Social Situations
| English | Chinese | Pinyin |
|---|---|---|
| Persuasion | 说服 | shuō fú |
| Social norms | 社会规范 | shè huì guī fàn |
| roles | 角色 | jué sè |
| Social influence theory | 社会影响理论 | shè huì yǐng xiǎng lǐ lùn |
| normative | 规范性 | guī fàn xìng |
| informational | 信息性 | xìn xī xìng |
| Conformity | 从众 | cóng zhòng |
| Obedience | 服从 | fú cóng |
| Group polarisation | 群体极化 | qún tǐ jí huà |
| Social facilitation | 社会助长 | shè huì zhù zhǎng |
| false consensus effect | 虚假一致效应 | xū jiǎ yí zhì xiào yìng |
| Individualism | 个人主义 | gè rén zhǔ yì |
| collectivism | 集体主义 | jí tǐ zhǔ yì |
| multiculturalism | 多元文化主义 | duō yuán wén huà zhǔ yì |
| Altruism | 利他行为 | lì tā xíng wéi |
| bystander effect | 旁观者效应 | páng guān zhě xiào yìng |
| superordinate goals | 超级目标 | chāo jí mù biāo |
The same person behaves differently in a crowd
- Personality does not change when someone joins a group; behaviour does.
- That gap is the subject of social psychology.
- The situation is a cause in its own right, not just a backdrop.
Norms, influence and persuasion
- Social norms 社会规范 define a society's expectations and roles 角色.
- Social influence theory 社会影响理论 distinguishes normative 规范性 pressure (to be accepted) from informational 信息性 pressure (to be correct).
- Persuasion 说服 is the set of techniques used to convince oneself or others.
Select all the kinds of social influence the CED distinguishes.
Transduction is a sensation term, not a form of social influence.
Conformity and obedience
- Conformity 从众 is adjusting to an unspoken group standard; research clarifies the conditions that strengthen it.
- Obedience 服从 is complying with a direct instruction from an authority.
- The distinction is the source of pressure: a peer group for conformity, an authority figure for obedience.
Conformity, obedience, or a group effect?
Sort each case by the social process it shows.
Obedience differs from conformity in that the pressure comes from...
Conformity answers a group; obedience answers an authority.
Conformity and obedience are not synonyms. Conformity responds to a group's unspoken standard; obedience responds to an authority's direct instruction. Naming the wrong one changes which research the answer is about.
Group polarisation makes a group's average view more moderate after discussion.
It pushes the average further in the direction it already leaned, not toward the middle.
What groups do to individuals
- Group polarisation 群体极化 pushes a group's average view further in the direction it already leaned.
- Social facilitation 社会助长 is improved performance when others watch — for well-learned tasks.
- The false consensus effect 虚假一致效应 is overestimating how many others agree with you.
The finding that more witnesses makes each less likely to help is the ____ effect.
Situational and attentional variables, not character, predict whether someone helps.
Match each term to what it describes.
The first two describe cultural orientation; the third is a way of reducing conflict between groups.
Culture and helping
- Individualism 个人主义, collectivism 集体主义 and multiculturalism 多元文化主义 shape how a person perceives and behaves in groups.
- Altruism 利他行为 is selfless behaviour, though some researchers argue prosocial acts carry internal rewards.
- The bystander effect 旁观者效应 shows that situational and attentional variables predict whether someone helps — superordinate goals 超级目标 unite separate groups.
A person collapses on a busy street and no one helps; on an empty street a single passer-by helps immediately. The bystander effect predicts exactly this: more witnesses spread responsibility and make each person less likely to act.
Social norms and roles set expectations; influence is normative or informational. Conformity answers a group, obedience an authority. Group polarisation, social facilitation and the false consensus effect are group effects, and the bystander effect shows helping depends on the situation.