MODULE 2: SOCIAL INFLUENCE AND APPLIED SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY
CHAPTER 6: Conformity
Have you ever found yourself in situation where you felt awkward? Like you did not belong with others, because you were different in some way? If so, you have experienced the pressure of conformity. Often the rules of how we should look or act are written for us through laws. Highway safety laws dictate how we should drive. The legal system regulates much of our private and public behaviors. Even are local convenience store tells "No shirts or shoes, no admittance." In contrast, there are other rules both spoken and unspoken but rarely written, that indicate how we should or ought to behave. These are known as social norms. For example, most of us obey unwritten rules such as "Walk on the right side of a hallway," "Do not go to a party or social gathering 30 minutes early, but 30 minutes past its scheduled time is appropriate." And we are often strongly influenced by current standards of dress, style, and speech. We like to think that we are individuals who like to do our own thing, but it is daring to be different. Why be normal? Because if we were all individualistic and did not conform to social norms, we would quickly find ourselves in the midst of social chaos. How would we be able to shop at a mall? Imagine a shopping mall where people walked where they wanted and did not obey norms for standing in line to purchase clothes! Imagine a classroom where students choose not to sit in chairs but laid on the floor and came and went whenever they wanted. It may sound nice, we have all sat in classroom chairs that are not ergonomically friendly, but it would not work. We comply because we want to be accepted, we want to be liked. The pressure to conform is enormous.
Objectives/Outcomes
After participating in the Learning Activities of this section you should be able to:
1. Define conformity and explain the
difference between "compliance" and "acceptance."
2.
Describe the findings of three classic studies on conformity.
3.
Identify circumstances that are conducive to conformity.
4.
Explain why people conform.
5.
Indicate how gender, personality, and cultural background are related to
conformity.
6.
Explain why people sometimes resist social pressure.
Learning Activities/Assignments
VIDEO SUPPLEMENT: http://youtube.com/watch?v=DKivdMAgdeA&mode=related&search=
Watch
video; no reply needed.
TEXT: (Myers) Read Chapter, "Conformity"
EXPERIENCES: Personal Attitude Inventory
Respond to the statements below by using the following scale:
1=strongly disagree
2=disagree
3=agree
4=strongly agree
___ 1. If I receive a lukewarm dish at a restaurant, I make an attempt to let
that be known.
___ 2. I resent authority figures who try to tell me
what to do.
___ 3. I find that I often have to question authority.
___ 4. I enjoy seeing someone else do something that
neither of us is supposed to.
___ 5. I have a strong desire to maintain my personal
freedom.
___ 6. I enjoy playing, devil’s advocate,
whenever I can.
___ 7. In discussions, I am easily persuaded by
others.
___ 8. Nothing turns me on as much as a good argument.
___ 9. It would be better to have more freedom to do
what I want on a job.
___10. If I am told what to do, I often do the
opposite.
___11. I am sometimes afraid to disagree with others.
___12. It really bothers me when police officers tell
people what to do.
___13. It does not upset me to change my plans because
someone in the group wants to do something else.
___14. I don’t mind other
people telling me what to do.
___15. I enjoy debates with other people.
___16. If someone asks a favor of me, I will think
twice about what this person is really after.
___17. I am not very tolerant of others attempts to
persuade me.
___18. I often follow the suggestions of others.
___19. I am relatively opinionated.
___20. It is important to me to be in a powerful
position relative to others.
___21. I am very open to solutions to my problems from
others.
___22. I enjoy showing up people who think they are
right.
___23. I consider myself more competitive than
cooperative.
___24. I don’t mind doing something for someone
even when I don’t know why I'm doing it.
___25. I usually go along with others’ advice.
___26. I feel it is better to stand up for what I believe
than to be silent.
___27. I am very stubborn and set in my ways.
___28. It is very important for me to get along well
with the people I work with.
Dowd, E.T., Milne, C.R., & Wise, S.L. (1991). The Therapeutic Reactance Scale: A Measure of Psychological Reactance, Journal of Counseling and Development, 69, p.543. Copyright American Counseling Association. Reprinted with permission.
