Social Influence Flashcards
(339 cards)
1
Q
social influence
What is social influence
A
Process by which individuals and groups change each others attitudes and behaviours
2
Q
social influence
What are the three elements
A
Conformity obedience and minority influence
3
Q
Conformity
What is conformity
A
Change in persons behaviour or opinions as a result of real or imagined pressure from Person or group of people
4
Q
Conformity
What are the types of conformity
A
Internalisation
Identification
Compliance
5
Q
Conformity
What is internalisation
A
A deep type if conformity where public and private change in opinion or behaviour
Take on view and accept it as correct
6
Q
Conformity
What does internalisation lead to
A
Far reaching and permanent change in behaviour even when group is absent
7
Q
Conformity
What is identification
A
Moderate type of conformity where we act in the same way with the group because we value it but don’t necessarily agree with everything the majority believes and may publicly change out opinion or behaviour but not pulically agree with everything the group. Stands for
8
Q
Conformity
What is compliance
A
Superficial and temporary type of conformity where we outwardly go along with the majority view but privately disagree with it
9
Q
Conformity
How long does compliance change in behaviour last
A
Only as long as the group is monitoring us and pressure is felt
10
Q
Conformity
What are the two explanations for conformity
A
Informational social influence
Normative social influence
11
Q
Conformity
What is informational social influence short
A
Need to be right
12
Q
Conformity
What is normative social influence short
A
Need to be liked
13
Q
Conformity
What is informational social influence long
A
When we are uncertain about something or in new ambiguous or unfamiliar situations we look to the behaviour and opinions of others to shape our thoughts and behaviour
14
Q
Conformity
Why does informational social influence happen
A
We believe it is a correct and want it to be correct so we are correct leading to internalisation
15
Q
Conformity
What is normative social influence
A
Agree with opinion of majority because we want to be accepted gain social approval and be liked
16
Q
Conformity
When does normative social influence occur
A
In situations with stranger where you may feel concerned about rejection or may also occur with people you know as we’re concerned about social approval which can lead to compliance
17
Q
Conformity
What type of process is informational social influence
A
Cognitive
18
Q
Conformity
What type of process in normative social influence
A
Emotional
19
Q
Conformity ao3
2 strengths
A
Research support for NSI
Research support for ISI
20
Q
Conformity ao3
What research support NSI
A
Asch
21
Q
Conformity ao3
What did Asch find
A
Many of his participants went along with a clearly wrong answer just because other people did
22
Q
Conformity ao3
When asked what did Asch participants say why they went with the wron answer
A
Some said they felt self conscious going against the majority’s answers and were afraid of disapproval
23
Q
Conformity ao3
What happened when Asch repeated his study but allied participants to write down most red of saying their answers
A
Conformity rates fell down
24
Q
Conformity ao3
How does Asch show NSI
A
The participants are showing the need to be liked by agreesing with others and gaining social approval
25
Conformity ao3
What research is there for ISI
Lucas et al
26
Conformity ao3
What did Lucas et al do
Asked students to give answers to maths problems that were easier or harder
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Conformity ao3
Results for Lucas et al
Greater conformity to incorrect answers when asked more difficult rather than easier ones also true for students who rated their maths ability poor
28
Conformity ao3
How does Lucas et al support ISI
This is what isi would predict to loom to other people and assume they know better and must be right
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Conformity ao3
2 weaknesses
Individual differences
ISI and NSI work together
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Conformity ao3
What are individual differences in NSI
Some research shows that NSI does not effect everyone’s behaviour in the same way
E.g. people who are less concerned with being liked are less affected by NSI than those who care more about being liked
nAffiliators are people who have a greater need for ‘affiliation’ (a need for being in a relationship with others)
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Conformity ao3
Why are individual differences a weakness )
Means that research is not applicable to everyone
32
Conformity ao3
What is the two process model and whats wrong about it
Suggest behaviour is either due to NSI or ISIhowever both processes are often involved
33
Conformity ao3
Both explanations in asch experiment
Showed that when one other person went against the majority this may reduce the power of NSI because the peropson provides social support which may recxue the power of NSI because the person provides social support which may reduce the power of ISI because there is an alternate source of information a
34
Conformity ao3
Why is this a weakness
This shows it isn’t always possible to be sure whether NSI or ISI is at work
This is the case in lab studies but even more so in real life
This casts serious doubt over the view ISI and NSI operate independently in conforming behaviour
35
Asch’s research
What did he research into
Majority influence
36
Asch’s research
What was the aim
To investigate the degree to which individuals would conform to a majority who gave obviously wrong answers
37
Asch’s research
What was the sample
123 American make students
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Asch’s research
What was the procedure
Participants told it was. Study of visual perception
Individual participants placed in groups with between seven and nine others, sat either in a line or around a table who were confederates
Task to say which comparison line a b or c was the same as a stimulus line on 18 trial
12 critical trials where confederates gave identical wrong answers and the real participants answered second to last
Also a control group
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Asch’s research
What did asch find
Participants conformed to the wrong answer on 32% of 12 critical trials
75% conformed to alteast one answer
25 % never conformed
5% conformed to all; 12 wrong answers
Control group only had error group of 0.04%
40
Asch’s research
What explanation for conformity does it show why
Normative social influence because the task was so easy so no one with better or worse
41
Asch’s research
Why did people conform
Wanted to avoid ridicule conformed public but not privately
Believed their perception was actually wrong so conformed (distortion of conception)
Had doubts concerning accuracy of judgement so conformed to majority
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Asch’s research
What was concluded
People influenced by group pressure even when the task has a clear cut answer (Asch effect)
Individual difference how much affected by majority
Most conformed publicly not privately
Suggested motivated by NSI
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Asch’s research
What is the positive
Study was replicable
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Asch’s research
What made the study replicable
Many aspects were standardised
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Asch’s research
What aspects were standardised
Number of confederates taking part
Same target lines being shown
46
Asch’s research
Why is repliocabilyt a strength
Can be repeated and many have replicated his work since to show reliability
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Asch’s research
3 weaknesses
Sample
Artificial tasks and situation
Ethics
48
Asch’s research
What was the sample
123 male American students
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Asch’s research
What was limited about study
All men and American
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Asch’s research
What might have been different in women
Might be more conformist
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Asch’s research
Why is all from America bad
It’s an individualistic culture if done in collectivist culture, may have found higher conformity rates as more oriented towards group needs
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Asch’s research
What is bad about the limited sample
Findings may only apply to American men and cannot be generalised to rest of world
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Asch’s research
Demand characteristic
