Glossary of terms

obedience
Conformity to rules, instructions or orders that have been provided by another person or set out within a particular institution. In social psychology, most research on obedience has focused on people's compliance with the instructions of people who have positions of authority within a hierarchical social system (e.g., in Milgram's studies).

outgroup
A group that a person perceives themselves not to be a member of in a particular context (i.e., a group contrasted from a person's social identity - "them").

permeability
The degree to which it is perceived to be possible to move from one particular group into another.

phenomenological validity
The degree to which a scientific account of a given phenomenon corresponds to people's actual experiences.

physiological measures
Measures of physiological states or processes (e.g., cortisol levels, skin conductance and blood flow) used in psychological research to gain insight into particular psychological states or processes.

power
The state in which a person or group has (or is perceived to have) control over the behaviour and circumstances of others by virtue either of the resources at their disposal or their capacity for influence.

prototypicality
The degree to which a person is representative of a social group or social category

psychometric tests
Tests used in psychological research to gain insight into particular psychological states or processes (e.g., personality, attitudes, mood). Most commonly these use self-report measures (i.e., ones completed by participants themselves) that have been pre-tested to ensure they provide valid and reliable data.

power

power