AND/OR
Non Conformity:
Violate a social norm and discuss your experience. Dress atypically, respond inappropriately to everyday greetings, stand in an elevator facing backwards, purchase an item with pennies. Discuss others' verbal and/or nonverbal responses and your own thoughts and feelings.
AND/OR
Uniqueness Scale
With permission of C. R. Snyder
Directions: The following statements concern your perceptions about yourself in
a variety of situations. Your task is to indicate the strength of your
agreement with each statement, utilizing a scale in which 1 denotes strong
disagreement, 5 denotes strong agreement, and 2, 3, and 4 represent
intermediate judgments. In the blank preceding each statement, place a
number from 1 to 5 from the following scale:
1 2 3 4 5
strongest agreement strongest disagreement
There are no right or wrong answers, so select the number that most closely
reflects you on each statement. Take your time and consider each
statement carefully.
___ 1. When I am in a group of strangers, I am
not reluctant to express my opinion openly.
___ 2. I find that criticism affects my
self-esteem.
___ 3. I sometimes hesitate to use my own ideas
for fear they may be impractical.
___ 4. I think society should let reason lead it
to new customs and throw aside old habits or mere traditions.
___ 5. People frequently succeed in changing my
mind.
___ 6. I find it sometimes amusing to upset the
dignity of teachers, judges, and cultured people.
___ 7. I like wearing a uniform because it makes
me proud to be a member of the organization it represents.
___ 8. People have sometimes called me stuck-up.
___ 9. Others’ disagreements make me
uncomfortable.
___ 10. I do not always need to live by the rules and
standards of society.
___ 11. I am unable to express my feelings if they
result in undesirable consequences.
___ 12. Being a success in
one’s career means making a contribution that no one else has made.
___ 13. It bothers me if people think I am being too
unconventional.
___ 14. I always try to follow rules.
___ 15. If I disagree with a superior on his or her
views, I usually do not keep it to myself.
___ 16. I speak up in meetings in order to oppose
those whom I feel are wrong.
___ 17. Feeling different in a crowd of people makes
me feel uncomfortable.
___ 18. If I must die, let it be an unusual death
rather than an ordinary death in bed.
___ 19. I would rather be just like everyone else than
be called a freak.
___ 20. I must admit I find it hard to work under
strict rules and regulations.
___ 21. I would rather be known for always trying new
ideas than for employing well-trusted methods.
___ 22. It is better always to agree with the opinions
of others than to be considered a disagreeable person.
___ 23. I do not like to say unusual things to people.
___ 24. I tend to express my opinions publicly,
regardless of what others say.
___ 25. As a rule, I strongly defend my own opinions.
___ 26. I do not like to go my own way.
___ 27. When I am with a group of people, I agree with
their ideas so that no arguments will arise.
___ 28. I tend to keep quiet in the presence of
persons of higher rank, experience, etc.
___ 29. I have been quite independent and free from family rule.
___ 30. Whenever I take part in group activities, I am
somewhat of a nonconformist.
___ 31. In most things in life, I believe in playing
it safe rather than taking a gamble.
___ 32. It is better to break rules than always to
conform with an impersonal society.
E-mail your experiences to me.
I will e-mail the scoring scale for the
experiences.
INTERNET SITES
http://www.drinknation.com/urinaltest.php
Take the Urinal Test
(Recommended)
http://www.as.wvu.edu/~sbb/comm221/chapters/react.htm
Reactance
http://www.has.vcu.edu/group/tip.htm
Social Contagion
Discussed
what you experienced/learned at the web sites you visited. Whenever
possible, incorporate text material into your review.
