Download Group Influence

Group Influence
Question 1: Does the presence of others enhance or diminish performance?
Solo Situation
Group Situation
Running a 50 m
dash by yourself.
Subtracting large
numbers in your
head by yourself.
Competing with others
in a 50 m dash.
Competing with others
to subtract large
numbers in your head
quickly.
A group project
everyone gets the same
grade based on the
final product.
An individual
project where
everyone gets a
grade based on
the product.
Watching your
favorite
basketball team
compete in the
NCAA tournament
by yourself.
What effect does
the presence of
the group have on
your performance?
Does the presence of the group
make you feel…
More or less
More or less
aroused (ie,
responsible for
heart racing,
your
excited or
performance or
nervous)?
outcome?
How hard
is the task?
Concept name
Watching your favorite
basketball team
compete in the NCAA
tournament with a
group of fans.
________________________ – the presence of others enhance performance at a well-rehearsed or easy skill (races,
well-rehearsed recitals, plays, speeches)
_________________________ – the presence of others diminishes performance at difficult tasks (poorly rehearsed
recitals and speeches, tests you didn’t study for)
__________________________ – the presence of others diminishes performance due to diffusion of responsibility
(group project)
__________________________ – the presence of others makes one act in unrestrained ways (fans at sports event)
Question 2: Who leans toward more cautious decisions: individuals or groups?
Group _________________ – group discussion strengthens a group’s dominant point of view and produces a shift
toward a more extreme decision in that direction
_______________________ – members of a group emphasize concurrence at the expense of critical thinking in arriving
at a decision
Factors that contribute to groupthink:
1. high degree of group _________________
4. high decision __________________
(people in the group like each other/the group)
5. _______________________ leadership
2. group works in ______________________
6. lack of _________________________________
3. individual members don’t share information
for appraisal
Persuasion Techniques
Two methods of persuading others:
 _______________________________ – the person ponders the content and logic of message.
o Example: You should buy this car because __________________________________________
 ____________________________________ -- the individual is encouraged to not look at the content of the
message, but at the source. Factors such as the _________________ and expertise of the source, the mere
________________ of the arguments presented, stimuli such as ____________________ played with the ad,
and _________________.
o Example: You should buy this type of car because _____________________________________
Attitudes changed through the __________________ route to persuasion are strong, stable, predictive of behavior and
resistant to change, while attitudes formed through the ___________________ route are weak. However, the central
route requires active processing. Thus, the peripheral route is more effective when the subject doesn’t want to put forth
the effort to process (such as for low-impact decisions, like what shoes to wear today).
o ______________________________ - influence resulting from a desire to gain approval of others.
o ______________________________ - influence resulting from one’s willingness to accept others’
opinions
Group Influence ANSWERS
Question 1: Does the presence of others enhance or diminish performance?
“arousal” means a state of anxiety or excitement.
Group Situation
Running a 50
meter dash.
How is behavior
altered by
presence of
others?
Run faster
Arousal
Sense of
Responsibility
Task
difficulty
Concept name
High
High
Low
Social facilitation
High
Social inhibition
Subtracting large
numbers in your
head by yourself.
Freeze, forget
words
High
High
A group project for
class where
everyone gets the
same grade
Watching your
favorite basketball
team win the NCAA
tournament.
Slack off
Low
Low
Social loafing
Act crazy,
uninhibited
High
Low
deindividuation
Social facilitation – the presence of others enhance performance at a well-rehearsed or easy skill (competitions,
recitals, plays, speeches)
Social inhibition – the presence of others diminishes performance at difficult tasks (competitions, recitals, tests)
Social loafing – the presence of others diminishes performance due to diffusion of responsibility (group project)
Deindividuation – the presence of others makes one act in unrestrained ways (fans at sports event)
Anyone willing to share your experiences
Question 2: Who leans toward more cautious decisions: individuals or groups?
Group polarization – group discussion strengthens a group’s dominant point of view and produces a shift toward a
more extreme decision in that direction
Groupthink – members of a group emphasize concurrence at the expense of critical thinking in arriving at a
decision
Factors that contribute to groupthink:
1. high degree of group cohesiveness (people in the group like each other and the group)
2. group works in isolation
3. individual members don’t share information unique to them
4. high decision stress
5. Dominating leadership
6. lack of standard procedures for appraisal
Discussion: It is now believed that the Bay of Pigs was the result of groupthink. Can anyone tell
the class what happened at the Bay of Pigs? When you become president someday, what will
you do to prevent groupthink?
Question 3: What is the best way persuade someone of your beliefs?
Persuasion – Two methods of persuading others:
 Central route to persuasion – the person ponders the content and logic of message.
o Example: You should buy this car because it gets excellent gas mileage and a high resale value.
 Peripheral route to persuasion -- the individual is encouraged to not look at the content of the message, but
at the source. Factors such as the attractiveness and expertise of the source, the mere number of the
arguments presented, stimuli such as music played with the ad, and scarcity
o Example: You should buy this type of car because there are TEN reasons to buy it! Brad Pitt drives
this car! Listen to the cool music playing! This is the last one on the lot! Get it while you can!
Attitudes changed through the central route to persuasion are strong, stable, predictive of behavior and resistant
to change, while attitudes formed through the peripheral route are weak. However, the central route requires
active processing. Thus, the peripheral route is more effective when the subject doesn’t want to put forth the
effort to process (such as for low-impact decisions, like what shoes to wear today).
o Normative social influence - influence resulting from a desire to gain approval of others.
 You should quit smoking because it is considered a low class and makes people think
you are stupid.
o Informational social influence - influence resulting from one’s willingness to accept others’
opinions
 You should quit smoking because it could give you cancer.