PYC3701
CHAPTER 8 – SOCIAL INFLUENCE
Key Term Explanation Pg.
Social influence Efforts by one or more people to change the 277
behaviour, attitudes, or feelings of one or more
others
Conformity Efforts to change others’ behaviours through 277/278
norms about how to behave in a given situation
OR Doing what we are expected to do in a
given situation
Compliance Efforts to change others’ behaviour through 277
direct requests
Obedience Following direct orders or commands from 277
others
Unintentional social Influence that occurs when out people change 277
influence our behaviour without intending to do so
Cohesiveness The extent to which we are attracted to a 282
particular social group and want to belong to it
Descriptive norms Norms that simply describe what most people 284
do in a given situation
Injunctive norms Specify how people ought to behave – what is 284
approved or disapproved behaviour in a given
situation
Normative focus theory Suggests that norms will influence behaviour 284
only to the extent that they are salient to the
people involved at the time the behaviour
occurs
Synchronous Behaviour in which individuals match their 289
behaviour actions to those of others
Reactance The feeling that our personal freedom is being 289
restricted and that we should resist strong
pressure to conform to maintain our
individuality
Impression Various procedures for making a good 295
management impression on others
Ingratiation Getting others to like us so that they will be 295
more willing to agree to our requests
Flattery Praising others in some manner 295
Self-promotion Informing others about our past 295
accomplishments or positive characteristics
Incidental similarity Calling attention to small and slightly surprising 295
similarities between others and ourselves
Social contagion Through which moods spread from one person 306
to another
Symbolic social The mere thought of the reactions of other 307
influence people may have a strong effect on our actions
, and attitudes
3 major forms of social influence:
o Conformity
o Compliance
o Obedience
o (Explanations in table)
Social influence – explanation in table
Conformity: How Groups – and Norms – Influence Our Behaviour
Refers to pressures to behave in ways consistent with rules indicating how we
should, or ought to, behave
These rules are known as social norms
o Can be explicit, detailed, subtle, implicit, formal or informal
Social Pressure:
Irresistible force?
Line experiment by Asch
o Majority yielded to the group pressure of what is the right answer
Public conformity – doing or saying what others around us do or say
Private acceptance – actually coming to feel or think as others do
How Social Norms Emerge:
Sheriff experiment
The finding explain why social norms develop in many situations
We have a strong desire to be correct and behaving consistent with social
norms help us attain the goal – one key foundation of social influence
The other key foundation of social influence is the desire to be liked and
accepted by others
Factors Affecting Conformity:
Cohesiveness and conformity: being influenced by those we like
o Cohesiveness – explanation in table
o Strongly influences our tendency to conform
o The greater cohesiveness is the more we tend to follow the norms of
the group
o The more we value being a member of a group and want to be
accepted by the other members, the more we want to avoid doing
anything that will separate us from them
Conformity and group size:
o Conformity increases with group size
o “Do as they do”
Conformity and status within a group:
o Senior members feel less pressure to conform
o Junior – more pressure to conform, their position is not yet assured
Descriptive and injunctive social norms:
o Explanations in table
CHAPTER 8 – SOCIAL INFLUENCE
Key Term Explanation Pg.
Social influence Efforts by one or more people to change the 277
behaviour, attitudes, or feelings of one or more
others
Conformity Efforts to change others’ behaviours through 277/278
norms about how to behave in a given situation
OR Doing what we are expected to do in a
given situation
Compliance Efforts to change others’ behaviour through 277
direct requests
Obedience Following direct orders or commands from 277
others
Unintentional social Influence that occurs when out people change 277
influence our behaviour without intending to do so
Cohesiveness The extent to which we are attracted to a 282
particular social group and want to belong to it
Descriptive norms Norms that simply describe what most people 284
do in a given situation
Injunctive norms Specify how people ought to behave – what is 284
approved or disapproved behaviour in a given
situation
Normative focus theory Suggests that norms will influence behaviour 284
only to the extent that they are salient to the
people involved at the time the behaviour
occurs
Synchronous Behaviour in which individuals match their 289
behaviour actions to those of others
Reactance The feeling that our personal freedom is being 289
restricted and that we should resist strong
pressure to conform to maintain our
individuality
Impression Various procedures for making a good 295
management impression on others
Ingratiation Getting others to like us so that they will be 295
more willing to agree to our requests
Flattery Praising others in some manner 295
Self-promotion Informing others about our past 295
accomplishments or positive characteristics
Incidental similarity Calling attention to small and slightly surprising 295
similarities between others and ourselves
Social contagion Through which moods spread from one person 306
to another
Symbolic social The mere thought of the reactions of other 307
influence people may have a strong effect on our actions
, and attitudes
3 major forms of social influence:
o Conformity
o Compliance
o Obedience
o (Explanations in table)
Social influence – explanation in table
Conformity: How Groups – and Norms – Influence Our Behaviour
Refers to pressures to behave in ways consistent with rules indicating how we
should, or ought to, behave
These rules are known as social norms
o Can be explicit, detailed, subtle, implicit, formal or informal
Social Pressure:
Irresistible force?
Line experiment by Asch
o Majority yielded to the group pressure of what is the right answer
Public conformity – doing or saying what others around us do or say
Private acceptance – actually coming to feel or think as others do
How Social Norms Emerge:
Sheriff experiment
The finding explain why social norms develop in many situations
We have a strong desire to be correct and behaving consistent with social
norms help us attain the goal – one key foundation of social influence
The other key foundation of social influence is the desire to be liked and
accepted by others
Factors Affecting Conformity:
Cohesiveness and conformity: being influenced by those we like
o Cohesiveness – explanation in table
o Strongly influences our tendency to conform
o The greater cohesiveness is the more we tend to follow the norms of
the group
o The more we value being a member of a group and want to be
accepted by the other members, the more we want to avoid doing
anything that will separate us from them
Conformity and group size:
o Conformity increases with group size
o “Do as they do”
Conformity and status within a group:
o Senior members feel less pressure to conform
o Junior – more pressure to conform, their position is not yet assured
Descriptive and injunctive social norms:
o Explanations in table
