What are the functions of conformity? Conformity promotes cultural learning, coordination, and survival by allowing people to adopt successful practices used by others. Why do people follow social norms? To maintain social belonging and because they believe norms reflect correct behavior. What is the threat of exclusion effect? Fear of social rejection motivates people to follow norms and can impair performance when exclusion is expected. What is the wisdom of the crowd effect? The average of many independent judgments often approaches the correct answer when individuals are uncertain. When does the wisdom of the crowd work best? When estimates are independent and diverse. What is conformity? The convergence of individuals’ thoughts, feelings, or behavior toward social norms. What is private conformity? Genuine internal acceptance of group norms. What is public conformity? Outward agreement with group norms without private acceptance. What did Sherif’s autokinetic study show? In ambiguous situations, group judgments converge and create shared norms that persist even when individuals are later alone. What type of influence did Sherif demonstrate? Informational influence leading to private conformity. What did Asch’s line study show? People sometimes conform to an obviously incorrect majority even when the correct answer is clear. What type of conformity did Asch demonstrate? Public conformity driven mainly by normative influence. Did Asch’s research show blind conformity? No. Many participants resisted and overall conformity rates were moderate. What is informational influence? Conformity driven by the desire to reduce uncertainty and obtain accurate information. When is informational influence strongest? When tasks are difficult, ambiguous, or when confidence is low. What is normative influence? Conformity driven by the desire for social approval and belonging. When is normative influence strongest? When responses are public, groups are larger, and others are in-group members. How does conformity affect political attitudes? People tend to align their responses with perceived majority opinions. How does conformity affect moral judgments? Majority opinions can shift permissibility judgments in moral dilemmas. How does collectivism relate to conformity? Collectivist cultures show higher conformity because harmony and interdependence are valued. What is cultural tightness? Cultures with strong norms and little tolerance for deviance. What is cultural looseness? Cultures with weaker norms and more tolerance for deviance. What environmental conditions produce tight cultures? Historical threats such as disease, disasters, resource scarcity, and extreme climate. What is group polarization? The tendency for a group’s average position to become more extreme after discussion. What heuristic process causes group polarization? Using consensus as a shortcut and adopting the apparent majority view. What systematic process causes group polarization? Majority arguments are more numerous, validated, and discussed more frequently. What is true consensus? Agreement reached through independent evaluation of diverse viewpoints. What is false consensus in decision making? Apparent agreement that results from bias, lack of independence, or lack of critical evaluation. What is mindless consensus? Adopting the majority position without evaluating evidence. What is pluralistic ignorance? Everyone publicly conforms to a norm while privately rejecting it. What is contamination in consensus? Agreement produced by shared bias rather than independent evaluation. What is the bias blind spot? The tendency to recognize bias in others but not in oneself. What is the argumentative theory of reason? People generate biased arguments but critically evaluate others’ arguments. What is groupthink? A drive for consensus that suppresses dissent and critical evaluation. What are classic symptoms of groupthink? Illusion of invulnerability, pressure to conform, self-censorship, and illusion of unanimity. Why can groupthink occur? Protecting group identity, avoiding conflict, low confidence, desire for quick decisions, or desire for certainty. How can groupthink be prevented? Encouraging dissent, forming subgroups, considering alternatives, and seeking diverse viewpoints. What is polythink? A decision-making situation with too many competing viewpoints leading to conflict and paralysis. What problems result from polythink? Intragroup conflict, poor coordination, leaks, and decision paralysis. What is minority influence? A consistent minority can change majority attitudes or perceptions. What is the blue-green paradigm? A consistent minority shifts perceptual judgments and influences private attitudes. What is the spillover effect? Minority influence spreads to related attitudes beyond the original issue. What increases minority influence? Consistency, unity, and shared social identity with the majority. Why do minorities trigger systematic processing? They create conflict that motivates deeper evaluation of arguments. What is the difference between majority and minority influence? Majorities produce public conformity, minorities produce deeper private attitude change. What is the source-context elaboration model? The influence of majority or minority sources depends on how deeply people process the message.