Social Influence: Crash Course Psychology #38

CrashCourse
11 Nov 201410:08
EducationalLearning
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TLDRThis video examines several seminal psychology experiments that reveal how susceptible humans are to social influence and conformity. It covers Stanley Milgram's infamous obedience experiments, showing that people are willing to cause harm if ordered by an authority figure. It also discusses Solomon Asch's conformity experiments, where people gave incorrect answers just to agree with the group. Additional concepts covered include: automatic mimicry, normative social influence, social facilitation/loafing, deindividuation, group polarization, and groupthink - all demonstrating the power groups have over individual behavior, for better or worse.

Takeaways
  • 🔥 Stanley Milgram's experiments in the early 1960s showcased how ordinary people could commit harmful acts under authority pressure, with two-thirds delivering the maximum shock.
  • 🤔 Adolf Eichmann's trial raised questions about obedience to authority, inspiring Milgram's work on what average people are capable of when following orders.
  • 🧠 The setup involved a fake shock generator, with participants thinking they were administering electric shocks to a learner for wrong answers, reflecting on obedience and authority.
  • 👥 Obedience was highest when the authority figure was nearby and perceived as legitimate, highlighting the influence of perceived authority and institutional prestige.
  • 🌹 Solomon Asch's experiments in the 1950s demonstrated the power of conformity through a visual perception test, with a significant portion of participants conforming to the group's incorrect choices.
  • 🚨 Normative social influence explains our compliance to be liked or belong, underlining the human need for social acceptance and fear of rejection.
  • 🧑 Social facilitation can enhance or impair performance in front of others, illustrating how the presence of a group can affect individual behavior.
  • 🤦 Social loafing occurs when individuals exert less effort in a group, pointing to decreased accountability and effort in team settings.
  • 👮 Deindividuation can lead to loss of self-awareness and restraint, contributing to behaviors like rioting and online trolling in group situations.
  • 💬 Group polarization strengthens existing views within a group, often leading to extreme positions and an 'us vs them' mentality.
  • 📝 Groupthink can result in poor decision-making within highly cohesive groups, underlining the importance of diverse opinions and critical thinking.
Q & A

  • What was the main question Stanley Milgram sought to explore through his experiment?

    -Milgram aimed to understand what the average person would be capable of when under orders from authority, especially in the context of obedience.

  • How did Milgram's experiment work?

    -Milgram's experiment involved volunteers believing they were administering electric shocks to a learner for every incorrect answer in a memory test, with the shocks supposedly increasing in intensity.

  • What were the results of Milgram's initial experiment?

    -About two-thirds of participants administered the maximum 450-volt shock, and all participants continued to at least 300 volts.

  • What factors did Milgram find to influence obedience in his experiments?

    -Obedience was highest when the authority figure was nearby and perceived as legitimate, especially if associated with a prestigious institution, if the victim was depersonalized or at a distance, and if there were no role models for defiance.

  • What does Solomon Asch's experiment demonstrate about conformity?

    -Asch's experiment demonstrated the power of conformity in groups, showing that people might conform to a group's incorrect choice even when the correct choice is clear, due to social pressure.

  • What conditions increase the likelihood of conformity according to Asch's findings?

    -Conformity is more likely when individuals feel incompetent or insecure, are in a group of three or more people who all agree, admire the group's status, and believe their behavior is being observed.

  • What is the concept of social loafing?

    -Social loafing is the tendency for individuals to exert less effort when they are part of a group than when they are working alone.

  • How does deindividuation affect group behavior?

    -Deindividuation leads to a loss of self-awareness and restraint in group situations, potentially resulting in behavior that is more extreme, such as participation in riots or online trolling.

  • What is group polarization and how does it impact group dynamics?

    -Group polarization refers to the tendency for a group to make decisions that are more extreme than the initial inclination of its members, often leading to a stronger 'us vs them' dynamic.

  • What does the term 'groupthink' describe and why is it problematic?

    -Groupthink describes poor decision-making within a group caused by its members' desire for harmony and conformity, leading to a lack of critical evaluation of alternative ideas or viewpoints.

Outlines
00:00
😲 Milgram's Shocking Obedience Study

Stanley Milgram began experiments in 1961 to test people's obedience to authority figures. He had participants play the role of 'teacher' who administered electric shocks of increasing strength to a 'learner' (an actor) for wrong answers. Despite learners' reactions, most participants obeyed orders to continue shocks up to 450 volts. Milgram found people are most obedient to nearby authority figures from prestigious institutions when the victim is distant.

05:03
😎 The Powerful Pull of Conformity

Conformity describes how we adjust behavior to follow group rules. Solomon Asch seated volunteers with actors who intentionally gave the wrong answer to a simple visual perception test. About a third conformed by giving the group's wrong answer, especially if they felt insecure or incompetent. Conformity is stronger when the group is admired, watched by others, and from cultures emphasizing social standards.

Mindmap
Keywords
💡conformity
Conformity refers to changing one's behavior to match the norms of a group. It is a type of social influence where people adjust their attitudes, beliefs, or behaviors to align with a group. The video discusses Solomon Asch's experiments on conformity, showing that people often conform to a group even when it contradicts the evidence of their own senses.
💡obedience
Obedience is complying with orders, rules, or instructions given by an authority figure. The video examines Stanley Milgram's experiments on obedience, showing that people are surprisingly willing to obey orders from an authority figure, even to the point of harming others.
💡social norms
Social norms are the unwritten rules that govern behavior in groups and societies. The video discusses how we conform to social norms to help interactions run smoothly and gain acceptance or approval from the group.
💡authority
Authority refers to power and influence over others that is perceived as legitimate. The video shows how authority figures can pressure people to obey orders, even unethical or harmful ones, through Milgram's experiments on obedience.
💡deindividuation
Deindividuation is the loss of self-awareness and restraint occurring in group situations that foster arousal and anonymity. The video explains how deindividuation in crowds can unleash mob behavior.
💡groupthink
Groupthink refers to faulty decision-making that can occur when a group becomes insulated from dissenting viewpoints. The video outlines how groupthink among top leaders has led to poor policy choices and disasters.
💡social facilitation
Social facilitation describes improved performance on simple or well-learned tasks when others are present. The video gives the example of a runner sprinting faster when spectators cheer them on.
💡social loafing
Social loafing refers to the tendency to put in less effort on a task when working in a group compared to individually. The video discusses studies showing people slack off when they think their efforts aren't identifiable.
💡group polarization
Group polarization is when discussion strengthens the dominant positions and attitudes of a group. As the video explains, this can breed extreme or hateful views when like-minded people interact.
💡situation
Situation refers to the context, environment, and social forces that shape human behavior. The video emphasizes the power of situation in driving conformity, obedience, and group behavior.
Highlights

First key finding about improved model performance

Explanation of innovative training method for accuracy gains

Discussion of limitations and future work for advanced applications

Transcripts

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