Class 12 Psychology - BIHAR
Social Influence and Group Processes
This chapter explores how individuals are influenced by the presence, actions, and expectations of others. For Class 12 Bihar Board (BSEB) students, it is a crucial segment of social psychology. It breaks down complex dynamics like conformity, compliance, and obedience—showcasing experiments by Asch, Milgram, and Zimbardo. You will learn about how groups form, why people behave differently in crowds (social loafing, group polarization), and the roots of prejudice and intergroup conflict. Scoring well in this chapter requires a strong grasp of psychological terms and the ability to differentiate between various types of social influence, frequently tested in board exams.
Start Learning FreeKey Concepts
Social Influence
The process by which an individual's attitudes, beliefs, or behaviors are modified by the presence or actions of others.
Conformity
A type of social influence involving a change in belief or behavior in order to fit in with a group, often demonstrated by Solomon Asch's line experiment.
Obedience
Following direct commands, usually given by an authority figure, as famously studied in Stanley Milgram's shock experiment.
Social Facilitation
The tendency for people to perform better on simple or well-learned tasks when other people are present.
Group Polarization
The strengthening of groups' initial inclinations through discussion, leading to more extreme decision-making than individual members would make alone.
Important Formulas
Board Exam Info
In the Bihar Board (BSEB) Class 12 Psychology exam, this chapter typically carries around 6 to 9 marks. Questions usually include objective (multiple-choice) items, short-answer questions defining key terms like compliance and group polarization, and occasionally long-answer questions detailing famous experiments such as Milgram's obedience study or Asch's conformity study.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between conformity and obedience?
Conformity involves changing your behavior to match peers or social norms without any direct order. Obedience involves following explicit orders given by an authority figure.
Why does social loafing happen?
Social loafing occurs because individuals feel less accountable when working in a group, assuming others will pick up the slack, which lowers their personal motivation and effort.
Who conducted the famous experiment on obedience?
Stanley Milgram conducted the famous and controversial obedience experiment in 1963 to study how far people would go in obeying an authority figure.
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