One form of social influence arises from the mere presence of an audience or co-actors, which facilitates the performance of simple or well-learned tasks and impedes performance of complex or novel tasks. There is controversy over whether arousal in the presence of others is innate, or due to social comparison and evaluation apprehension while distraction-conflict theory posits that the effect is due to conflict arising from the need to attend to both the others present and the task. The social loafing effect refers to reduced effort of individuals in a group. Conformity occurs in response to group norms and pressures, usually in response to majorities. Innovation requires open-minded individuals to think in non-normative ways. Tactics employed to enhance compliance include the foot-in-the-door; the door-in-the-face; low-balling; improving the offer; and guilt inducement. Obedience is a response to a command by someone perceived as authority, usually in response to situational influences. The Milgram paradigm has revealed that ordinary people may often obey authority, inflicting painful electric shocks on an innocent victim despite not wishing to do so. It became controversial with various interpretations proposed and ethical concerns raised.

KEYWORDS: compliance, conformity, distraction-conflict theory, innovation, mere presence of others, Milgram paradigm, obedience, social facilitation, social loafing 

1. When we must study new material in our social psychology course, the presence of others will help us to learn it.

2. Distraction-conflict theory suggests that conflict produces arousal which facilitates dominant responses.

3. In the Asch experiments, most subjects totally succumbed to pressure to conform when a majority of confederates first gave the wrong response.

4. Conformity increases continually as the size of the group increases.

5. Minority influence is more likely than majority influence to produce real attitude change, rather than just conformity.

6. Compliance becomes more likely when guilt has been aroused by someone, and this is even true of compliance with the demands of some uninvolved third party.

7. In Milgram’s experiment on obedience to authority, almost one in three subjects obeyed fully.

8. In groupthink conditions, all potential solutions are considered and outside opinions are invited.

9. One of the factors which influences the rate and likelihood of adoption of an innovation is the extent to which the innovation is perceived as difficult to understand or use.

10. The dual-link model suggests that innovations spread through the influence of the media combined with vicarious learning.

1. F

2. T

3. F

4. F

5. T

6. T

7. F

8. F

9. T

10. F 

MCQ's for Chapter 6

1. Research on social facilitation shows that the effects on performance may be positive or negative. How does Zajonc explain this apparent contradiction and what is Cottrell’s alternative explanation?

2. Outline the distraction-conflict theory of social facilitation and describe an experiment supporting this view.

3. Identify two additional explanations for social facilitation.

4. How is social loafing explained? Make a list of some research findings that demonstrate social loafing.

5. Briefly describe the Asch and Sherif studies on conformity. Outline 3 reasons for conformity.

6. Describe five techniques for inducing compliance.

7. Describe the Milgram research on obedience and the major findings.

8. Outline Bandura’s theory of social modelling.

9. What are the conditions which favour the development of groupthink, and what are the dangers of such thinking?

10. What factors influence: a) the rate and likelihood of the adoption of an innovation? b) the success of the diffusion of an innovation? 

1. Evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of conformity, compliance and obedience to the individual who yields to pressure and to society.

2. As a society, what changes could we make in order to discourage the frequency of groupthink and to encourage the diffusion of innovative ideas and practices?