May have gone along with the demands of the study as wanted to help the study
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Asch’s research
Why was it artificial task
Task of identifying lines was relatively trivial so there was no reason not to conform and may have been less if consequences were more important
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Asch’s research
Why was it artificial situation
Group didn’t resemble a group wed take part in everyday life
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Asch’s research
Why was artificiality a weakness
Results may not be generalisable to every day situations as doesn’t reflect situations where people might conform
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Asch’s research
What ethic was broken
Deception,, protection from harm
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Asch’s research
How was deceptions and informed consent broken
Real participants through the other participants were also genuine participant when they were confederates
Also believed study was about visual perception not conformity
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Asch’s research
How was protection from harm broken
Participants also may have felt distress or embarrassment when answering questions and disagreeing with other
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Asch’s research variation
Why did he carry variations of his original procedure
He was interested in conditions which might lead to an increase or decrease in conformity
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Asch’s research variation
What three variable did he test for affecting conformity
Group size
Unaminity
Task difficulty
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Asch’s research variation
How does group size affect comformity
Increases as size of majority increased until point where doesn’t
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Asch’s research variation
How did asch change a study for group size
Increased number of confederate from one confederate to 15
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Asch’s research variation
What did Asch find the group size would be to affect conformity
3
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Asch’s research variation
What did group size conclude
Small minority may not be sufficient to exert influence but no need for majority of more than three
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Asch’s research variation
What is unaminty
Extent to which all the members to a group agree
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Asch’s research variation
What was the unaminitu in the original study
Majority was unaminous when all confederates selected the same comparison line and produced the greatest degree of conformity
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Asch’s research variation
How did asch vary the study for unaminity
Introduced confederate who went against the other confederates
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Asch’s research variation
What was found when another confederate who went against the other was introduced
Conformity dropped from 32% to 5.5%
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Asch’s research variation
What does this suggest about unamintiy
Presence of a dissenter enable the real participant to behave independently suggesting the influence of majority depends to some extent on the group being unaminous
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Asch’s research variation
What is seen with talk difficukty increasing
Greater conformity rates so individuals look to others for guidance as to what the correct response is
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Asch’s research variation
How did asch study vary for task diffcukut
Made task more ambiguous by making the lines more similar in length
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Asch’s research variation
What does task difficulty suggest
ISI plays greater role when task becomes harder and more ambiguous as more likely to look to others assuming they’re right and we are wrong
74
Zimbardo prison experiment
What was he researching
Conformity to social roles
75
Zimbardo prison experiment
What was the aim
To investigate whether prison guards behave brutally because they have sadistic personalities or is it the situation that creates behaviour
76
Zimbardo prison experiment
What was the sample
Students who volunteered
77
Zimbardo prison experiment
What was the sample
Students who volunteered
78
Zimbardo prison experiment
What was the procedure
Participants who were considered emotionally stable abated psychological testing were randomly assigned to prisoner or guard
Prisoner arrested in their homes by local police
Prisoners strip searched deloused given uniform and number
Social roles of prisoners and guards strictly divided
Prisoners daily routine heavily regulated
Feuds enforced rules and only referred to prisoners as number
Guards had uniform with clubs, handcuffs keys and mirror shades
Told had complete power over prisoners eg deciding when they could use the toilet
79
Zimbardo prison experiment
Findings
Guard took role with enthusiasm ands their behaviour became a threat to the brisk owner psychologically and physiologically
Study stopped after 6 days instead of 14
Guards consistently harassed prisoners often waking them in middle of night for headcount
Prisoners became subdued depressed and anxious
On prisoner released when first shows symptoms of psychological disturbance
Two more were released on forth day
One went on hunger strike ans punished by put in whole
Guards brutal and aggressive some appearing to enjoy power
80
Zimbardo prison experiment
Conclusion
Power of the situation influenced people behaviour
Guards and conformed so social roles within prison and the expectation of what they should do
81
Strength
Control
82
Zimbardo prison experiment
What had good control
Selection of participants
83
Zimbardo prison experiment
How was selection of participants controlled
Emotionally stable indivials chosen and randomly assigned to prisoner or guard
84
Zimbardo prison experiment
What did controlling participant selection try to to do
Rule out individual differences as an explanation of the findings
85
Zimbardo prison experiment
Why is control a strength
More confident ion drawing conclusion and Means behaviour must have been down to pressures of situation
Increases internal validity
86
Zimbardo prison experiment
3 weaknesses
Lack of realism
Ethical issues
Application to real life
87
Zimbardo prison experiment
What was argue for lack of realism
Participants merely acting rather than genuinely conforming to a role as performances were based of stereotypes of how prisoners and guards are supposed to behave
88
Zimbardo prison experiment
Example for lack of realism
One guard claimed he based his roles off a brutal character from a film
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Zimbardo prison experiment what would lack of realism explain
Why prisoners ripped as they thought that’s what prisoners did
90
Zimbardo prison experiment
Counter to lack of realism
Situation was very real to the participants so high degree of internal validity
91
Zimbardo prison experiment
What ethical issue was broken
Right to withdraw
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Zimbardo prison experiment
Why is ethical issues arise
Because of zimbardos dual role in study
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Zimbardo prison experiment
Example of ethical issue broken
Student who wanted to leave study spoke to zimbardo as superintendent so zimbardo responded to him as him walking to be released and worried about running the prison
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Zimbardo prison experiment
Why was ethical issues a weakness
Zimbardo wasn’t acting as a researcher with responsibility towards participants so unethical
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Zimbardo prison experiment
Weakness of application to real lifer
Hoped research would lead to beneficial reforms in prison systems eg how treated
However zimbardo regards study as failure in sense prison conditions USA are even worse that when he performed the study
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Zimbardo prison experiment
Why is real life application a weakness
As cost benefit analysis us counter balanced
97
Milgram research
What was it research into
Obedience
98
Milgram research
What is obedience
Form of social influence where individual follows a direct order from figure of authority
99
Milgram research
Why did he originally do the study/ to answer what question
