18 flashcards · Shared on 19 August 2026 by AtomAI Library
Flip each card to check yourself.
What is conformity in social psychology?
Changing behaviour or beliefs in response to real or imagined group pressure
What is conformity in social psychology?
Changing behaviour or beliefs in response to real or imagined group pressure
Which description best defines compliance as a type of conformity?
A public change in behaviour without a lasting private change in belief
Identification occurs when a person conforms because they:
value membership of a group and adopt its behaviour while that identity is important
What distinguishes internalisation from other types of conformity?
It involves a genuine and often lasting change in private beliefs and public behaviour
Normative social influence is conformity motivated mainly by the desire to:
be accepted and avoid social rejection
Informational social influence is most likely when a person:
believes others may know the correct response in an uncertain situation
What task did participants complete in Asch's classic conformity experiments?
Matching a comparison line to one of three lines
In Asch's line-judgment experiments, what usually happened when one confederate gave the correct answer instead of joining the incorrect majority?
Conformity decreased because the majority was no longer unanimous
What did Asch's research suggest about majority size?
Conformity generally rose as the majority increased to about three people, then levelled off
How is obedience different from conformity?
Obedience is a response to a direct order from someone perceived to have authority
In Milgram's baseline obedience study, what proportion of participants continued to the maximum shock level marked 450 volts?
About 65%
How did placing Milgram's teacher and learner in the same room affect obedience?
It reduced obedience by making the consequences of the order more immediate
What happened when Milgram moved the study from Yale University to a less prestigious office setting?
Obedience decreased, suggesting that the setting affected the authority's legitimacy
Why can a uniform increase obedience?
It signals social status and legitimate authority
What is the agentic state in explanations of obedience?
A state in which a person sees themselves as acting on behalf of an authority who bears responsibility
The legitimacy of authority explanation proposes that people obey because they:
assume recognised authorities have a socially accepted right to give certain orders
Which trait is associated with the authoritarian personality explanation of obedience?
High submission to established authority and rigid conventional attitudes
How can social support help someone resist conformity or obedience?
It shows that resistance is possible and reduces the pressure to comply