CHAPTER 7: Persuasion
The process of persuasion is all around us, an ever-present aspect of our daily lives. We generally go through our day not paying much attention to the near constant dissemination of persuasion. From the moment you wake up in the morning until the time you go to bed at night, some friendly voice on your radio or television is telling you how to look more attractive, be a little wiser, save a little money, and live a little happier. When you go to the mall to buy a certain item, you are constantly told that you need more items to go along with your purchase. The internet, radio, newspaper, and others communications mediums are free to the public along as attempts to persuade you are provided. It is estimated that 64% of all retail sales are the result of persuasion. In other words, only 36% of the items we possess were planned purchased, the rest are all impulsive purchases. People can often escape from everyday life events by going to church, but even on this day, thousands of ministers deliver persuasive messages in an attempt to inculcate certain values.
We are not just recipients of persuasion, but we always attempt to persuade others as well. We want our children to behave in certain ways and we attempt to indoctrinate values to them through persuasion. We attempt to persuade our co-workers, friends, and family to agree to our beliefs or values. The following section looks at the elements of persuasion, cult indoctrination, and resisting persuasion - attitude inoculation.
Objectives/Outcomes
After participating in the Learning Activities of this section you should be able to:
1. Identify the two routes to persuasion.
2. Describe communicator characteristics that contribute to effective communication.
3. Explain how the content of the message influences its effectiveness.
4. Describe the effects of different channels of communication.
5. Identify characteristics of the audience that influence susceptibility to persuasion.
6. Discuss the persuasion principles utilized in cult indoctrination.
7. Explain how people may resist persuasion.
Learning Activities/Assignments
VIDEO SUPPLEMENT: http://youtube.com/watch?v=7MK9j_-e3tU
Also: http://youtube.com/watch?v=XtvHNfomZL8
TEXT: (Myers) Read Chapter VII, "Persuasion"
EXPERIENCES: Advertisements
Answer the following questions
1. Describe an advertisement that has been effective in drawing your attention.
2. What method(s) was(were) used by the advertisers to draw your attention?
3. Which was spoken to more by the advertisement--your emotion or your reason?
4. What effect, if any, did the advertisement have in altering your attitudes or behaviors?
5. Describe an advertisement that has been ineffective in drawing your attention.
6. What method(s) was(were) used by the advertisers to draw your attention?
7. Which was spoken to more by the advertisement--your emotion or your reason?
8. What effect, if any, did the advertisement have in altering your attitudes or behaviors?
9. Compared to other individuals, do you consider yourself more, less, or equally affected by advertising messages in the media?
10. What is an effective public service announcement? What are the characteristics of the message that makes it effective--the issue itself, the manner in which it is conveyed, or some other characteristic?
OR
http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/humanbody/mind/surveys/smiles/index.shtml
Spot the fake smile
Respond to each question. Be sure to number each response.
INTERNET SITES:
http://www.as.wvu.edu/~sbb/comm221/chapters/inocul.htm
Persuasion Inoculation Theory
http://www.as.wvu.edu/~sbb/comm221/chapters/twostep.htm
Sequential Requests
Discussed
what you experienced/learned at the web sites you visited. Whenever
possible, incorporate text material into your review.
CHAPTER 8: Group Influence
In living most of our lives are surrounded by groups, we frequently try to get into groups and get out of groups. Groups are so pervasive that their influence generally goes unnoticed, yet we realize that our behavior is different when we are in a group than when we are alone. Because of groups we develop a social identity to go along with our personal identity.
The
Objectives/Outcomes
After participating in the Learning Activities of this section you should be able to:
1. Define a group.
2. Discuss how we are affected by the presence
of others.
3. Identify the conditions under which social
loafing is likely to occur.
4. Describe the psychological state of "deindividuation."
5. Define and explain group polarization.
6. Discuss the causes, symptoms, and prevention
of "groupthink."
7. Identify the factors that strengthen minority
influence and describe effective leadership
Learning Activities/Assignments
TEXT: (Myers) Read Chapter VIII, "Group Influence"
EXPERIENCES: There are no experiences for Chapter 8.
