Lecture

Social Psychology: Influence and Obedience

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In course

HUM-240: The Psychology of social influence

Le cours aborde l'influence sociale qui s'exerce dans et entre les groupes. Les groupes jouent un rôle fondamental nos vies de tous les jours; ce cours fournit une compréhension du fonctionnement des groupes, des relations entre groupes et de l'impact des ...

Description

This lecture explores the impact of social influence on individuals' behavior, focusing on Asch's conformity experiments and Milgram's obedience studies. It delves into the concepts of normative dependence, group dynamics, and the role of social support in resisting conformity. The lecture also discusses the duration of social influence, the factors affecting obedience, and the psychological mechanisms behind obedience to authority figures. Through various experiments, the instructor illustrates how individuals conform to group norms and obey authority, shedding light on the complex interplay between social pressure and individual autonomy.

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Instructor

Fabrizio Butera

Teaching & PhD Courses Cooperation and environmental psychology HUM-317 This seminar addresses the formation, change and maintenance of individual and collective pro-environmental behaviors, as studied by environmental social psychology. In particular, we will focus on the role of coopération. L'(in)action pro-environnementale I HUM-420 This Social Psychology course examines the gap between intentions and behaviors, the barriers to individual and collective action, and the mo

Official source

Ontological neighbourhood

Psychology

Basic psychology: Social psychology

Related concepts (19)

Social influence

Social influence comprises the ways in which individuals adjust their behavior to meet the demands of a social environment. It takes many forms and can be seen in conformity, socialization, peer pressure, obedience, leadership, persuasion, sales, and marketing. Typically social influence results from a specific action, command, or request, but people also alter their attitudes and behaviors in response to what they perceive others might do or think. In 1958, Harvard psychologist Herbert Kelman identified three broad varieties of social influence.

Normative social influence

Normative social influence is a type of social influence that leads to conformity. It is defined in social psychology as "...the influence of other people that leads us to conform in order to be liked and accepted by them." The power of normative social influence stems from the human identity as a social being, with a need for companionship and association. Normative social influence involves a change in behaviour that is deemed necessary in order to fit in a particular group.

Peer pressure

Peer pressure is the direct or indirect influence on peers, i.e., members of social groups with similar interests, experiences, or social statuses. Members of a peer group are more likely to influence a person's beliefs, values, and behavior. A group or individual may be encouraged and want to follow their peers by changing their attitudes, values or behaviors to conform to those of the influencing group or individual. For the individual affected by peer pressure, this can have both a positive or negative effect on them.

Conformity

Conformity is the act of matching attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors to group norms, politics or being like-minded. Norms are implicit, specific rules, shared by a group of individuals, that guide their interactions with others. People often choose to conform to society rather than to pursue personal desires - because it is often easier to follow the path others have made already, rather than forging a new one. Thus, conformity is sometimes a product of group communication.

Social proof

Social proof (or informational social influence) is a psychological and social phenomenon wherein people copy the actions of others in choosing how to behave in a given situation. The term was coined by Robert Cialdini in his 1984 book Influence: Science and Practice. Social proof is used in ambiguous social situations where people are unable to determine the appropriate mode of behavior, and is driven by the assumption that the surrounding people possess more knowledge about the current situation.

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