Social Influence Flashcards
2 studies of social influence
1) Zimbardo
2) Milgram
Zimbardo
18 male student volunteers at Stanford uni, lasted 6 days.
Half guards, half prisoners
Milgram
Told it was a test for memory, however it was a test for obedience. Learner is an actor, teacher is participant, Mr Wallace in a white lab coat, go up 15 volts each time
RESULTS - 68% 450V 100% 300V
2 explanations for defiance for authority
1) Rotter LOC - Shurz
2) Social support - Asch & Milgram
Rotter (LOC & supporting evidence - Shurz)
Internal LOC - things that happen to them is largely a result of their own behaviour, they can control stressful situations and succeed in difficult ones
Shurz - replication of milgrams study, participants took a LOC questionnaire, thought they were giving painful skin damaging ultrasound to learner
- participants with internal LOC took more responsibility than those with external LOC
Social support - Asch and Milgram
1) Asch put a dissenter (someone who always disagrees with majority) dissenter always answered correctly, conformity dropped from 32% to 5.5%
2) Milgram real participant placed with two actors who rescued to carry on with the shocks and left, obedience dropped from 68% to 10%
Factors which affect conformity
1) Group size - Asch used 1 actor instead of 6, conformity dropped to 3%
2) Unanimity - Asch used 5 actors in agreement and 1 who gave the correct answer, conformity decreased
3) Task difficulty - Asch made lines more similar so answer was less obvious, conformity increased as it was harder - informational
Explanations for why people obey
1) Agentic state - more likely to carry out orders if you can shift the blame onto someone else. Milgram says that obedience occurs when you move from working autonomously to working as an agent
2) Legitimacy of authority - obedience occurs when the person who is giving the order is seen as true authority
Support for legitimacy of authority
Variation of milgram - Bridgeport
First study carried out in a psychology department at Yale uni, repeated in Bridgeport and advertised as market research rather than a scientific enquiry
RESULTS - obedience dropped from 68% to 47%
Support for agentic state
Variation of Milgram
Gave orders down the phone rather than sat in room, obedience dropped from 68% to 20%
Research into conformity
1) Zimbardo
2) Asch
Issues from social influence research
Harm Deception Right to withdraw Consent Confidentiality
Studies using these
Explanation as to why we need this
2 explanations for conformity
1) normative social influence (to be liked) - Asch
2) informational social influence (to be right) - Jenness
Asch
1 participant, 6 actors all male undergrads
Actual participant at the end of the row and each participant asked in turn which line matched the one shown to them
- correct answer always obvious
In 12 of 18 trials the actors answered wrong
In the 12 critical trials there was a 32% conformity rate
Jenness
Guess how many beans in the jar, meet and discuss as a group, make group decision, make second prediction privately
- answers changed when meeting as a group, private answer moved closer to the group norm, not just changing to be liked but to be right
Males changed by 256 beans females by 382
