Social Influence

• Why were psychologists interested in obedience?


  Since in WW2, during the Holocaust, soldiers were willing to harm Jews and other people
• What is obedience?


  Complying with the orders of a perceived authority figure
• In what circumstances would a person harm another, or an animal?


  If their life was at stake
• What is compliance in relation to conformity?


  Going along with the majority even though we may not agree with them

  Explained by normative social influence
• What is identification in relation to conformity?

  changing your behaviour and beliefs when with a group, but only while with them temporarily

  You change your views to fit in

  Explained by normative social Influence
• What is internalisation in relation to conformity?


  When in a situation where you don’t know how to react, you observe others behaviour (informational social influence)
• What is conformity?


  Matching the behaviour and beliefs of others in order to fit in or because we don’t know how to act, following a crowd makes us fit in.
• What is deindividuation?


  Loss of self awareness and responsibility as a result of being in a group, feel less responsible and more likely to behave in a way we usually wouldn’t
• What is the bystander effect?


  The bystander effect is a social phenomenon where individuals are less likely to help someone in need when there are other people present.

  We look to others, thinking they know something (informational social influence)
• Some situational factors which may affect if you would help 


  cant see

  Time of day, dark

  Weather

  Less/more people

  Danger of the situation

  Distance

  Busy?

  Familiar or not
• Personal factors which may affect if you help are…

  Scared

  Not strong, not physically able

  Knowing someone

  Trauma, ego, past

  Morals

  Mood
• What is diffusion of responsibility?


  There is more people so you feel less responsible in a situation to help
• what is noticing the event?


  Tends to be more when there are more people about

  We carry on with our own business and are less aware and alert

  Therefore slower to react
• What is pluralistic ignorance?


  More people around so we look to others for information as to what to do, tend to not class it as an emergency
• what is cost of helping?


  The situation is too dangerous and we risk our own lives helping
• How does competence effect bystander intervention?


  Whether you have the skill and ability to help- it also affects how you help (due to your knowledge)