Why German population had followed orders of hitler and slaughtered over 10 million Jews gypsies and other social groups in the holocaust
100
Milgram research
What was the sample
40 male participants recruited through a newspaper to take part in memory study
101
Milgram research
What was the procedure
Rigged draw for role of learner or teacher
Confederate always be the learner and participant teacher
Experiment was another confederate dressed in a lab coat
Learner strapped in a chair and wired to electrodes
Teacher required to give learner an increasingly severe electric shock for every mistake on a word pair task
Real shock demonstrated to participant rest fake
Standardised answers and responses
Experimenter used series of standard verbal prods if asked for guidance
102
Milgram research
What were the quantitative results
Obedience measured as percentage of participants of shocks up to volt
100% went to 300V
62.5% went to 450V (full)
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Milgram research
What were the qualitative results
Many participants showed distress eg twitching sweating
Three participants had uncontrollable seizures
Some showed little signs of discomfort but were dutiful
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Milgram research
What was the conclusion
Germans are different hypothesis fake
People obey those they regard as authority figures
Normal behaviour for those in a hierarchaly organised study
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Milgram research
4 evaluation points
-low internal validity
-external validity from cultural bias
-ethics, psychological harm
-ethics, deceptions and informed consent
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Milgram research
Low internal validity
What could be argued
Participants behaved the way they did because they didn’t really believe this set up and guessed it wasn’t real
107
Milgram research
Low interval Validity ]
Why is this a weakness
Milgram wasn’t testing what he intended
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Milgram research
Low internal validity
Counter
75% participants in post study interviews said believed were real
Extreme physical responses suggest believed them to be real
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Milgram research
External validity cultural bias
What is the problem
Only used American male participants so results may not be generalisable to other cultures
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Milgram research
External validity cultural bias
What has research found
Varying levels of obedience in different cultures and may be cultural differences regarding authority
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Milgram research
External validity of cultural bias
What could had highest level of obedience
Spane
90%
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Milgram research
Ethic psychological harm
What is Milgram accused of
Exposing his participants to severe stress supported by extreme physical reactions such as seizures
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Milgram research
Ethic psychological harm
Counter
Only 2% had any regrets involved
Thorough debriefing where participants met unharmed learner
Year later none showed signs of long term damage
Therefore may be justified by cost Benefit analysis
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Milgram research
Ethic deception informed consent
Problem
Deceived participants so informed consent could not be given
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Milgram research
Ethic deception informed consent
Example
Said study was about memory
Only after volunteers had agreed to take part electric shocks were mentioned
Mr Wallace was an actors who never received electrci shocks
Researcher was a confederate
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Milgram research
Ethic deception informed consent
Counter
Milgram defended use of deception by debriefing
Deception was necessary if participant were to behave realistically
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Situational explanation of obedience
What do these factors form
External explanation of obedience using features of environment
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Situational explanation of obedience
How were these factors investigated
Variation of Milgram study after original
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Situational explanation of obedience
What are the three factors
Proximity
Location
Uniform
120
Situational explanation of obedience
How did proximity affect Milgram study
Teacher and learner in same room (40% obedience)
Teacher forces learners hand onto shock plate (30% obeicne )
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Situational explanation of obedience
How did location effect Milgram study
In a run down office block (47.5% obedience )
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Situational explanation of obedience
How did uniform effect Milgram study
Experimenter played by member of public (20% obedience )
123
Situational explanation of obedience
Proximity explained
Involves how aware individuals are of the consequences of their actions
If closer to where the consequences are more attached to them whereas less aware if further away
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Situational explanation of obedience
Location explained
Environment can be relevant to amount of perceived legtitmate authority a person giving orders is seen to have
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Situational explanation of obedience
Uniform explained
Wearing of uniform can give give perception of added legitimacy to authority figures
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Situational explanation of obedience
Strengths
Research support
Control of variables in variations
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Situational explanation of obedience
What reasrch support this
Bickman
128
Situational explanation of obedience
What did Bickman do
Conducted a field experiment in NYC
Three confederates were dressed in different outfits jacket and tie, milkman, security guard
Confederates stood in the street and asked passers by to perform tasks such as pick up litter
129
Situational explanation of obedience
Results from Bickman -
People twice as likely to obey the security guard that the man in a shirt and tie
130
Situational explanation of obedience
Why is this a strength
Support Milgram conclusion that uniform conveys authors of its wearer and produce obedience
131
Situational explanation of obedience
How was it controlled
Milgram systematically altered one variable at a time to see what effect it had on obedience levels
All other procedure and vairbvlaes were kept the same as the study replicated over and over with more than 1000 participants
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Situational explanation of obedience
Why is this a strength
Increases internal validity as we have more certainty what is affecting the DV
133
Situational explanation of obedience
2 weaknesses
Lack of internal validity
Social sensitivity
134
Situational explanation of obedience
Lack of internal validity
How
Participants knew the study was fake
And was more likely with extra manipulation
135
Situational explanation of obedience
Example
Variation where experimenter is played by member of public
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Situational explanation of obedience
Lack of internal valdity
Why is this a limitation
Even Milgram recognised that this situation is contrived some participants may have worked out the truth
Limitation as unclear whether results are due to obedience or demand characteristics
137
Situational explanation of obedience
Social sensitivity
Offers an excuse for evil behaviour
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Situational explanation of obedience
Social influence
Why is this bad
May be offensive to survivors of the holocaust to suggest nazis were simply obeying orders and were victims of situational factors beyond their control
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Socio-psychological factors for obedience
What is this
Influence of other on an individuals behaviour rather than external factors
Emphasis that cause of obedience lie in social hierarchies
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Socio-psychological factors for obedience
What are the two theories
Agency theory
Legitimacy of authority
141
Socio-psychological factors for obedience
What does the agency theory argue
We are socialised from an early age to learn that obedience to rules in necessary and keeps stability within society
