Similarities and Differences Between Males and Females
Males and females from childhood to adulthood are more alike than different on most physiological variables, resulting in gender similarities. Both genders have the same brain and hormones. Their genitals emerge from the same mass of embryonic tissue; hence, it is the same too. However, gender roles and social context strongly determine a person’s actions bringing out the gender differences. Men are more physically aggressive and hold more positive attitudes about sex in uncommitted relationships than women. Evolutionary differences between men and women exist to enable females to gestate, give birth, and lactate. It can be argued that women are more empathetic and gravitate toward jobs that reduce imbalances while men gravitate towards careers that enhance inequalities (Myers & Twenge, 2015). Therefore, women experience more relationship-linked emotions while men respond to stress with fight or flight responses.
Conformity and Obedience
The change in belief or behavior as a consequence of imagined or real group pressure is known as conformity. Humans alter their attitudes and behaviors to match other people because of the concern about what other people think of us. Additionally, we conform to the norm because strangers often have the information we do not, and relying on customs when we are uncertain about how we are supposed to behave is a reasonable strategy. Conformity manifests in three ways: compliance, acceptance, and obedience. Compliance involves privately disagreeing while publicly acting by an explicit or implied request. Obedience, on the other hand, requires one to obey when authority commands or gives a direct order. Humans usually comply with an order for fear of the result of not complying. Obedient people change their behavior to comply with a higher authority’s demand or order.
Resistance to Persuasion
Resistance is central to persuasion because, without it, being persuasive is unnecessary. Humans may resist coercion in three ways: inertia, skepticism, and reactance. Inertial resistance is opposed to change itself and irrespective of the advocated change, it focuses on the current situation, specifically on how difficult it would be to change and what we fancy in the present circumstances. Skepticism is resistant to the content of the message; it focuses on the evidence and logic of the arguments in the subject matter and produces a desire to procedurally analyze and refute the presented argument. Persuasion can be resisted via skepticism by motivating an individual to examine the message critically and assemble tools and information to effectively evaluate a message.
The Influence of the Minority Group on the Majority Group
The influence of minorities is the impact of a minority group on the positions of members of the majority of a population. It involves a member of the minority group coaxing other members to accept their argument, even if this contradicts the more prevalent position held by the majority. The influence of minorities may change the general view of a population on matters which are indirectly linked to the imminent decision and task. The minority group may stimulate divergent thoughts among a population, thereby cultivating a multi-perspective approach to emerging issues (Myers & Twenge, 2015). This improved flexibility in the thought processes of a given group may bring about changes in some different but related positions. For instance, a minority that supports abortion rights may face a majority group that opposes abortion rights. Even though the majority may refuse to change its view on abortion, it may change views on related issues, such as the use of contraceptives.
Reference
Myers, D. & Twenge, J. (2015). Social psychology (12th ed.). McGraw-Hill.