social influence

Question 1

3types of conformity&explanations

what is conformity

+ the different types?

Answer 1

• “yeilding to group pressures”
• when a person changes behaviour or attitude in response to group pressure
  *

types-internalisation,identification&complience

Question 2

types of conformity&explanations

internalisation

Answer 2

• when person genuinley accepts the group norms
• =public&private changes in behaviour permenently change of view even when group not present
• egbecoming vegetarian permenently after living with flatmate of brought upin religious household and becoming religious.

strongest type

Question 3

types of conformity&explanations

identification

Answer 3

• when you conform to group opinions or behaviour because there is something in group that we value
• **publically change&temporart/short term **
• only in presence of group
• egonly being vegetarian in household of vegetarians then eating meat at home.

middle level

Question 4

types of conformity&explanations

complience

Answer 4

• “going along with others
• to gain approval or avoid dissaproval
• publically agree&privately disagree
• likely to occur as a result of normative social influence
• eg friends pressure you into drinking even though you truly dont want to and will not drink outside of social situations

lowest/weakest level

Question 5

types of conformity&explanations

*-informational social influence

Answer 5

• someone conforms because they want to be right,look at others(the majority) assume they are more likely to be correct
• occurs when a person is uncertain or unsure
• situations where we do not have knowledge or expertise
• eg person followimgh crowd in an emergency because they assumed it was the right way or person copying majority answer in class if they are unsure.
• tends to involve internalisation

cognitive because its to do with what you think

evidence- fein et al asked pps to vote for US president candidate after they sawothers voting for somebody else.Most changed their mind as they wanted to be “correct”

Question 6

types of conformity&explanations

factors that influence&increase liklehood of informational social influence

Answer 6

• expertises is present
• ambigious or difficult sitation
• stressful or crisis situation(need to make descisions quickly)

Question 7

types of conformity&explanations

normative social influence

Answer 7

• “norms or typical behaviour of social group”
• want to be accepted or have approval from a group drives complience,to avoid embarrasment or disagreement
• **leads to complience*
• publically change behaviour but privatley disagree.
• egperson started smoking as they are surrounded by people who smoke which is normal for them.

emotional rather than a cognitive process

Question 8

types of conformity&explanations

factors that influence&increase liklehood of normative social influence

Answer 8

• unfamiliar groups-concered about social rejection
• familiar groups-concerned about social approval
• stressful or crisis situation-greater need for social suuport

Question 9

types of conformity&explanations

strengths of normative social influence

Answer 9

• there is evidenvce that supports it as an explanation of conformity
• eg link between NSI and bullying-real life application- Garandeau and Cillissen found that a boy can be manipulated by a bully into victimising another child so boy will bully other child to avoid dissaproval

Question 10

types of conformity&explanations

strengths of informational social influence

Answer 10

• there is evidence to support this eg Lucas et al found that conformity to an obviously incorrect maths answer was greater when question was more difficult and pp rated their own maths ability unfavourable-inderviduals more likely to turn to inderviduals in an ambigious situation when they lack information

Question 11

NSI&ISI limiations

Answer 11

• suggested by deutsch and gerrards “two process model”
• eg providing a dissenting confederate(one extra person giving right answer)-provides social support reducing effect of NSI on naive pp
• equally reduces ISI confederate provides pp with alternative source of information
• they are both complimentary not exclusive mechanisms.

Question 12

Conformity:Aschs research

how many participents and who

Answer 12

• 123 male american undergraduates in groups of 6
• consisting of 1 true pp&5 confederates (actors/people in experiment)

Question 13

Conformity:Aschs research

aim

Answer 13

• to investigate conformity to other peoples incorrect answers in an unambigious situation

Question 14

Conformity:Aschs research

procedure

Answer 14

• pps and confederates presented with 4 lines
• 3 comparison lines & 1 standard
• asked to state which of the three has same length as standard
• real pp answered last or second to last
• confederates gave same incorrect answer for 12/18 trials
• Asch observed whether pp gave same incorrect answer or correct

Question 15

Conformity:Aschs research

findings

Answer 15

• 36.8%-conformed
• 25%-never conformed
• 75%-conformed at least once
• in control trial only 1% gotit incorrect = increase in validity-eliminated extraneous variables of eyesight and perception.

pps reported they conformed to avoid being ridiculed.