INTERNET SITES:
http://www.afirstlook.com/archive/groupthink.cfm?source=archther
Groupthink
http://youtube.com/watch?v=KDhv4O3z-OM
Watch Social Loafing Video on Youtube. Describe the “social loafer’s”
actions and answer the question posed at the end of the video.
Discussed what
you experienced/learned at the web sites you visited. Whenever possible,
incorporate text material into your review.
CHAPTER 9: Prejudice: Disliking Others
It is reasonably safe to assume that all of us have some degree of prejudice- whether it is against an ethnic, national, or racial group, or against people with different sexual preferences. Social psychologists believe that it is impossible not to be prejudice! For example, if you are a man would you rather be a woman? Probably not because you think it is better to be a man. You naturally possess negative beliefs about being a woman and negative characteristics of women. If you are Catholic, do you believe that there is a religion better than Catholicism? No, Catholicism is the best otherwise why would you practice it? Do blacks want to be white? No. It is better to be black. You can be prejudiced without being a racist, but all of us possess some belief in that what we are is superior to that of what we are not.
Prejudice is one of the world's greatest
evil. Millions of people have died as the result of prejudice. The
holocaust alone accounted for six million deaths. Each death the result
of prejudice. In the
Objectives/Outcomes
After participating in the Learning Activities of this section you should be able to:
1. Distinguish between
prejudice and discrimination.
2. Trace recent trends in racial and gender
prejudice in the
3. Explain how unequal status, self-fulfilling
prophecy, and the mere formation of groups foster prejudice.
4. Demonstrate how prejudice is maintained
through conformity and institutional supports.
5. Explain the scapegoat theory of prejudice and
the personality dynamics of authoritarianism.
6. Show how stereotypes can be a by-product of
our normal thinking processes.
7. Describe the just world phenomenon.
8. Identify cognitive consequences of
stereotypes.
Learning Activities/Assignments
TEXT: (Myers) Read Chapter 9 "Prejudice"
EXPERIENCES: Is it possible not to be prejudice? Answer this question.
And / Or
Implicit Association Test: http://www.yale.edu/implicit
And / Or
http://www.pbs.org/race/002_SortingPeople/002_00-home.htm
Sorting People
And / Or
The Just World Scale
Directions: Indicate your degree of agreement or disagreement with
each of the following statements in the blank space next to each item.
Respond to every statement and use the following code:
5 = strongly agree
4 = moderately agree
3 = slightly agree
2 = slightly disagree
1 = moderately disagree
0 = strongly disagree
___ 1. I’ve found that a person rarely deserves the reputation he
has.
___ 2. Basically, the world is a just place.
___ 3. People who get lucky breaks have usually earned their good
fortune.
___ 4. Careful drivers are just as likely to get hurt in traffic
accidents as careless ones.
___ 5. It is a common occurrence for a guilty person to get off free in
American courts.
___ 6. Students almost always deserve the grades they receive in school.
___ 7. Men who keep in shape have little chance of suffering a heart
attack.
___ 8. The political candidate who sticks up for his principles rarely
gets elected.
___ 9. It is rare for an innocent man to be wrongly sent to jail.
___ 10. In professional sports, many fouls and infractions never get called by
the referee.
___ 11. By and large, people deserve what they get.
___ 12. When parents punish their children, it is almost always for good
reasons.
___ 13. Good deeds often go unnoticed and unrewarded.
___ 14. Although evil men may hold political power for a while, in the general
course of history good wins out.
___ 15. In almost any business or profession, people who do their job well rise
to the top.
___ 16. American parents tend to overlook the things most to be admired in
their children.
___ 17. It is often impossible for a person to receive a fair trial in the
___ 18. People who meet with misfortune have often brought it on themselves.
___ 19. Crime doesn’t pay.
___ 20. Many people suffer through absolutely no fault of their own.
E-mail your thoughts.
INTERNET SITES:
http://psychology.ucdavis.edu/Rainbow/html/prej_corr.html
Are Some Heterosexuals More Likely To Be Prejudiced Than Others?
