Social Terms
Process by which others individually or collectively affect one’s perceptions, attitudes and actions
Social Influence
He wanted to demonstrate the power of roles and social norms, so he set up a mock prison at Stanford University.
Phillip Zimbardo
When people alter their behavior due to real or imagined pressure.
Conformity
This term refers to a reduction in feelings of personal responsibility in the presence of others.
Diffusion of responsibility
This process occurs when a group, made up of competent members capable of making excellent decisions, makes poor decisions because of flawed group processes and strong conformity pressures.
Groupthink
Rules that regulate social life, including explicit laws and implicit cultural conventions/expectations.
Social Norms
He wanted to demonstrate the power of conformity, so he created an experiment to test if individuals would conform under imagined pressure.
Solomon Asch
Form of compliance that occurs when people follow direct commands, usually from someone in a position of authority.
Obedience
This term refers to the strengthening of a group’s prevailing position on a topic following discussion on the topic.
Group polarisation
This term refers to the loss of a person’s sense of individuality and a reduction in the usual social constraints on our behaviour.
Deindividuation
Positions regulated by norms about how people in those positions should behave.
Social roles
He wanted to know if people would obey authority or go against their own ethical standards.
Stanley Miligram
Change of behaviour in response to an explicit request from another person or group.
Compliance
This process occurs when people do not work as hard in a group as they do when they are working alone.
Social Loafing
This term refers to the enhancement of performance brought about by the presence of others.
Social Facilitation