In order to achieve this an individual has to give up some free will
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Socio-psychological factors for obedience
What is the agentic state
Individual obeys authority figures and gives up some free will so see themselves as an agent of the authority figure
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Socio-psychological factors for obedience
How is the authority figure seen in from agentic state
Responsible for the consequences of the individuals actions
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Socio-psychological factors for obedience
What is moral strain
May obey orders that go against their moral code as don’t see themselves responsibl e
Agent experiences high anxiety (moral strain ) as real side what they’re doing is wrong but feel powerless to disobey
145
Socio-psychological factors for obedience
What is autonomous state
Opposite of being agentic state
Person in this state is free to behave according to to their own principles and has control
Personally responsible for their actions
146
Socio-psychological factors for obedience
What is the agentic shift
Shift from autonomy to agency
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Socio-psychological factors for obedience
When did Milgram suggest the agentic shift occurs
When a person perceives someone else as a figure of authority they have greater powers because of their position in a social hierarchy
148
Socio-psychological factors for obedience
Strengths
Milgram research
149
Socio-psychological factors for obedience
What research from Milgram supports this
A remote authority variation of his procedure as the confederate wasn’t in the same room and gave orders over the phone
150
Socio-psychological factors for obedience
What did Milgram remote authority valuation find
Obedience dropped to 20.5%
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Socio-psychological factors for obedience
What did Milgram remote authority variation suggest
Participant were in an automonous state and saw themselves as responsible for their actions
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Socio-psychological factors for obedience
Weakness for agency theory
Limited explanation
153
Socio-psychological factors for obedience
Why is it limited
Doesn’t explain many research findings
154
Socio-psychological factors for obedience
What can’t agency explain
Why some of Milgram participants didn’t obey
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Socio-psychological factors for obedience
Why doesn’t agency explain why some Milgram didn’t obey
Humans are social animals involved in social hierarchies so should all obey
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Socio-psychological factors for obedience
Why doesn’t agency explain why some Milgram didn’t obey
Humans are social animals involved in social hierarchies so should all obey
157
Socio-psychological factors for obedience
Why is it being limited a weakness
Suggests an agentic shift can only account for some cases of obedience
158
Socio-psychological factors for obedience
What is the other sociopsychological factor
Legitimacy of authority
159
Socio-psychological factors for obedience
What is legitimacy of authority
Describes how credible the figure of authority is
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Socio-psychological factors for obedience
What is legitimacy of authority
Describes how credible the figure of authority is
161
Socio-psychological factors for obedience
How are we socialised
To recognise the authority of people and position in social hierarchy so recognise value of obediency
162
Socio-psychological factors for obedience
When are more likely to obey authority
When see someone as credible in terms of morally good or right and legitimate
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Socio-psychological factors for obedience
Where does legitimate authority come from
Having a defined social role which people respect often because it implies knowledge or comes with legal power
164
Socio-psychological factors for obedience
When is legitimacy increased
By visible symbols of authority
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Socio-psychological factors for obedience
How can legitimacy of authority be applied to Milgram
Saw scientist as being legitimate as knew he was a scientist and therefore more knowledgeable and responsible, he held the guest position within the social hierarchy of the experiment
166
Socio-psychological factors for obedience
What is the consequence of legitmcacy of authority
Destructive authority
Some people tale power for granted to punish others
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Socio-psychological factors for obedience
Strength of legitimacy
Bickeman
168
Socio-psychological factors for obedience
What did bickman find
People were more likely to p obey the person in a guards uniform because he seemed to be the most legitimate authority figure
169
Socio-psychological factors for obedience
Strength for legitimacy
Cultural differences
170
Socio-psychological factors for obedience
Why is this a strength
Useful account of cultural differences and many studies show differ in obedience in country’s
171
Socio-psychological factors for obedience
Mantell as study for cultural difference
found 85% obedience in German participants
This shows in some cultures, authority is more likely to be accepted as legitimate and entitled to demand obedience
This reflects how different societies are structured and how children are raised to perceive authority figures
This increases the validity of the explanation
172
Disposiitoonal explanation for obedience
What is the dispositional explanation for obedience
The authoritarian personality
173
Disposiitoonal explanation for obedience
What does dispositional explanation mean
Internal explanation where focus is on idea that certain personality characteristics are associated with higher levels of obedience
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Dispositional explanation for obedience
What did this form the basis for in regards to Milgram
Original research aim to investigate whether Germans had a different personality type to be more obedient to authority figures
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Dispositional explanation for obedience
Who was authoritarian personality first proposed by
Fromm
176
Dispositional explanation for obedience
What did authoritarian personality originally attempt to explain
Those holding right wing conservative views
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Dispositional explanation for obedience
What is authoritarian personality type characterised by
Belief in absolute obedience
Submission to authority
Domination of minorities
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Dispositional explanation for obedience
What did adorno believe and do because of this
Believed high level of obedience was a psychological disorder ans tried to locate the causes of it in the personality of the individual
Studied over 2000 middle class white Americans and their unconscious attitiudes towards other racial groups
179
Dispositional explanation for obedience
What did adorno believe and do because of this
Believed high level of obedience was a psychological disorder ans tried to locate the causes of it in the personality of the individual
Studied over 2000 middle class white Americans and their unconscious attitiudes towards other racial groups
180
Dispositional explanation for obedience
What scale did Adorno develop
F scale
181
Dispositional explanation for obedience
What is the f scale used for
Potential for fascism scale
Used to measure authoritarianism
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Dispositional explanation for obedience
List of authoritarian characteristics
Especially obedient to authority
Extreme respect for authority
Submissive to authority
Show contempt to those with inferior social status
Highly controversial attitudes towards sex, race and gender
View society as ‘going to the dogs’ – therefore believe we need strong and powerful leaders to enforce traditional values (love of country, religion, family)
Inflexible in their outlook – no ‘grey areas’
Everything is right or wrong
183
Dispositional explanation for obedience
What approach has been used to explain the origin of the authoritarian personality
Psychodynamic
184
Dispositional explanation for obedience
how does the psychodynamic approach explain origin of authoritarian personality
Formed in childhood
Result of harsh patently eg high standards, conditional love and strict discipline
These create resentment and hostility so child cannot express these feeling against parents so is displaced onto others perceived to be weaker
