Paper 1 - Social Influence

Question 1

Explain the term conformity

Answer 1

Occurs when an individual changes their behaviours/beliefs in order to fit in with the majority

Question 2

What are the three types of conformity ?

Answer 2

Compliance
Identification
Internalisation

Question 3

What is compliance and is it a strong or weak form of conformity?

Answer 3

Compliance occurs when an individual publicly, but not privately, goes along with the behaviours/beliefs of the majority in order to gain approval from them.
Weak and temporary as only shown in the presence of the majority.

Question 4

What is identification and is it a permanent form of conformity?

Answer 4

Identification occurs when an individual publicly and privately accepts the behaviours/beliefs of the majority.
Temporary and not maintained when the individual leaves the group.

Question 5

What makes identification different from compliance?

Answer 5

The individual identifies with the majority and feels a strong sense of group membership

Question 6

What is internalisation and is it a strong or weak form of conformity?

Answer 6

Internalisation occurs when an individual publicly and privately accepts the behaviours/beliefs of the majority.
Strong and permanent as it persists even when the majority is no longer present.

Question 7

What was tested in Asch’s 1951 study?

Answer 7

Conformity

Question 8

Explain the procedure of Asch’s study into conformity ?

Answer 8

123 American male undergraduate students took part
They were tested in groups of seven but only one participant in each group = real participant, six participants were all confederates (colleagues) of Asch
Participants were shown a standard line and three comparison lines
Each participant had to state aloud, which of the comparison lines was the same length as the standard line
(The real participant always answered second to last)
There were 18 trials (six confederates were asked to give a unanimous incorrect answer on 12 of the 18 trials - critical trials)

Question 9

Explain the findings of Asch’s study into conformity ?

Answer 9

Participants conformed on 32% of the critical trials
74% of the participants conformed at least once
Only 26% of the participants never conformed

Question 10

Explain the conclusions of Asch’s study into conformity ?

Answer 10

Even in unambiguous situations, there may be a strong group pressure to conform, especially if the group is a unanimous majority.

Question 11

What variables did Asch investigate in his variations?

Answer 11

Asch (1955) investigated variables affecting conformity, including:
• Group size
• Unanimity
• Task difficulty

Question 12

How does group size affect conformity according to Asch?

Answer 12

Conformity increases with group size but only up to a point. It rises from 3% (1 confederate) to 32% (3 confederates), but further increases (up to 15 confederates) do not significantly affect conformity.

Question 13

What does Asch’s study suggest about the importance of group size in conformity?

Answer 13

Group size matters, but only up to a point—after three confederates, additional members have little impact.

Question 14

How does unanimity affect conformity?

Answer 14

Conformity drops significantly when there is a lone dissenting confederate, even if their answer is incorrect (9%) or correct (5.5%). Conformity relies heavily on unanimity.

Question 15

How does task difficulty influence conformity?

Answer 15

When the task is more difficult through the differences between the line lengths much smaller making the correct answer less obvious. Conformity increases, showing that people are more likely to conform when uncertain.

Question 16

What are social roles and do different roles have different expectations?

Answer 16

Social roles are the roles people play within society and different roles have different expectations

Question 17

What did Zimbardo et al. (1973) want to investigate regarding social roles?

Answer 17

Zimbardo et al. (1973) wanted to investigate why prison guards behave brutally. Seeing if they have sadistic personalities, or are conforming to their social role

Question 18

Explain Zimbardo et al. (1973) procedure in investigating social roles?

Answer 18

• 21 ‘emotionally stable’ male student volunteers = randomly assigned as either prison guards or prisoners.
• Prisoner uniform: smock (no underclothes), heavy ankle chain, stocking cap, rubber sandals, and an ID number (used instead of names).
• Guard uniform: khaki shirt and trousers, whistle, club, and reflective sunglasses.
• Prisoners = limited rights (e.g., three meals and three supervised toilet trips per day).
• Guards couldn’t use physical violence but otherwise free to do anything to maintain law and order
• Zimbardo = Prison Superintendent.
• 2 week study

Question 19

Explain Zimbardo et al. (1973) findings in investigating social roles?

