Chapter 6 Definitions

Agreeableness A tendency to be good natured, cooperative, and trusting

Authoritarianism An individual difference variable characterized by a tendency to prefer things to be simple rather than complex and to hold traditional values

Charismatic leaders Leaders who are enthusiastic, committed, and self-confident; who tend to talk about the importance of group goals at a broad level; and who make personal sacrifices for the group

Coercive power The ability to dispense punishments

Conscientiousness A tendency to be responsible, orderly, and dependable

Contingency model of leadership effectiveness A model of leadership effectiveness that focuses on both person variables and situational variables

Expert power Power based on the possession of valid and accurate information and that leads to private acceptance in followers.

Informational social influence The change in opinions or behavior that occurs when we conform to people who we believe have accurate information

Leadership The ability to direct or inspire others to achieve goals

Legitimate power Authority that comes from a belief on the part of those being influenced that the person has a legitimate right to demand obedience

Majority influence When the beliefs held by the larger number of individuals in the current social group prevail

Minority influence When the beliefs held by the smaller number of individuals in the current social group prevail

Moral reasoning The manner in which one makes ethical judgments

Morality beliefs The set of social norms that describe the principles and ideals, as well as the duties and obligations, that we view as appropriate and that we use to judge the actions of others and to guide our own behavior

Normative social influence Conformity that occurs when we express opinions or behave in ways that help us to be accepted or that keep us from being isolated or rejected by others

Personality theories of leadership Explanations of leadership based on the idea that some people are simply “natural leaders” because they possess personality characteristics that make them effective

Private acceptance Real change in opinions on the part of the individual

Psychological reactance The strong emotional response that we experience when we feel that our freedom of choice is being taken away

Public compliance A superficial change in behavior (including the public expression of opinions) that is not accompanied by an actual change in one’s private opinion

Referent power Influence based on identification with, attraction to, or respect for the power-holder

Reward power The ability to distribute positive or negative rewards

Role stress When individuals experience incompatible demands and expectations within or between the roles that they occupy, which often negatively impacts their ability to be successful in those roles

Social comparison When we learn about our abilities and skills, about the appropriateness and validity of our opinions, and about our relative social status by comparing our own attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors with those of others

Social impact The increase in the amount of conformity that is produced by adding new members to the majority group

Social influence The process through which other people change our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors and through which we change theirs

Social inhibition The tendency to perform tasks more poorly or slower in the presence of others

Social intelligence An ability to develop a clear perception of the situation using situational cues

Social norms The ways of thinking, feeling, or behaving that are shared by group members and perceived by them as appropriate

Social power The ability of a person to create conformity even when the people being influenced may attempt to resist those changes

Transactional leaders Leaders who work with their subordinates to help them understand what is required of them and to get the job done

Transformational leaders Leaders who have a vision of where the group is going and attempt to stimulate and inspire their workers to move beyond their present status and to create a new and better future