185
Dispositional explanation for obedience
1 strength
Correctional research support
186
Dispositional explanation for obedience
What is the research support
Elms and Milgram
187
Dispositional explanation for obedience
What did elms and Milgram find
That participants in Milgram study who were highly obedience were significantly more authoritarian on the fscale than disobedient ones
188
Dispositional explanation for obedience
Counter to elms and Milgram
Link is merely correlation l which makes it impossible to draw the conclusion that authoritarian personality causes obedience on the basis of this result and may be a third factor
189
Dispositional explanation for obedience
3 weaknesses
Limited explantion
Methodological problems
Political bias
190
Dispositional explanation for obedience
Why is it limited
Any explantion of obedience in terms of individual personality will find it hard to explain obedience in the majority of a country’s population
191
Dispositional explanation for obedience
Example of it being limited
Pre war Germany million of people displayed obedient racist and antisemitic behaviour but mist have differed in their personality as extremely unlikely all possessed an authoritarian personality
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Dispositional explanation for obedience
Alternative explantion
Social identity. Theory
193
Dispositional explanation for obedience
Example of methodological problems
Every one of items in f scale worded in same direction and is therefore possible to get a high score for authoritarianism by ticking same line of boxes ( acquiescence )
194
Dispositional explanation for obedience
Why is this bad
Authoritarianism therefore not being measured so not valid
195
Dispositional explanation for obedience
What about how Adorno interviewed was a problem
Interviewed participants about childhood experiences he already knew has authoritarian personalities from score which could have led to researcher bias
196
Dispositional explanation for obedience
What about how Adorno interviewed was a problem
Interviewed participants about childhood experiences he already knew has authoritarian personalities from score which could have led to researcher bias
197
Dispositional explanation for obedience
Why is this theory politically biased
Individuals seen as only existing on the conservative right wing viewpoints
198
Dispositional explanation for obedience
Why is political bias a limitations
Doesn’t take into account obedience to authority across the whole political spectrum
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Resistance to social influence
What is resistance to social influence
Refers to ability of people to withstand thre social pressure to conform to the majority or obey authority
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Resistance to social influence
What two factors is there
Social support
Locus of control
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Resistance to social influence social support
What can help others to resist pressure to conform or obey
Presence of others who resist the pressure to do thr same
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Resistance to social influence social support
What do the other people who can resist pressures act as
Models to show others that resistance to social influence is possible
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Resistance to social influence social support
What happens to the pressure to conform when there are other people present who are not conforming
Is reduced
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Resistance to social influence social support
What was shown in as his research about the person not conforming
Doesn’t have to be giving the right answer which shows simply the fact that someone else is not following the majority appear as to enable a person to be free to folow their own conscience
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Resistance to social influence social support
What does asch research show happens in non conforming person starts comforting again
The naive participant does as well, effect of dissent is not long lasting
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Resistance to social influence social support ao3 for resistance to conformity
What is the research support
Allen and Levine
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Resistance to social influence social support ao3 for resistance to conformity
What did Allen and Levine show evidence for
The role of dissenting peers in resisting conformity
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Resistance to social influence social support ao3 for resistance to conformity
What did Allen and Levine find
Conformity decreased when there was one dissenter in an asch type study and more importantly this occurred even if the dissenter wore thick glasses and said he had difficulty with his visions
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Resistance to social influence social support ao3 for resistance to conformity
Why is Allen and Levine a strength
Supports view that resistance is not motivated by following what someone else says but enables someone to be free of the pressure from the group
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Resistance to social influence social support
What happens to pressure to obey is another person is seen to disobey
Reduced
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Resistance to social influence social support
Why does the presence of another person disobeying make it easier to not obey
Make it easier for individuals to act independently and demonstrates that disobedience is actually possible and how to do it
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Resistance to social influence social support
Does the participant always follow the disobedient persons behaviour
No but the other persons disobedience acts as a model for the participant to copy and frees him to act from his own conscience
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Resistance to social influence social support ao3 for resistance to obedience
What is the research suppport
Milgram
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Resistance to social influence social support ao3 for resistance to obedience
What did it find
That when two confederates paired with the real participant left the study early on declaring they would go no futher only 10% gave shocks up to 450v
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Resistance to social influence social support ao3 for resistance to obedience
How does Milgram a stdudy support this
Suggest creating the group norm of disobedience put the participants under pressure to conform to the confederates behaviour
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Resistance to social influence locus of control
What was it identified as
Personality dimension by rotter
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Resistance to social influence locus of control
What does locus of control refer to
The sense we each have about what directs Events in our lives
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Resistance to social influence locus of control
What are the two types
Internals
Externals
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Resistance to social influence locus of control
What do internals believe
They are mostly responsible for what happens to them (internal locus of control )
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Resistance to social influence locus of control
What do externals believe
Things happen without their own control and is mainly a matter of luck or other outside forces (ext3rnal locus of control)
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Resistance to social influence locus of control are you either internal or external :LOC
No there is a continuum with high internal LOC at one end and highexternal LOC at other
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Resistance to social influence locus of control
What did rotter believe that having an internal LOC mesas for resistance
Makes individuals more resistant to social pressures to conform or obey
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Resistance to social influence locus of control
Why dos rotter believe having internal loc make individuals more likely to resist
Those seeing themselves as inc control are more likely to perceive themselves as having freee choice to conform or obey and are more likely to boast decision on their own beliefs and resist pressures
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Resistance to social influence locus of control
