Module 1- Social Influence Resistance

Question 1

Examples of when people conformed /obeyed

Answer 1

• Milgram (1963)- 65% obeyed

- Asch (1951) -75% conformed at least once

Question 2

Examples of when people disobeyed / non- conformity

Answer 2

Milgram (1963)- 35% refused to obey

Asch (1951) - 25% did not conform

Question 3

Give one situational explanation of resistance to social influence

Answer 3

Social Support

Question 4

What does the social support theory state

Answer 4

one person refuses to conform/obey = more likely other people will also resist social influence and refuse to conform/obey.

Question 5

Why are people less likely to conform if they have an ally who resists social influence?

Answer 5

• ally refusing to conform breaks unanimity of the group
• groups more influential if unanimous.
• unanimity is broken people think that there are other, equally legitimate, ways of thinking or responding.
• presence of an ally gives them am independent assessment of reality
• more confident in their decision and better able to stand up to the majority.

Question 6

Why are people more likely to defy an authority figure if a disobedient role model is refusing to obey?

Answer 6

-when a person rejects the instructions of an authority figure it challenges that authority figure’s legitimate authority.

Question 7

Evaluation of social support theory

Answer 7

+ Milgram (1974) -
65% shocked to 450V
10% shocked to 450V when another confederate who acted as disobedient role model
+ Asch (1951)
33% conformity rate (1% mistake chance)
5% conformity rate when one confederate acted as an ally to participant and gave right answer
- in both studies, some participants resisted social influence with no social support -> other factors such as dispositional factors play part in resistance to social influence

Question 8

Give one dispositional explanations of resistance to social influence

Answer 8

Locus of control,

Question 9

Key psychologist involved with locus of control and year

Answer 9

Rotter (1966)

Question 10

What is a dispositional explanation

Answer 10

person’s personality determines whether they will conform/obey or resist social influence

Question 11

What is a persons locus of control

Answer 11

extent to which they believe they have control over their own behaviour

Question 12

How is locus of control measured?

Answer 12

measured on a dimension from internal to external

Question 13

What is an internal locus of control

Answer 13

• believe that what occurs in their life is the result of their own behaviour and actions.
• They can therefore alter what happens to them.

Question 14

What is an external locus of control

Answer 14

• believe that what happens in their lives is outside of their control.
• They think what occurs in their lives is determined by chance or other people so they have no ability to alter it.

Question 15

Why are people with a high internal locus of control LESS likely to conform/obey

Answer 15

1. more likely to be leaders than followers.
2. less concerned with social approval.
3. more self-confident.
4. Believe they control their own circumstances.

Question 16

Evaluation of locus of control

Answer 16

+ Oliner and Oliner (1988)
-Interviewed 406 German people who sheltered Jews from Nazis during 1930s-40s .
-German people had internal locus of control, which allowed them to disobey the Nazis.
+ Milgram (1974)
65% obeyed to 450V - questionnaire, most external
35% disobeyed- internal
- Williams and Warchal (1981)- conformers were less assertive than non-conformers BUT two groups did not score differently on locus of control test.
- Suggests assertiveness = more important than locus of control in determining if a person conforms/obey.

Question 17

What is minority influence

Answer 17

Minority influence occurs when very persuasive small groups, or individuals, change the way the majority behaves and thinks.

Question 18

Who is the key psychologist to do with minority influence?

Answer 18

Moscovici (1985)

Question 19

What is conversion?

Answer 19

when individuals change their private beliefs and views because of minority influence.

Question 20

When are minority groups most likely to be convincing?

Answer 20

• committed
• consistent
• flexible

Question 21

How is commitment shown

Answer 21

members of the minority demonstrate dedication to belief (making sacrifices- augmentation principle, taking risks or being inconvenienced) shows that the minority is not acting out of self-interest.

Question 22

When does consistency occur?

Answer 22

occurs when minority repeatedly gives same message over time.
-makes a majority reassess their belief and consider issue more carefully.

Question 23

What is flexibility

Answer 23

Flexibility/ non-dogmatic = minority willing to listen to other viewpoints.
majority = take their argument more seriously.

Question 24

What is the snowball effect

Answer 24

Minority influence = small effect , spreads as more are converted to the minority viewpoint.
Tipping point where minority becomes majority

Question 25

What is social crypto- amnesia

Answer 25

• minority influence= slow process, sometimes unconscious.

- Sometimes the individual is not even aware of where the new idea originated from,

Question 26

Moscovicis study in 1969

Answer 26

+ Moscovici (1969):

• 172 female participants told taking part in a colour perception task.
• naïve participants, groups of 6, 36 slides of varying shades of blue.
• 2/6 participants = confederates.
• The participants had to state out loud the colour of each slide.
• consistent condition= green 36 trials. (Swayed by minority 8.2% of time)
• inconsistent condition= green 24 trials, blue 12 trails. ( swayed by minority 1.25% of time)
• consistent minority= more effective than inconsistent minority.

Question 27

Evaluation of minority influence /Moscovicis study

Answer 27

• sample gender biased against male: cannot generalise results to males (research suggests women more likely to conform, so further research needed)
• sample culturally biased, all from America: cannot generalise findings to other cultures
• lack of ecological validity: lab experiment with strangers
  -deception, lack of informed consent : told taking part in colour perception test- lack of informed consent too.
  Deception necessary to prevent demand characteristics and increase validity

Question 28

Define social change

Answer 28

change that occurs in a society and not at an individual level e.g. gay rights, womens votes

Question 29

When does social change occur

Answer 29

when the minority view challenges the majority view and is eventually accepted by the majority

Question 30

How do minority bring about social change

Answer 30

Committed, consistent, flexible

Question 31

What happens after majority has accepted minority viewpoint?

Answer 31

People may conform due to normative social influence (compliance) and/or informational social influence (internalisation)

Question 32

How do governments /lawmakers bring about social change

Answer 32

Through process of obedience : changing law, means people are more accepting of viewpoint - change in law makes behaviour a social norm which others adopt

Question 33

How do dictators bring about social change?

Answer 33

Through obedience: people obeying due to fear of punishment / consequences of disobeying