?

Obedience increases with greater prestige of the authority figure.

How does physical proximity of the authority affect obedience?

Obedience increases when the authority is physically closer.

How does remote instruction from authority affect obedience?

Obedience decreases when instructions come remotely or via recording.

How does the victim's physical proximity affect obedience?

Obedience decreases when the victim is physically closer.

What effect does visible disobedience by others have on obedience?

Visible disobedience by others decreases obedience.

What happened when other supposed teachers disobeyed in Milgram's experiment?

90% of real participants disobeyed as well.