Question 16

conformity aschs research-variables investigated

variations investigated by asch

Answer 16

• group size
• unamity
• task difficulty

Question 17

variables investigated by asch

group size

Answer 17

• P-used a varied number of confederates in each group between 1-15
• E-individual more likely to conform in a larger group- low conformity less than 3- any more than 3 rose by 30%
• E-person more likely to conform in big group because if all memebrs are in agreement it increases confidence in answer
• L- majority must be at least 3 to exert an influence therefore overwhelming majority is not needed.

Question 18

variables investigated by asch

Unamity

Answer 18

*P individual more likely to conform when the group is unanimous(ie alll give same answer) rather than different
* Ewhen dissenter confederate added or another pp(one extra giving correct answer) conformity fell from 32%-5.5%
* when different answers conformity fell from 32%-5%
* E more unanimous=more confidence pp will have in answer being correct leading to it being more likely to be incorrect.
L its vital in establishing consistent majority view and establishing NSI to avoid conflicting views in uprising.

Question 19

variables investigated by asch

Task difficulty

Answer 19

• P Asch made stimulus line (S or X) & comparison line more similar in length increasing difficulty of task.
• E therefore,conformity increased since it was harder to judge
• E when task is difficult we are more uncertain=greater conformity
• L suggests that ISI has a major influence for conformity when situation is ambigious and we dont have enough knowldge to make informed desciosn independantley so we rely on others.

Question 20

evaluation of Aschs baseline procedure

limitation-Perrin&Spencer 1980

lacks validity

Answer 20

• they conducted the same experiment in the uk and only 1 student conformed/396
• argued that Asch effect is not consistent across situations or time.
• lacks temporal validity findings cannot be generalised over time periods

Question 21

evaluation of Aschs baseline procedure

limitation-Aschs research was a “child of its time”

Answer 21

• conducted in 1950s therefore this was after the war ended led to higher conformity
• eg collectivist cultures&makes sense to conform social norms lacks validity
• however,now USA is more individualistic so conformity now maybe less.

Question 22

evaluation of Aschs baseline procedure

limitation-lacks population validity

Answer 22

• it was a volunteer sample therefore, could be subject to bias
• doesn’t represent whole population
• subject to gender bias only male undergraduates(beta bias)
  *

Question 23

evaluation of Aschs baseline procedure

limitation-lacks ecological validity artifical in lab setting

Answer 23

• artificial situations,lab studies lack generalisability
• based on peoples perception of lines findings cannot be generalised to real life
• doesn’t reflect real life complexity of conformity other confounding variables and majorities exert influence not only in big group

Question 24

evaluation of Aschs baseline procedure

limitation-ethical issues

Answer 24

• there was deception as pps thought study was about perception not complience
• could not give informed consent
• &potential psycological ham due to embarresment or being under pressure.
  *

Question 25

# evaluation of Aschs baseline procedure strength-laboratory setting

Answer 25

* extraneous variables & confounding variables are controlled,which **increases validity of the study** *

Question 26

# evaluation of Aschs baseline procedure strength-supports normative influence(to fit in)

Answer 26

* pps reported that **they conformed to fit in with group** * supports that people conform to fit in group even if they privately disagree.

Question 27

# evaluation of Aschs baseline procedure strength-high internal validity

Answer 27

* strict control over extranous&confounding * eg timing and type of task * did experiment prevously without confederate **as a control**-reliable cause and effect * relationships therefore can be established.

Question 28

# conformity to social roles as investigated by zimbardo what was it

Answer 28

* in **1973** zimbardo aimed to inestigate conformity to social roles * used **24 male undergraduate males** * "why good people do bad things?" in a stimulated environment. *

Question 29

# conformity to social roles as investigated by zimbardo procedure prior to the study

Answer 29

* they did volunteer sampling (an advert at stanforf university) * offering $15 a day for 1-2 weeks participating in a mock prison * it was set up in a basement and then **carefully selected** pps who seemed **emotionally stable**, randomly allocating them to roles of prisoner or gaurd * no one allowed to leave * behaviour then observed

Question 30

# conformity to social roles as investigated by zimbardo role of prisoners

Answer 30

* they were unexpectadley arrested by **real police officers** * had to wear real uniform * they were only reffered to by **their assigned number** * only allowed out in hallway "yard" * 3 prisoners per cell,3 meals a day,3 supervised toilet trips a day. * 2 visits a week