Answer 19

• Guards quickly conformed
• Day 2: prisoners rebelled, barricading themselves in their cells. Guards used a fire extinguisher to regain control and put rebellion leaders in solitary confinement.
• From then on guards harassed prisoners, enforcing strict control:
  Frequent head counts, even at night.
  Forced degrading tasks (e.g., cleaning toilets with bare hands, push-ups, jumping jacks).
• Prisoners = subdued, depressed, and anxious.
• Three prisoners = released early due to psychological harm.
• One prisoner = hunger strike; guards attempted force-feeding and placed him in solitary confinement.
• Guards = increasingly brutal and aggressive over time.
  Zimbardo ended study after six days.

Question 20

Explain Zimbardo et al. (1973) conclusions in investigating social roles?

Answer 20

Social roles have a strong influence on behaviour, in the SPE, ‘normal’ people quickly conformed to the social roles of prison guard and prisoner. With the guards becoming increasingly brutal and the prisoners became increasingly submissive

Question 21

What is obedience?

Answer 21

Occurs when an individual acts in response to an order from an authority figure.

Question 22

Who conducted research into obedience in 1963?

Answer 22

Milgram

Question 23

What historical event was occurring at the time of Milgram’s study?

Answer 23

Adolf Eichmann, the Nazi responsible for managing the mass deportation of Jews to concentration camps during the Holocaust was standing trial for war crimes.

Question 24

Explain Milgram et al. (1963) procedure in investigating obedience?

Answer 24

• Recruited 40 male volunteers by using advertisements
• Upon arrival each participant was introduced to another researcher (in a lab coat) and another participant Mr Wallace—both who were actually confederates of Milgram
• A rigged draw always assigned the real participant as the “teacher” and Mr Wallace as the “learner”
• The teacher sat in a room with the experimenter whilst the learner sat in a separate room.
• The teacher sat in front of a shock generator that had 30 levers, each of which indicated the level of shock to be given.
• The shock generator was tested on the real participant to show him that it worked
• The learner had to learn pairs of words and when tested would indicate their choice of answer to the teacher using a system of lights
• The experimenter told the teacher to deliver an increasingly strong electric shock to the learner each time he got an answer wrong
• At 180V learner protested and said couldn’t bare the pain, 300V screamed and complained heart was troubling him, 315 V fell silent
• If teacher hesitated then use of verbal cues

Question 25

Explain Milgram et al. (1963) findings in investigating obedience?

Answer 25

-Before the experiment, Milgram psychiatrists predicted that nearly all the participants would refuse to obey the experimenter - BUT they found that 100% of participants went to 300V and 65% of participants continued to 450V

Question 26

Explain Milgram et al. (1963) conclusions in investigating obedience?

Answer 26

Findings demonstrate that ordinary people are astonishingly obedient, even when asked to behave in an inhumane manner. It is not evil people who commit atrocities, but ordinary people who are obeying orders

Question 27

What was the purpose of Milgram’s variations on his original procedure?

Answer 27

To investigate situational variables affecting obedience.

Question 28

What situational variables did Milgram investigate in his variations?

Answer 28

Proximity, location, and uniform.

Question 29

How did Milgram vary promxity regarding the victim and what happened to the obedience rate?

Answer 29

Teacher and learner were in the same room however couldn’t touch each other; obedience rate fell to 40%.

Question 30

How did Milgram vary promxity regarding touch and what happened to the obedience rate?

Answer 30

Experimenter gave instructions by telephone; obedience rate fell to 20.5%.

Question 31

How does proximity to the victim and authority figure affect obedience?

Answer 31

Decreased proximity to victim increases obedience by allowing psychological distance from consequences. Decreased proximity to authority figure decreases obedience as the individual returns to a more autonomous state

Question 32

What happened in Milgram’s location variation and where did he conduct this variation ?

Answer 32

Conducted in a run-down office block in Bridgeport, Connecticut; obedience rate fell to 47.5%.

Question 33

What did Milgram conclude about location?

Answer 33

Location is an important situational variable as it affects the perceived legitimacy of an authority figure.

Question 34

What did the uniform variation involve and what was the result?

