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Social Influence The greatest contribution of is its study of attitudes, beliefs, decisions, and actions and the way they are molded by social influence.

Module 36: Social Thinking and Social Influence © 2013 Worth Publishers

Social Influence Cultural Influences Conformity . Culture, the behaviors and beliefs of a group, is shared What form of social influence is and passed on to others including the next generation the subject of this cartoon? of that group. Conformity refers to adjusting our behavior or thinking to fit in with a group standard. . This sharing of traditions, values, and ideas is a form of social influence that helps maintain the culture. . Norms are the rules, often unspoken but commonly understood, that guide behavior in a culture. . Cultures change over time; norms for marriage and divorce have changed in Western culture.

Social Influence Mimicry Automatic Mimicry

It is not only Some of our mimicry of other people is not by choice, but true that automatic: birds of a . Chameleon Effect: unintentionally mirroring the body feather flock together: it is position and mood of others around us, leading to also true that contagious yawning, contagious arm folding, hand if we flock wringing, face rubbing… together, we might choose . Unconsciously mimicking others helps us to feel what to wear the they’re feeling. Automatic mimicry is part of empathy. same . Those who are eager to fit in are more prone to feathers. automatic mimicry. http://youtu.be/zVaknBrb-fQ

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Conformity Social Influence: Conformity Responding to Social Norms What makes you more likely to When we are with other people and perceive a social norm (a “correct” conform? or “normal” way to behave or think in this group), our behavior may follow the norm rather than following our own judgment. 1. One is made to feel incompetent or insecure. . Asch Conformity studies: About one third of people will 2. The group has at least three people. agree with obvious mistruths to go along with the group. 3. The group is unanimous.

4. One admires the group’s status and attractiveness. 5. One has no prior commitment to a response. 6. The group observes one’s behavior. 7. One’s culture strongly encourages respect for a

. http://youtu.be/NyDDyT1lDhA social standard.

Obedience: Response to Commands Reasons for conforming Milgram wanted to study the influence of direct commands on behavior. The question: Under what social conditions Normative Social Informational Social are people more likely to obey commands? Influence: Influence: The experiment: An authority figure tells Going along with others in pursuit of Operates when people participants to administer shocks to a social approval or look to others for how to “learner” (actually a confederate of the belonging (and to avoid behave in ambiguous disapproval/rejection) researcher) when the learner gives Examples: The Asch situations. wrong answers. conformity studies; Example: Deciding which clothing choices. side of the road to drive on. Voltages increased; how high would people go?

The Design of Milgram’s http://youtu.be/fCVlI-_4GZQ Obedience Study One layout of the study

Ow! Please continue. The “Learner” (Give the shock.) (working with researchers)

But… …okay.

Shock levels in volts that participants thought they were giving Slight (15- Moderate Strong Very Intense Extreme Danger: XXX (435- 60) (75-120) (135-180) strong (250-300) intensity severe 450) 11 (195-240) (315-360) (375-420)

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Obedience in Milgram’s Study How far did go?

. In surveys, most people predict that in such a situation they would stop administering shocks when the “learner” expressed pain. . But in reality, even when the learner complained of a heart condition, most people complied with the experimenter’s directions: . “Please continue.” . “You must continue.” . “The experiment requires that you continue”…

What Factors Increase Obedience? Lessons from the Conformity and . When orders were given by: Obedience . Someone with legitimate authority . Someone associated with a prestigious institution Studies When under Human behavior is . Someone standing close by. pressure to . When the “learner”/victim is in another room. conform or obey, determined more ordinary, by the power of . When other participants obey and/or no one disobeys principled people (no role model for defiance) will say and do the situation than things they never by the character of would have The real the person. believed they evil may would do. be in the situation.

Social Influence: . Individual performance is intensified when you are observed by others. Group Behavior Social Facilitation . Experts excel, people doing simple Besides conformity and obedience, there are activities show more speed and other ways that our behavior changes in the endurance in front of an audience… but presence of others, or within a group: novices, trying complex skills, do worse.

Social Facilitation Groupthink Deindividuation

Social Loafing

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. Ever had a group project, with a group Social Facilitation grade, and had someone in the group Social Loafing slack off? . If so, you have experienced Social Loafing: the tendency of people in a group to show less effort when not held Why would the presence of individually accountable. an audience “facilitate” better performance for everyone but newcomers? Why does social loafing happen? Being watched, and simply being in crowded conditions, Who will know if • When your contribution isn’t rewarded or punished,I’m not pullingyou might as increases one’s autonomic not care what people think. hard as I can? No arousal, along with one can tell how increasing for • People may not feel their contributions are needed,hard each that of usthe is those who are confident, group will be fine. pulling on the rope. and anxiety for those who • People may feel free to “cheat” when they get an equal share are not confident. of the rewards anyway.

Loss of self-awareness and self-restraint. . When people of similar views form a Examples: Riots, KKK rallies, concerts, group together, discussion within the identity-concealed online bullying. Deindividuation Group Polarization group makes their views more extreme. . Happens when people are in group . Thus, different groups become MORE situations involving: 1) Anonymity and 2) different, more polarized, in their views. Arousal.

People in these groups may have only encountered ideas reinforcing the views they already held.

Social Influence . In pursuit of social harmony (and avoidance of open disagreement), The Power of Individuals groups will make decisions without Groupthink an open exchange of ideas. Despite all of these forces of . Irony: Group “think” prevents social influence, individuals still thinking, prevents a realistic have power: assessment of options. . Some people resist obeying and conforming. . Individuals can start social movements and social forces, not just get caught up in them. . Groupthink can be prevented if individuals speak up when a group decision seems wrong.

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