Social influence

Question 1

Evaluate Sherif’s Autokinetic Effect Study

Answer 1

+ Highly controlled - cause and effect
+ Highly replicable
- Lacks ecological validity

Question 2

Evaluate Zimbardo’s experiment

Answer 2

+ Control over variables - selection of participants

Ethical issues - protection from harm
Lack of realism
Only 1/3 of guards were violent - exaggerated

Question 3

Define conformity

Answer 3

A change in behavior due to a real or imagined group pressure

Question 4

What is compliance? (Conformity)

Answer 4

Weakest form of conformity

Publicly conform to the behaviour or views of the group, but privately maintain their own views

Question 5

What is identification? (Conformity)

Answer 5

Strong conformity
Adopt views or behaviours of the group publicly and privately because you value the membership of that group
Temporary and not maintained when leaving the group

Question 6

What is internalisation? (Conformity)

Answer 6

Strongest form of conformity
Convert your way of thinking
Views and behaviours have become part of your value system
Informational social influence

Question 7

What is Normative Social Influence?

Answer 7

Influenced by the group as you want to fit in

Question 8

What is Informational Social Influence?

Answer 8

Influenced by the group as you believe they are correct

Question 9

Who come up with the idea of normative and informational social influence?

Answer 9

Deutsch and Gerard (1955)

Question 10

Name a study done into normative social influence

Answer 10

Asch’s Line Study

Question 11

Explain Asch’s Line Study

Answer 11

123 American males given lines - standard line, and possible answers
All but 1 were confederates (1 true participant)
Confederates gave the same, incorrect answer for 12 of 18 trials
True participant last or last but one to answer
75% conformed at least once

Question 12

What variations were done of Asch’s Line Study

Answer 12

Non-Unanimous Majority
- Levels of conformity dropped dramatically when 1 confederate went against the majority
Group Size
- When majority consisted of 2 confederates, conformity decreased to 13%
- Optimum conformity effects were 3 confederates
Task Difficulty
- As Asch reduced the task clarity, conformity levels increased (informational social influence)

Question 13

Evaluate Asch’s Line Study

Answer 13

+ Highly controlled - cause and effect
+ Standardised instructions and procedures

Highly artificial
1950s could’ve been a particularly conformist time in America
Population validity - Androcentric, American men
Ethical issues - protection from harm

Question 14

Name a study done into Informational Social Influence

Answer 14

Sherif’s Autokinetic Effect Study

Question 15

What is the autokinetic effect?

Answer 15

Micro-twitches in the eye make it look as though objects are moving, when in fact they aren’t

Question 16

Explain Sherif’s Autokinetic Effect Study

Answer 16

Participants were shown a small spot of light in the dark room and it appeared to move
Participants when asked individually how far the light moved, results varied considerably
When participants were asked in groups of 3, the groups converged to a common estimate
Participants ended to conform as the ambiguous situation led to participants looking to others for guidance

Question 17

What was Zimbardo’s study?

Answer 17

Stanford Prison Experiment

Question 18

Explain the Stanford Prison Experiment

Answer 18

21 ‘emotionally stable’ students randomly allocated to roles of guard or prisoner in mock prison
Social roles enforced by uniforms and instructions about behaviour
Guards treated prisoners harshly - harassed them constantly
Prisoners attempted to rebel (failed)
Experiment had to end after 6 days
Social roles have a strong influence on behaviour and can be easily adopted