Answer 34

Experimenter replaced by an ordinary person in civilian clothes as believed to have been called away by an inconvenient telephone call; obedience rate fell to 20%.

Question 35

What did Milgram conclude about uniform?

Answer 35

Uniform is an important situational variable as it affects the perceived legitimacy of an authority figure.

Question 36

What is the agentic state according to Milgram?

Answer 36

Milgram suggested that when an individual receives an order from an authority figure, they shift from an autonomous state to an agentic state = agentic shift

Question 37

What characterizes an autonomous state?

Answer 37

When in an autonomous state, individuals see themselves as being personally responsible for their own actions.

Question 38

What characterizes an agentic state and who do individuals attribute responsibility to?

Answer 38

When in an agentic state, individuals do not see themselves as being personally responsible for their own actions. They attribute responsibility to the authority figure that gave them the order.

Question 39

How do individuals see themselves in the agentic state and do they accept all orders?

Answer 39

They see themselves as an agent for carrying out the authority figure’s wishes. Accepting all orders no matter how inhumane they may be.

Question 40

Under what condition will an individual shift to the agentic state, according to Milgram?

Answer 40

Milgram believed that an individual will only shift from an autonomous state to an agentic state if they perceive the authority figure to be legitimate.

Question 41

What power do legitimate authority figures often have?

Answer 41

Legitimate authority figures often have the power to punish.

Question 42

What determines the legitimacy of an authority figure and when do individuals shift regarding the influence of this factor?

Answer 42

The legitimacy of an authority figure is determined by their position in a social hierarchy, if above them in the social hierahy will shift to an agentic state

Question 43

When are we taught to accept the orders of legitimate authority figures?

Answer 43

We are taught to accept the orders of legitimate authority figures from childhood.

Question 44

What do dispositional explanations of obedience highlight, and what is one influential example?

Answer 44

Dispositional explanations of obedience highlight the importance of personality. One influential dispositional explanation of obedience is the authoritarian personality.

Question 45

How do individuals with an authoritarian personality behave regarding obedience?

Answer 45

Individuals who have an authoritarian personality are especially susceptible to obedience.

Question 46

What is characteristic of those with an authoritarian personality in terms of social hierarchy?

Answer 46

They are very conscious of their own position on a social hierarchy and the position of others.

Question 47

How do individuals with an authoritarian personality view those above and below them in status?

Answer 47

They have an extreme respect for those of a higher social status and are submissive to them, but show contempt for those of a lower social status and expect them to be submissive

Question 48

What type of attitudes do authoritarian personalities tend to have?

Answer 48

They tend to have very conservative attitudes towards race, sex and gender

Question 49

Who developed the F scale, when was it developed, what was its purpose and give examples of statements from the F scale?

Answer 49

Adorno et al. (1950) developed the F scale to measure the different components that make up the authoritarian personality. “Obedience and respect for authority are the most important virtues that children should learn” and “Rules are there for people to follow, not change.”

Question 50

What does agreeing with F scale statements indicate?

Answer 50

Agreeing with statements such as these is indicative of an authoritarian personality

Question 51

What did Adorno et al. seek to identify about the authoritarian personality and what did they conclude?

Answer 51

Adorno et al. (1950) also sought to identify the origins of the authoritarian personality and concluded that it develops in childhood as a result of harsh parenting.

Question 52

What are features of harsh parenting that contribute to the authoritarian personality and what emotional response does it lead to?

Answer 52

Extremely strict discipline, including the use of physical punishment, impossibly high standards, and severe criticism of perceived failings. Adorno et al. argued that these experiences create resentment and hostility in the child.

Question 53

Why can’t children express resentment directly toward their parents and where are the child’s hostile feelings displaced ?

Answer 53

The child cannot express these feelings directly against their parents due to a well-founded fear of reprisal. The feelings are displaced onto others who are perceived to be weaker.

Question 54

How does displacement of hostile feelings in childhood contribute to prejudice in those with an authoritarian personality?

Answer 54

This explains their dislike, and even hatred, for individuals they consider to be socially inferior to them

Question 55

What does the authoritarian parenting style emphasise and teach?

Answer 55

This parenting style also strongly emphasises obedience and teaches the child to obey authority figures without question