Section 1: Social Influence Flashcards

Question

What’s the second explanation of resistance to social influence (LOC)

Answer 1

Locus of control is a concept concerned with internal bs external control - some are internals, believing things happening to them Are largely controlled by themselves (responisible) Eg, doing well in a test is bc you worked hard and vice versa - - externals believe things happen outside their control (outside forces) Eg. Doing good in tests was bc they used a good textbook/lucky and vice versa Ppl differ in ways they explain successes and failures. There’s a continuum (scale) with high internal and high external at each end with low internal and external in between —> ppl fall anywhere on the continuum .. Internals likely to resist to conform or obey. - if a person takes responsibility for their actions and experiences They’re more likely to base decisions on own beliefs (thus resist pressures) - also internals are seemed to be more self confident, More intelligent, achievement oriented, less need for social approval Suggesting more resistance to social influence

Answer 2

+ research support A study repeated milgram’s baseline study (Holland) And measured whether ppts were internals/externals - 37% of internals didn’t continue to 450v - 23% of externals didn’t continue So internals showed greater resistance , supporting . — contradictory research Another study analysed data from American obedience studies Over a 40 year period (twenge et al) - ppl have become more resistant to obedience, but more external contradicting with Rotter’s LOC theory As we’ expect more internals if more resistance . — LOC may be exaggerated - Rotter who made theory said only relevant in new sits. Little influence in familiar, where prev. Experiences = more important This suggests LOC explains limited range of sits. Where ppl might resist SI

Answer 3

It’s where minority try converting majority to adopt A consistent and committed approach/behaviour/opinion - other ppl try to thoroughly examine message itself - wondering why they hold this position Conversion to minority position leads to deeper and longer lasting as ppl internalise this pov Minorities must adopt a particular behaviour Of being consistent, committed and flexible in arguments To persuade.

Answer 4

• consistency When ppl first expose to minority with diff pov It’s assumed they’re wrong. - - if minority have consistent approach, situation is reassessed - and opinion/behaviour’s considered more carefully Must be a reason why minority takes position And is confident enough to maintain over time .. • commitment difficult to dismiss minority if it adapts consistent commitment to its pov - - it suggests certainty, confidence and courage In face of hostile majority - minority has a greater cost than majority, Showing greater degree of commitment - hence showing it’s the right way Eg, suffragettes were committed in going against majority By burning buildings, not eating, striking .. • flexibility As minorities are typically powerless to majority, they Must negotiate their position, not enforcing it - - mugny says rigid minority refusing to compromise Shows minority as narrow minded and refusing to consider other opinions - but too flexible and prepared to compromise Risks being seen as inconsistent and not committed —> but some flexibility is better than none

Answer 5

the aim was to study whether consistency in minorities was more influential than having less consistency. method - the sample was undergraduate women, who were checked for colourblindness beforehand. - they were split into 3 groups; 6 in each group (control, inconsistent (2 cfds) and consistent (2 cfds)) - - all groups were shown many slides, all diff shades of blue, and were asked to judged colour. - for consistent, two cfds called blue slides green on all 36 trials. - for inconsistent, they said green for 2/3 of the trials.

Answer 6

in the control,the slides were called blue all throughout, showing the task is unambiguous. - for the inconsistent minority, 1.25% of the time, people conformed saying green - for the consistent condition, 8.42% of responses were green. in conclusion... evidence is provide that a minority can influence a majority AND consistency is a supported method to influence; a consistent minority is more influential than not.

Answer 7

+ research support (flexibility) - Nemeth studied flexibility in a simulated jury sit. where members discussed the amt of compensation in an accident -- when a cfd said to give a low compensation, and refused to change position, this had no effect on other group members -- a cfd who initially said a low compensation, but showed some degrees to shift did exert more influence (flexibility) .. --- it's hard for minority to achieve consistency and flexibility (this is said to must be achieved in order to influence successfully) -- very consistent shows that theyre inflexible and wont negotiate pov -- very flexible shows they arent consistent in their views, showing less commitment overall too. .. --- do we rlly process the minority's message more? -- a psychologist said that views of minority dont lead to greater processing -- but the majority who are more likely to create greater message processing -- we tend to belive majority has similar pov to ours -> if majority considers a diff one, we must also consider carefully -> the majority try to influence fewer ppl at a time, eventually becoming the majority

Answer 8

-- The sample - a limitation is that there's only undergraduate women in the sample. - no men or women outside university can be measured, so cant be generalised for everyone - HOWEVER men tend to be colourblind , so is a benefit that women are used >> control and high internal validity - it measures what it claims to. .. + independent measures design - this is good as no order effects can take place, as participate in one condition each. -so practice effects and fatigue effects cannot take place, reducing the validity of results - BUT there are ppt variables, meaning that the results in one condition may differ from the other - due to the ppts having different personalities, so cant be generalised as the results dont measure what they claim (lacking internal v) .. -- lacks mundane realism The task of colour recognition doesnt represent real life - this is bad because it cant be generalised - in support of this, real life is more complex ( more factors affecting minority influence) >> if minority is more powerful, influence is easier >> increases in power and size due to snowball effect (lacks internal too)

Answer 9

It occurs when whole societies adopt new beliefs, attitudes and ways of doing things Social influence process invlove conformity and obedience and minority influence Be prepared to apply concepts to an example provided , or own example -- Minority influence - consistency - commitment - flexibility A combo of these factors may lead to deeper processing of the issue > this means many more ppl who just accepted status quo begin to think more of its unjustness >> spreads more widely as more and more think of issues being promoted Becoming bigger and bigger

Answer 10

Conformity If the snowball effect is powerful enogh the minority may become new majority - NSI - ISI Oebedience - legitimate authority (perceived as higher class = obey) -- social change can be explained through these processes , and a combo of all these If social change occurs there may be a point where they experience social cryptomnesia (having a memory change occured but dont know how it happened)

Answer 11

•Being perceived as 'deviant' limits the influence of minorities The potential for minorities to influence social change is limited; they are seen as 'deviant' in the eyes of the majority. - majority may avoid aligning themselves with the minority pov - do not want to be seen as deviant themselves. - The message of minority =little impact (the focus of attention is source) rather than the message itself. - minorities face the double challenge of (avoiding seen as deviants and directly embracing position. . •Social change through minority influence may be very gradual - strong tendency for human beings to conform to the majority position, groups= likely to maintain status quo instead. - The influence of a minority, so latent /concealed than direct (i.e. creates the potential for change) . • Role of deeper processing - a psychologist disagrees with view that minority influence causes deeper processing of a message - instead its the majority influence that creates deeper processing if you do not share their views. - When we find that a majority believes something different, we are forced to think long about it and why.

Section 1: Social Influence Flashcards

(35 cards)