Social influence and group processes

Ian P. Albery

Complete Psychology published by Hodder Education

Social influence
How thoughts, feelings and behaviours of one person are influenced by imagined, implied or actual presence of others. Compliance: When external behaviour does not reflect internal real opinions. Conformity: Changing inner opinions as result of nondirect pressure from other people.
Ian P. Albery Complete Psychology published by Hodder Education

Power and influence

Source of influence should be thought of as powerful for compliance to operate. Power the ability to exert influence over others and not be influenced oneself. Ravens sources of power.

Ian P. Albery

Complete Psychology published by Hodder Education

Ravens sources of power

Reward power Coercive power

Informational power

Expert power

Legitimate power

Referent power

The ability to promise rewards for being compliant The ability to give or to threaten punishment for not be compliant The belief of the person being influenced that the person doing the influencing has more information than themselves The belief of the person being influenced that the person doing the influencing has greater expertise and knowledge than themselves The belief of the person being influenced that the person doing the influencing is authorised by a recognised power to command and make decisions The person being influenced identifies with, is attracted to or has respect for the person doing the influencing
Complete Psychology published by Hodder Education

Ian P. Albery

Conformity or majority influence

Majority influence: When attitudinal or belief change occurs after exposure to the majority opinion of a group you are a member of. Sherifs autokinetic effect experiment. Aschs lines experiment: Fear of social disapproval central to majority group influence.

Ian P. Albery

Complete Psychology published by Hodder Education

Aschs lines stimuli

Ian P. Albery

Complete Psychology published by Hodder Education

Explanations of conformity
Informational social influence: Support information received from others because removes ambiguities in social situation Sherifs social reality hypothesis. Normative social influence: Desire to be liked and accepted by others in the group Increased dependency among group members leads to increased conformity rates.

Ian P. Albery

Complete Psychology published by Hodder Education

Explanations for conformity

Referent informational influence: Conform because we are group members, and not to avoid social disapproval Social identity perspective Conform to group norms through selfcategorisation:
Seek out group norm to minimise difference within the in-group and maximise difference with out-group.
Ian P. Albery Complete Psychology published by Hodder Education

Conversion or minority group influence

Moskovicis genetic model of minority group influence: Minorities do not have access to normative influence Rely on behavioural style and primarily consistency in beliefs across time and consensus with other members of the minority Minority influence greatest when consistent.
Ian P. Albery Complete Psychology published by Hodder Education

Moskovicis coloured slides experiment

Ian P. Albery

Complete Psychology published by Hodder Education

Minority and majority influence

Moskovicis dual-process model: Majorities lead to direct public compliance due to normative and informational influence Minorities lead to indirect private change due to the majority having to think about the minority the conversion effect
Leads to cognitive conflict and greater cognitive resource allocation.

Latan and Wolfs single process model: Influence differs quantitatively not qualitatively.

Ian P. Albery

Complete Psychology published by Hodder Education

Social facilitation and inhibition

People get better at well-learned tasks and worse at difficult tasks when in the presence of others. Zajoncs drive theory: Presence of others puts us in state of arousal Arousal acts to make a persons most likely response the one produced.

Ian P. Albery

Complete Psychology published by Hodder Education

Zajoncs drive theory

Ian P. Albery

Complete Psychology published by Hodder Education

Group decision making

The risky shift phenomenon: Decisions made by groups are more risky than individual decisions Group decisions can be more conservative. Group polarisation: Decisions become more polarised Tendency to shift opinions towards more extreme views and in the same direction as the perceived original group opinion.
Ian P. Albery Complete Psychology published by Hodder Education

Group polarisation

Ian P. Albery

Complete Psychology published by Hodder Education

Explanations of polarisation
Polarisation through persuasive arguments Polarisation through social comparison Polarisation through self-categorisation

Ian P. Albery

Complete Psychology published by Hodder Education

Janis and Manns groupthink

Based on actual accounts of poor decision making (e.g. the Bay of Pigs fiasco in 1961). Type of thinking among very cohesive groups. Based on members wanting an unanimous decision. Motivation to be correct and rational appears to be suspended.

Ian P. Albery

Complete Psychology published by Hodder Education

Groupthink

Ian P. Albery

Complete Psychology published by Hodder Education

Obedience to authority
Milgrams shock generator studies: Majority of participants gave highestintensity shock Replicated in many countries. Key factors in obedience: Persuasion Immediacy of the victim Immediacy of the authority figure Group pressure.
Ian P. Albery Complete Psychology published by Hodder Education

Milgrams shock generator

Ian P. Albery

Complete Psychology published by Hodder Education

Leadership
The trait approach: Leadership qualities inherited born leaders Only weak associations between personality type and effective leadership. Leaders behaviour: Lippitt and Whites leadership styles studies Group performance and productivity dependent upon leadership type.
Ian P. Albery Complete Psychology published by Hodder Education

Intergroup behaviour
Actions of one groups members towards members of another group. Prejudice and discrimination dependent upon three factors: Personality type Adornos authoritarian personality Environmental factors Sherifs realistic conflict theory Group membership Tajfels social identity theory (minimal group paradigm).
Ian P. Albery Complete Psychology published by Hodder Education