What personality traits do people with high internal LOC tend to have to lead to greater resistance to social influence
Self confidence more achievement oriented higher intelligence and have less need for social approval
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Resistance to social influence locus of control ao3
What is research support for loc and obedience
Holland
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Resistance to social influence locus of control ao3
What did Holland do
Reappeared Milgram baseline study and measured whether participants were internals or externals
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Resistance to social influence locus of control ao3
What did Holland find
37% of internals did not continue to 450v showing some resistance but only 23% of externals did not continue
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Resistance to social influence locus of control ao3 What did Holland show
Internals showed greater resistance to authority
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Resistance to social influence locus of control ao3
How did Holland support this
Increases validity of the loc explantion and our confidence that it can explain resistance
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Resistance to social influence locus of control ao3
What is research support for loc and conformity
Moghaddam
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Resistance to social influence locus of control ao3
What did moghaddam find
That Japanese people conform more easily than Americans and have more of an external loc
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Resistance to social influence locus of control ao3
What does moghaddam suggest
Difference in resistance to social influence across cultures can be explained by differences in loc
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Resistance to social influence locus of control ao3
Weakness
Limited role
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Resistance to social influence locus of control ao3
Why may role of loc in resistance to si may be limited
May have been somewhat over exaggerated as only comes into play in novel situations and have very little influence in familiar situations
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Resistance to social influence locus of control ao3
What happens in familiar situations
Our previous experiences are more important
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Resistance to social influence locus of control ao3
What does this mean
People who have conformed o obeyed in specific sitautation in the past are more likely to do so again even if they have a high internal loc
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Minority influence
What is minority influence
Form of social influence in which a Minority of people persuade others to adopt their beliefs attitudes or behaviours
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Minority influence
What does minority influence lead to
Internalisation or conversion where majorities become gradually won over to a minority view point in which private attitudes are changed as well as public behaviours
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Minority influence
How does conversion through minority influence generally occur
Through informational social influence
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Minority influence
How long does minority influence take
Longer to achieve than compliance where conformity is instantaneous and unthinking as time needed to reexamine beliefs or behaviours in light of new information
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Minority influence
What three things are key in monorty influence
Consistency
Commitment
Flexibility
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Minority influence
When is minority influence most effective for consistency
When minority keeps the same beliefs
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Minority influence
What is diachronic consistency
Minority keep same beliefs over time
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Minority influence]
What is synchronic consistency
Minority keep same beliefs between all individuals which form the minority
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Minority influence
Why does consistency increase Minority influence
Draws attention to the minority view and makes other people start to rethink their own views
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Minority influence
When is Minority influence more powerful for commitment
If minority demonstrates dedication to their position eg making personal sacrifices
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Minority influence
What do minorities sometimes do for commitment
Engage in quite extreme activity’s showing commitment to the cause
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Minority influence
What makes commitment effective for minority influence
Draws attention to views and makes majority pay more attentions and shows minority is not acting out of self interest
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Minority influence
What happens if relentless consistent is shown by Minority influence
Could be counter productive if seen as unbending rigid and unreasonable which could be off putting to the majority and unlikely to result in conversion
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Minority influence
What happens if relentless consistent is shown by Minority influence
Could be counter productive if seen as unbending rigid and unreasonable which could be off putting to the majority and unlikely to result in conversion
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Minority influence
When is Minority influence most effective for flexibility
When show flexibility by accepting compromise and prepared to adapt their pov and accept reasonable and valid counter arguments
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Minority influence
What does there need to be a balance between
Consistency and flexibility
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Minority influence
What is the snowball effect
Gradually the minority becomes the majority view and a change occurs
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Minority influence
What is Minority influence a crucial factor in and why
Bringing about innovation and social change as likely to think about something new especially is from a consistent and passionate source
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Minority influence
What is Minority influence a crucial factor in and why
Bringing about innovation and social change as likely to think about something new especially is from a consistent and passionate source
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Minority influence
How does the snowball effect happen
Over time more people switch from the majority position to the minority position as they’ve been converted, pace picks up as conversion happens quicker and the minority gain status power and acceptability
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Minority influence
How does the snowball effect happen
Over time more people switch from the majority position to the minority position as they’ve been converted, pace picks up as conversion happens quicker and the minority gain status power and acceptability
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Minority influence AO3
2 strengths
Research support for consistency
Research evidence for flexibility
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Minority influence AO3
What is the research suppport for consistency
Moscovici et al
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Minority influence AO3
What is the research suppport for consistency
Moscovici et al
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Minority influence AO3
What did moscovici et at do
Demonstrated Minority influence by asking participants to state whether a blue sides were blue or green and the participants were either exposed to a consistent or inconsistent minority with two confederates in the group
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Minority influence AO3
What did moscovici et al show
Show an consistent minority had a greater effect than an inconsistent minority
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Minority influence AO3
Research evidence for flexibility
Papastamou
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Minority influence AO3
What did papastamou do
Got participants to respond to questions about responsibility for pollution. They were also exposed to minorities extreme views on how to control pollution.
