Retrieval practice questions

Question 1

What were the results of Asch’s original study?

Answer 1

75% of participants conformed at least once and there was an overall conformity rate of 37%.

Question 2

Why was Asch’s sample criticised?

Answer 2

It was white, American, middle class men

Question 3

What did the participants in Asch’s study think the aim of the experiment was?

Answer 3

To look at visual perception

Question 4

How many participants were tested in Asch’s study at a time?

Answer 4

1

Question 5

In Asch’s variations, did conformity increase or decrease with an ally?

Answer 5

Decrease

Question 6

What social phenomena was Asch interested in?

Answer 6

Conformity

Question 7

Which was the theory that Deutsch and Gerrard proposed to explain conformity?

Answer 7

Two process model with ISI and NSI

Question 8

If a person is conforming because they think the others in the room are more intelligent than them, which explanation is it?

Answer 8

Informational Social Influence

Question 9

Summarise Lucas et al’s study into explanations for conformity

Answer 9

They looked at task difficulty and found the harder the maths problem, the more participants conformed, showing ISI.

Question 10

Asch’s private response variation supported which explanation of conformity?

Answer 10

NSI

Question 11

Name the key term for a deep type of conformity where we take on the majority view because we accept it as correct

Answer 11

Internalisation

Question 12

Which type of conformity is the most superficial?

Answer 12

Compliance

Question 13

Were the results of Zimbardo’s prison experiment qualitative or quantitative?

Answer 13

Qualitative

Question 14

How long should Zimbardo’s experiment have lasted and how long did it last?

Answer 14

2 weeks but it lasted 6 days

Question 15

Name three (groups of people) who conformed to their social roles in Zimbardo’s experiment

Answer 15

Prisoners, prison guards, superintendent (Zimbardo)

Question 16

How were the prisoners and guards divided in Zimbardo’s experiment?

Answer 16

They were randomly assigned roles

Question 17

How were the prisoners dehumanised in the SPE?

Answer 17

Their belongings were taken away and they were referred to as numbers

Question 18

What was the aim of Zimbardo’s prison experiment?

Answer 18

To look at how we conform to social roles and why there is police brutality in American prisons

Question 19

What were the conclusions of Milgram’s shock experiment?

Answer 19

That we obey authority figures instructions

Question 20

Give two ethical concerns of Milgram’s shock experiment

Answer 20

Participants were deceived as they believed they were giving real shocks and they may suffer psychological harm as they believed they were hurting someone.

Question 21

What percentage of people went to 300V and 450V in Milgram’s study?

Answer 21

100% continued to 300v and 65% went to 450v.

Question 22

What was the aim of Milgram’s experiment?

Answer 22

To look at obedience to authority figures and to find out why so many people obeyed Hitler’s orders during WW1.

Question 23

What was the job of the ‘experimenter’ in Milgram’s shock experiment?

Answer 23

To say phrases encouraging the participant to continue administering shocks

Question 24

What were participants asked to do in Milgram’s experiment?

Answer 24

They were asked to teach a ‘student’ words and when they couldn’t remember them, to give increasingly severe electric shocks.

Question 25

Identify three situational variables that may affect obedience

Answer 25

Location, proximity, uniform

Question 26

What is the possible ethical implication from Milgram's study and variations?

Answer 26

It gives an alibi for war crimes as they can say they were acting under an authority figure.

Question 27

Which of Milgram's studies gave the highest obedience rate?

Answer 27

His original study

Question 28

What type of experiment was Bickman's experiment?

Answer 28

Field experiment

Question 29

What did Bickman's experiment show?

Answer 29

The effects of uniform on obedience

Question 30

Define 'demand characteristics' with reference to Milgram's study and variations

Answer 30

When participants guess the aim and so their behaviour reflects what they think the experimenter wants them to do. For example, giving the maximum shock voltage.

Question 31

Give an example in history that shows how social-psychological factors can lead to high levels of obedience

Answer 31

Hitler instructed Nazis to kill Jews and other ethnic minorities.

Question 32

Milgram argued that people could be in two states when it comes to personal responsibility. Name these two states

Answer 32

Autonomous and agentic state

Question 33

Give an example of a binding factor that might have been seen in Milgram's experiment

Answer 33

Gradual commitment

Question 34

How does Blass and Schmitt's study support psycho-social variables of obedience?

Answer 34

They showed Milgram’s experiment to students and they said the participants were not responsible for their actions but instead the experimenter was.

Question 35

Which explanation of obedience tells us why a student would obey the headmaster in the playground, but not obey a sixth former?

Answer 35

Legitimacy of authority

Question 36

How did Adorno suggest people develop an authoritarian personality?

Answer 36

From childhood and strict parenting

Question 37

What did Adorno find through his questionnaire?

Answer 37

People who scored highly on the f-scale were more obedient in Milgram’s experiment.

Question 38

How have people criticised the questions of the F-scale questionnaire?

Answer 38

There are methodological issues as the same box can be ticked and it is also politically biased.

Question 39

What was the aim of Adorno's work?

Answer 39

To see why there was anti-semitism in the Holocaust and to look at personality vs obedience.

Question 40

Name three characteristics of the authoritarian personality

Answer 40

Respectful to authority, obedient, contempt for people of lower social status.

Question 41

What was the procedure of Adorno's study?

Answer 41

They used the F-scale to measure the authoritarian personality.

Question 42

Define social support

Answer 42

When there is someone else who doesn’t conform, providing a model for participants.

Question 43

Give contradictory evidence for the link between LOC and resistance to obedience

Answer 43

Twenge et al found that in America, people have become more external and also less obedient.

Question 44

Define resistance to social influence

Answer 44

Not being influenced by others

Question 45

Give supporting evidence for the link between LOC and resistance to obedience

Answer 45

Holland repeated Milgram’s study and measured whether participants were internals or externals. He found 37% of internals didn’t continue to the highest shock whereas only 23% of externals didn’t.

Question 46

Give one example of research support for social support as an explanation for resistance to social influence

Answer 46

In Asch’s experiment, when there was a non-conforming dissenter, conformity dropped.

Question 47

Who is more likely to resist social influence - someone with an internal locus of control or someone with an external locus of control?

Answer 47

Externals

Question 48

How did Moscovici investigate minority influence?

Answer 48

He showed participants blue slides and there were confederates saying they were green. With the consistent minority, 8.2% copied the minority whereas in the inconsistent minority only 1.25% conformed.

Question 49

What is the difference between minority influence and conformity?

Answer 49

Conformity is complying to what other people are doing whereas minority influence is when a small number of people change the views of a majority.

Question 50

Give an example of real-life minority influence in history

Answer 50

Views changing on gay relationships

Question 51

Define the snowball effect

Answer 51

When a minority view becomes the majority and more and more people change their opinions.

Question 52

What did Moscovici's study show?

Answer 52

That a consistent minority is more effective than an inconsistent minority.

Question 53

Name three key factors of minority influence

Answer 53

Consistency, commitment, flexibility

Question 54

Explain one barrier to social change

Answer 54

Bashir found people were likely to resist social change as they didn’t want to be seen as stereotypes.

Question 55

Give research that supports the role of NSI in social change

Answer 55

Nolan hung messages saying residents were reducing their energy usage and found significant reductions due to NSI.

Question 56

Define social cryptoamnesia

Answer 56

When views change and we forget how change occured.

Question 57

Define social change

Answer 57

When societies beliefs change

Question 58

What can campaigners learn from the augmentation principle?

Answer 58

Showing extreme commitment is more effective in causing social change.