Download EXPLORING PSYCHOLOGY (7th Edition in Modules) David Myers

Social Influence
Module 44
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Social Psychology
Social Influence Overview
 Conformity and Obedience
 Group Influence
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Social Influence
The greatest contribution of social psychology is
its study of attitudes, beliefs, decisions, and
actions and the way they are molded by social
influence.
NON SEQUITER © 2000 Wiley. Dist. by Universal
Press Syndicate Reprinted with Permission
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Conformity & Obedience
Behavior is contagious, modeled by one
followed by another. We follow behavior of
others to conform. Link 2:14
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The laugh track and mind control…
• Researchers have confirmed that laugh tracks
increase the likelihood that a viewer will
consider a situation funny. We laugh in order
to fit into and conform with our social
surroundings.
• You think you know what is funny but do you
really?...
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The Chameleon Effect
Conformity: Adjusting one’s behavior or thinking to coincide with
a group standard (Chartrand & Bargh, 1999).
Chameleon Effect: Unconsciously mimicking others expressions,
postures & voice.
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Group Pressure & Conformity
Suggestibility is a subtle type of conformity,
adjusting our behavior or thinking toward
some group standard.
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Group Pressure & Conformity
Informational Social Influence: An influence
resulting from one’s willingness to accept
others’ opinions about reality. Link 1:58
William Vandivert/ Scientific American
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Conditions that Increase Conformity
1. One is made to feel incompetent or
insecure.
2. The group has at least three people. (but
no appreciable increase over 3)
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 social standard.
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Reasons for Conforming
Normative Social Influence: Influence
resulting from a person’s desire to gain
approval or avoid rejection.
Informational
Social
Influence:
accepting
other opinions
about reality.
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Obedience
Courtesy of CUNY Graduate School and University Center
People comply with
social pressures. How
would they respond to
outright command?
Stanley Milgram
designed a study that
investigates the effects of
authority on obedience.
Stanley Milgram
(1933-1984)
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Both Photos: © 1965 By Stanley Miligram, from the
film Obedience, dist. by Penn State, Media Sales
Milgram’s Study
Derren Brown on Milgram
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Milgram’s Study: Results
Milgram on Youtube
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Diffusion of Responsibility/Bystander
Intervention Effect
• The phenomenon where a person is less likely
to take responsibility for an action or inaction
when others are present.
• The greater number of bystanders who witness
an emergency the less likely it is that any one
of them will intervene to help.
• Link 3:36 Bystander effect Link
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Individual Resistance
A third of the individuals in Milgram’s study
resisted social coercion. Link 9:57
AP/ Wide World Photos
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Lessons from the Conformity and
Obedience Studies
In both Asch's and Milgram's studies,
participants were pressured to choose between
following their standards and being responsive
to others.
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Individual Behavior in the Presence
of Others
Social facilitation: Refers
to improved
performance on tasks in
the presence of others.
Michelle Agnis/ NYT Pictures
Triplett (1898) noticed
cyclists’ race times were
faster when they
competed against others
than when they just
raced against the clock.
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Social Loafing
The tendency of an individual in a group to
exert less effort toward attaining a common
goal than when tested individually (Latané,
1981).
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Social Proof
• Idea that if others are doing something it must be ok for me.
– Phillips research has demonstrated that, immediately following a
front-page suicide story, the suicide rate increases dramatically
in those geographical areas where the story has been highly
publicized.
– Heavyweight championship prize fights that receive coverage on
network evening news appear to produce measurable increases
in the United States homicide rate.
– For example, it has been shown (Phillips, 1979) that immediately
following certain kinds of highly publicized suicide stories, the
number of people who die in commercial-airline crashes
increases by 1,000 percent! Even more alarming: The increase is
not limited to airplane deaths. The number of automobile
fatalities shoots up as well (Phillips, 1980).
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Deindividuation
The loss of self-awareness and self-restraint in
group situations that foster arousal and
anonymity.
Mob behavior
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Effects of Group Interaction
Group Polarization
enhances a group’s
prevailing attitudes
through a discussion.
If a group is likeminded, discussion
strengthens its
prevailing opinions
and attitudes.
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Groupthink
A mode of thinking that occurs when the desire
for harmony in a decision-making group
overrides the realistic appraisal of alternatives.
Escalation of Vietnam War
Kennedy and the Bay of Pigs Invasion
Watergate Cover-up
Chernobyl Reactor Accident
Challenger explosion
Feynman on the o-ring http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qAi_9quzUY
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Power of Individuals
Non-violent fasts and
appeals by Gandhi led
to the independence of
India from the British.
Margaret Bourke-White/ Life Magazine. © 1946 Time Warner, Inc.
The power of social
influence is enormous,
but so is the power of
the individual.
Gandhi
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EXPLORING
PSYCHOLOGY
(7th Edition in Modules)
David Myers
PowerPoint Slides
Aneeq Ahmad
Henderson State University
Worth Publishers, © 2008
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Power of defaults
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