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Minority influence AO3
What did papastamou find
When the majority refused to but from their opinion they were not persuasive. Where is when they appeared flexible by compromising they were seen as less extreme cooperative and reasonable and more persuasive and changing majority opinions.
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Minority influence AO3
What did papastamou show
Flexibility is a key factor in the minorities influences ability to change your majorities opinion
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Minority influence AO3
What did papastamou show
Flexibility is a key factor in the minorities influences ability to change a majority opinion
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Minority influence AO3
2 weaknesses
Artificial tasks
Limited real world applications
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Minority influence AO3
Example of artificial tasks
Identifying the colour of a slide is artificial
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Minority influence AO3\
What does using artificial tasks mean for research
Research is therefore far removed from how minorities attempt to change the behaviour of majorities in real life
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Minority influence AO3\
What does using artificial tasks mean for research
Research is therefore far removed from how minorities attempt to change the behaviour of majorities in real life
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Minority influence AO3
Example of real life
In jury decision-making and political campaigning the outcomes are vastly more importance sometimes life or death
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Minority influence AO3
Why a weakness
This means findings such as Moskovici lacks external validity and they are limited in what they can tell us about how minority influence works in real life social situations
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Minority influence AO3
What is involved in difference between minority and majority
More than just numbers as majority usually have a lot more power and status than minorities.
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Minority influence AO3
What are minorities like
Very committed to their causes as they have to be due to facing very hostile opposition
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Minority influence AO3
Why is limited real world applications a weakness?
Research supporting the minority influence may be seen as oversimplistic
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Social change
What is social change
Involves way in which society develops through big shifts in people’s beliefs attitudes and behaviour
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Social change
What is the role of minority influence
Continual but gradual process with the minority influence being the main driving force
Minority viewpoint slowly win the majority over to become new social norms
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Social change
Is social change positive or negative
Can be both
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Social change
What is the process 1-6
1. Drawing attention
2. Consistency
3. Deeper processing
4. Augmentation principle
5. Snowball effect
6. Social cryptoamnesia
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Social change
What is drawing attention
Through social proof of problem people more aware of it
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Social change
What is consistency
Saying same message over and over showing intent
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Social change
What is deeper processing
This attention means that many people who just accepted the status quo began to think about the unjustness of it
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Social change
What is the augmentation principle
Minority engaging in quite extreme acticitied to show their commitment
Risk demonstrates commitment as their motive musty be strong which therefore gets more attention
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Social change what is the snowball effect
Over time more people switch from majority position (converted) pace picks up as conversion happens quicker and the minority gain status power and acceptability
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Social change
What is social cryptoamnesia
Public opinion changes gradually over time until the minority view is accepted as the norm but people forget where the view originally came from
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Social change
What is the role of conformity in social change (as h)
Aschs research showed how when one confederate went against the majority this encouraged others to dissent
Such dissent has the potential to ultimately lead to social change
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Social change
How can the role of conformity be explained
Normative social influence
Informational social influence
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Social change
What is the role of normative social influence
Often appealed to be environmental and health campaigns as tell us what other people are doing
Encouraged by drawing attention to what the majority are actually doing
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Social change
What is the role of informational social change
May also have a role to play as a new or alternative source of information is available to people
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Social change
How does Milgram research show role of obedience
Demonstrates importance of disobedient role models as obedience fell when confederate teacher refused to give shocks
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Social change
How does Zimbardo suggest role of obedience
Can be used to create social change through process of gradual commitment
Once smalll instruction is obeyed it becomes more difficult to resist a a bigger one
So drift into new behaviour
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Social change
Changing laws in role of obedience
Change sin laws which we obey make something more of a norm
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Social change AO3
What is a strength
Research support for NSI
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Social change AO3
What is the research support for nsi
Nolan et al
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Social change AO3
What did Nolan et al investigate
Whether socal influence processes could lead to reduction in energy consumption in a community
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Social change AO3
What did Nolan et al do
Hung messages on the front doors of houses in San Diego every week for a month
Key message was that most residents were trying to reduce their energy usage
Another group had message that just asked them to save energy without mentioning majority
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Social change AO3
Nolan et al findings
Significant decreases in energy usage found in first group
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Social change AO3
What does Nolan et al show
Conformity ca lead to social change through nsi
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Social change AO3
2 weaknesses
Minority influence only indirectly effective
Methodological issues
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Social change AO3
How fast does social change happen
Slowly when it happens at all
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Social change AO3
Example of social change happening slowly
Decades for attitudes against drink driving and smoking to shift
