Social Influence

Chapter 18

I. Social influence

How your behavior is affected by others behavior

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

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 WORKING with others, you make less effort than when you are doing it yourself.

Conformity and compliance

Conformity you feel pressured to do so Compliance you act upon a request

Conformity and compliance

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 assistants go first Experimental assistants choose correct answer for 6 trials, and then wrong answers for 12 trials. 70% made at least one error by conforming to group norm.

Factors for conformity

Ambiguity of situation something uncertain is happening Unanimity and size of majority everyone agrees, you also agree, and the group is large. Minority influence harder for minorities to influence majority Gender men and women conform equally

II. Obedience
you change your behavior according to what authority figure says

Milgram (1963)

Participant is in an experiment the effect of punishment on learning Participant is TEACHER, another participant (actually a research assistant) is STUDENT. Research assistant is strapped to a chair with electrodes. Participant goes to another room (he cant see the assistant) and asks questions. For every 5th wrong question, a shock is delivered. Higher volts are delivered for every following wrong question. 65% went all the way to the 450volt level

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.

III. Aggression

Action intended to harm someone else

Why?

Genetic and biological reasons

There is no aggressiveness gene, but there is gene for temperaments like impulsivity and over-sensitivity Limbic system damage cause heightened defensive aggression protect yourself from harm Prefrontal cortex slow metabolism of glucose Testosterone Higher level more aggressive

Learning and cultural reasons

Culture of honor if necessary, use violence Observational learning

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

IV. Altruism

Unselfish concern for anothers welfare

Why?

Arousal: Cost-Reward Theory help others reduce unpleasant feelings

Is there a clear need for help? just look painful vs. say Im hurt. I need help. Are there other people? Bystander effect diffusion of responsibility more people, less likely to act.

Empathy-Altruism Theory Help others if we feel empathy with others situation question of whose fault? Evolutionary theory help those who share your genes

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

VI. Group processes

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

Groupthink drive towards agreement bad decisions