Social Influence - GCSE Psychology

• What is social influence?

  How others influence you
• What are the key concepts of Social Psychology that students should define and explain?

  • Obedience
  • Conformity
  • Deindividuation
  • Bystander effect
• When did social psychology begin?

  At the end of the Second World War
• Why were psychologists concerned after World War II?

  They were concerned about Hitler's rise to power and the Holocaust
• What issues became significant for study in social psychology after the war?

  Obedience, conformity, deindividuation, and bystander behavior
• What is obedience in social psychology?

  Complying with the demands or instructions of an authoritative figure
• What alarming fact was discovered through social psychology research related to obedience?

  People were willing to harm others when instructed by an authority figure
• What is another word for normal, everyday behavior in the context of obedience?

  Routine
• In what circumstances might someone obey an order to harm an animal?

  If they believe their own life is at risk
• What could be argued as the purpose of obedience?

  To maintain order and structure in society
• What are the three different types of conformity according to Kelman (1958)?

  Compliance, identification, and internalization
• Define compliance in the context of conformity.

  • Going along with the group
  • Privately disagreeing
• Define identification in the context of conformity.

  • Changing behavior and beliefs in a group
  • Temporary change to fit in
• Define internalization in the context of conformity.

  • Deepest form of conformity
  • Adopting beliefs that fit with one's values
• What is deindividuation?

  Loss of personal self-awareness and responsibility in a group
• What is the bystander effect?

  Individuals are less likely to help when others are present
• What was the purpose of the smoke-filled room study by Latané and Darley?

  To demonstrate bystander apathy
• How did the behavior of the two women in the smoke-filled room differ?

  The first woman left quickly, while the second waited for others
• What happened to Kitty Genovese, and how does it demonstrate the bystander effect?

  She was attacked, and many witnesses did not intervene
• What is the definition of obedience?

  Complying with the demands or instructions of an authoritative figure
• What are the key terms related to social influence and their definitions?

  • Obedience: Complying with authority
  • Authority figures: Individuals commanding respect
  • Conformity: Adjusting behavior to group standards
  • Compliance: Going along with the group privately disagreeing
  • Identification: Adopting attitudes to feel similar
  • Internalisation: Adopting beliefs fitting one's values
  • Normative social influence: Following norms for approval
  • Informational social influence: Looking to others for correct behavior
  • Deindividuation: Losing individual identity in a crowd
  • Bystander effect: Less likely to help when others are present
• What factors affect bystander intervention?

  • Personal factors: Skills and confidence
  • Situational factors: Number of people present and danger level
• What is the relationship between the number of people present and feelings of responsibility in an emergency?

  More people present leads to less feeling of responsibility
• How does the presence of others affect our alertness to emergencies?

  We are less alert and slower to react in groups
• What is the term for when individuals look to others for cues on how to behave in uncertain situations?

  Informational social influence
• What are situational factors that might affect whether you would help someone?

  Factors include the danger of the situation and the presence of others.
• How does the presence of more people affect bystander intervention?

  It leads to a diffusion of responsibility, making individuals feel less responsible.
• What is the term used to describe the phenomenon where individuals feel less responsible in a crowd?

  This is called diffusion of responsibility.
• What happens to our alertness in a crowd according to the study material?

  We tend to be less alert and slower to react in a crowd.
• What is the effect of looking to others for information in an emergency situation?

  We may not classify it as an emergency if others do not react.
• What is the term for when we judge a situation as too dangerous to help?

  This is called risk assessment.
• What does the term "plural" mean?

  It means more than one.
• Why is informational social influence important in pluralistic ignorance?

  It helps individuals understand how to interpret ambiguous situations.
• What are the three personal factors that influence bystander intervention?

  Competence, mood, and similarity.
• How can knowledge from research into bystander intervention be used to educate children about bullying?

  Children should be encouraged to take responsibility, empathize, and feel confident in intervening.
• What is bystander apathy?

  • It is when we fail to help another in need.
  • Also known as bystander intervention failure.
• What did Solomon Asch's experiment on conformity demonstrate?

  People conform when a situation is vague or ambiguous.
• What was the conformity rate in Asch's experiment when participants were surrounded by confederates?

  The conformity rate was 37%.
• How does the size of the majority affect conformity according to Asch's findings?

  Conformity increases with the size of the majority.
• What is the difference between internal and external locus of control?

  Internal locus means feeling in control, while external locus means feeling controlled by outside factors.