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines06/0505-06.htm
Homosexual Killed by Police
http://www.dushkin.com/olc/genarticle.mhtml?article=27042
Stereotype Threat
Discussed what you experienced/learned at the web sites you visited. Whenever possible, incorporate text material into your review.
CHAPTER 10: Aggression: Hurting
Others
What is aggression? Before we delve into our next chapter we need to develop a clear conception as to what aggression is. Social psychologists define aggression as actions that are intended to harm or hurt another. Thus by definition, a football player is not considered to be performing an act of aggression if his aim is simply to bring down his opponent as efficiently as possible. However, he is acting aggressive if his aim is to cause pain or injury, whether or not he succeeds in doings so. Social psychologists also study how aggression is facilitated by our environment and the presence of others.
The sheer prevalence of aggression in human
history has led thinkers throughout history to speculate about the origins of
these dark human urges. Freud, for example, argued that aggression is a
human's primary instinct. Americans often believe that humans are
instinctually aggressive due to the belief that we are the most violent
civilization in the world. This belief however is a myth. One
particular civilization in
A brief intro for you to view: http://jonathan.mueller.faculty.noctrl.edu/crow/ATT570768.gif
Objectives/Outcomes
After participating in the Learning Activities of this section you should be able to:
1. Define aggression and
explain the difference between hostile and instrumental aggression.
2. Discuss the instinct view of aggression.
3. Describe biological influences on aggression.
4. Identify the causes and consequences of
frustration.
5. Discuss the social learning view of
aggression.
6. Identify conditions that tend to provoke
aggression.
7. Describe the effects of viewing pornography.
8. Describe television's effects on thinking and
behavior.
9. Discuss ways of reducing aggression.
Learning Activities/Assignments
TEXT: (Myers) Read Module Chapter 10: "Aggression"
EXPERIENCES: "The aggression questionnaire"
Rate each of the following items on a scale
of I (extremely uncharacteristic Of me) to 5
(extremely characteristic of me).
_____1. Once in a while I can't control the urge to strike
another person.
_____2. I tell my friends openly when I disagree with them.
_____3 I flare up quickly but get over it
quickly.
_____4. I am sometimes eaten up with jealousy.
_____5. Given enough provocation, I may hit another person
_____6. I often find myself disagreeing with
people.
_____7. When frustrated, I let my irritation show.
_____8. At times I feel I have gotten a raw deal out of life.
_____9. If somebody hits me, I hit back.
_____10. When people annoy me, I may tell them what I think of
them.
_____11. I sometimes feel like a powder keg ready to explode.
_____12. Other people always seem to get the breaks.
_____13. I get into fights a little more than the average
person.
_____14. I can't help getting into arguments when people
disagree with me.
_____15. I am an even-tempered person.
_____16. I wonder why sometimes I feel so bitter about things.
_____17. I have to resort to violence to protect my rights.
_____18. My friends say that I am somewhat argumentative.
_____19. Some of my friends think I'm a hothead.
_____20. I know that "friends" talk about me behind
my back.
_____21. There are people who pushed me so far that we came to
blows.
_____22. Sometimes I fly off the handle for no good reason.
_____23. I am suspicious of overly friendly strangers.
_____24. I can think of no good reason for ever hitting a
person.
_____25. I have trouble controlling my temper.
_____26. I sometimes feel that people are laughing at me Behind my back.
_____27. I have threatened people I know.
_____28. When people are especially nice, I wonder what they
want.
_____29. I have become so mad that I have broken things.
(From "The Aggression
Questionnaire" by
E-mail your experience to me.
I will e-mail the scoring scale.
INTERNET SITES:
http://www.mincava.umn.edu/jgilgun/facing.htm
Facing down violence
Discussed
what you experienced/learned at the web sites you visited. Whenever
possible, incorporate text material into your review.
SELF TEST FOR MODULE TWO
Practice tests for the five chapters of module two are available at the author's web site: http://www.mhhe.com/myer9 It is highly recommended that you practice before taking the on line examination.
END OF MODULE TWO