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Social change AO3
What does this mean for minority influence
May not really have that much influence
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Social change AO3
What could be true for the effects of a minority
Indirect and delayed
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Social change AO3
Why is this a limitation
Effects of minority influence are fragile and its role in social influence perhaps limited
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Social change AO3
What do explantions of how social influence lead tio social change draw heavily on
Studies of the moscovici asch and Milgram
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Social change AO3
How can all these studies be criticised
Criticised in terms of artificial tasks , lacking mundane realism and poor samples
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Social change AO3
Why is this a weekness
Raises doubts about the validity of the explanation
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Holism and reductionism
What approach has biological reductionism
Biological
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Holism and reductionism
What is environmental reductionism
Reduced behaviour to stimulus response action (learned associations )
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Holism and reductionism
What approach advocated environmental reductionism
Behaviourist
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Holism and reductionism
Example of environmental reductionism
Classical conditioning
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Holism and reductionisn
What are levels of explanation
Suggests there are different ways of viewing same behaviour and some are more recutionisn then others
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Holism and reductionism
How do the levels f explanation work
These at a lower or fundamental level focusing on basic components or units to those at a higher more holistic multi variable level
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Holism and reductionism
Levels of explantion list
9. Social cognition
8. Social groups
7. Interpersonal interactions
6. Cognition and emotion
5. Learned association
4 genetics
3. Physiology
2. Cellular biology
1. Biochemistry
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Holism and reductionism
What are all the levels of explantions attempts at
To explain behaviour but at different levels
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Holism and reductionism
Can one explanation in isolation be taken as correct
No and therefore several explations at several levels would be more appropriate
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Holism and reductionism AO3
Strength for reductionism
More scientific research
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Holism and reductionism AO3
Why is reductionism need for more scientific research
In order to create operationalised variables is necessary to break behaviour down to make it possible conduct experiments or record observations in a way that is meaningful and reliable
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Holism and reductionism AO3
What approach was able to demonstrate this and with what
Behaviourist approach able to demonstrate how complex learning could be broken down to samples stimulus response links within the lab
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Holism and reductionism AO3
Why is this a strength for psychology
Gives psychology greater credibility p;lacing it on equal terms with the natural sciences lower down in the reductionist hierachy
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Holism and reductionism AO3
Biological reductionism as scientific
More precise and simple explanation and more scientific than the higher and more general levels or explanation as can be treated more easily and be used to generate appropriate treatment
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Holism and reductionism AO3
Limitation for Holism
Not as scientific
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Holism and reductionism AO3
Why do holistic explanations tend to not lend themselves to rigorous scientific testing
Can become vague and speculative as they become more complex
325
Holism and reductionism AO3
Example for humanistic psychology
Tend to be criticised for lack of scientific evidence and is instead seen by many as a rather loose set of concepts
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Holism and reductionism AO3
Higher levels of explantions that combine many different perspective present researcher with a practical dilemma with depression why
If accept there are many factors that contribute it become difficult to establish which is most influential, and which one to use as a basis for therapy
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Holism and reductionism AO3
What does this mean
It comes to find solutions for real world problems lower level explantions may be more appropriate
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Holism and reductionism AO3
Strength for Holism
Often aspects of social behaviours that only emerge withoin a group context and cannot be understood at level of individual group members
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Holism and reductionism AO3
Example
Effects of conformity to social roles and the deindividualisation of the prisoners and guards in zimbardo prison study could not be understood by studying the participants as individuals it was the interaction between people and the behaviour of the group that was important
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Holism and reductionism AO3
Example
Effects of conformity to social roles and the deindividualisation of the prisoners and guards in zimbardo prison study could not be understood by studying the participants as individuals it was the interaction between people and the behaviour of the group that was important
331
Holism and reductionism AO3
What does this show
Holistic explantion provide a more complete and global understanding of behaviour than reductionist approaches
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Holism and reductionism AO3
Limitation for reductionism
Oversimplifying complex
333
Holism and reductionism AO3
What does oversimplifying lead to
Loss of validity and incomplete
334
Holism and reductionism AO3
Eg with environmental explantions
Even though can account for a number of behaviour is likely that many different levels are needed in the explantion with a learned association only bing one of them
335
Holism and reductionism AO3
Eg with explain at level of gene neuron or neurotransmitter
Do not include an analysis of the social context within which behaviour occurs and this is where the behaviour in question may derive its meaning
336
Holism and reductionism AO3
What does this mean
Reductionism explanations can only ever be part of an explanation
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Holism and reductionism AO3
What does the interactionisdebate believe t stance on this
Several levels of explanation are necessary to explain behaviour ranging from more reductionism to more holistic
338
Holism and reductionism AO3
What do interactionists argue
All explanations have relevance and ultimately with the best explanatory power and this varies from situations to situations
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Holism and reductionism AO3
How is the diathermy stress model for the onset of mental disorders such as schizophrenia show interactionist approach
Such disorders are seen to come about as the result of a predisposition often genetic which is triggere by some stressor often and experience so led to more multidisciplinary and holistic approaches to treatment