Question 31

# conformity to social roles as investigated by zimbardo role of gaurds

Answer 31

* given uniforms and items eg handcuffs,keys,whistles&reflected sunglasses(make eyecontact with prisoners impossible.**reinforce bounderies between social roles within established social hierarchy** worked 8 hour shifts allowed to control behaviour of prisoners **to emphasise power** **physical violence not permitted**

Question 32

# conformity to social roles as investigated by zimbardo findings

Answer 32

* **identification**(person changes their public behaviour and their private beliefs, but only while they are in the presence of the group they are identifying with.) occured very fast people conformed to roles within 2 days * **gaurds** harrassed and tormented prisoners,later reported that they enjoyed the new power&control.Became moire demanding of obedience **assertiveness&dominant** * **prisoners**talked about prison issues snitched on others to please gaurds.*evidence suggests that prisoners actually believed prison was real due to demand characteristics*.started to rebel due to inhumane treatment.Became **submissive** | respectively social roles became increasingly **internalised**

Question 33

# conformity to social roles investigted by Zimbardo conclusions

Answer 33

* individuals are quick to conform to their social roles * as **environment influences behaviour.**

Question 34

# evaluation of zimbardos prison experiment strength-real life application

Answer 34

* research changed the way US prisons are run eg young prisoners no longer staying with adult prisoners to prevent bad behaviour **perpetuating**

Question 35

# evaluation of zimbardos prison experiment strength-debreifing

Answer 35

* person changes their public behaviour (the way they act) and their private beliefs, but only while they are in the presence of the group they are identifying with. * but does not change the quality (in terms of validity and reliability) of the findings. * practical application of an increased understanding of the mechanisms of conformity and the variables which affect this.

Question 36

# evaluation of zimbardos prison experiment strength-control of variables

Answer 36

* high control of variables * by **randomly allocating pps to role of prisoner or gaurd** in highly controlled environment * leads to **high internal validity** can draw conclusions about conformity to social roles

Question 37

# evaluation of zimbardos prison experiment weakness-lack of realism

Answer 37

* study has been critisised for **lack of realism to a true prison** * **banuazizi&mohavedi 1975**-argued pps were reacting based off their own **steryotypes** of how they perseved prisoners&gaurds behaviour leads to **invalid results** * suggests that experiment provides little conformity to social roles in actual prison.

Question 38

# evaluation of zimbardos prison experiment counterpoint-lack of realism

Answer 38

* however **mcdermott** argues pps did behave as if prisons was real * **90%** of conversations were about prison life&how its impossible to leave. * experiment **did replicate social roles** of prisoners - gives high degree of internal validity.

Question 39

# evaluation of zimbardos prison experiment weaknesses -exaggerates the power roles

Answer 39

* potentialy exaggerates the power of soial roles to influence behaviour * **only 1/3** actually behaved brutally, other*1/3* applied rules fairley symathising with prisoners offering cigerettes suggests **zimbardo overstated his view that pps were conforming to social roles&minimised the influence of dispositional factors.**

Question 40

# evaluation of zimbardos study * weakness-replication(Reicher&Haslam) 2006

Answer 40

* **lack of research support**- they conducted the same experiment in britian * found opposite findings,**prisoners** developed strong sense of normys&identity eventually took over prison&subjected gaurds to disobedience and harrasment * **unreliable** because findings couldnt be replicated making it difficult to draw conclusions * changed in attitude towards social conformity was different aswell **historically&culturally**

Question 41

# evaluation of zimbardos study weakness-lacks ecological validity

Answer 41

* study suffered from demand characteristics. For example, the participants knew that they were participating in a study and therefore may have changed their behaviour, either to please the experimenter * **expectations associated with their role rather genuinely adopting it** * one guard, who said that he based his performance from the stereotypical guard role portrayed in the film Cool Hand Luke, thus further reducing the validity of the findings

Question 42

# evaluation of zimbardos study weakness-lacks population validity

Answer 42

* sample only consisted of American male students and so the findings cannot be generalised to other genders and cultures. * For example, collectivist cultures, such as China or Japan, may be more conformist to their prescribed social roles because such cultures value the needs of the group over the needs of the individual. * suggests that such findings may be culture-bound!

Question 43

# evaluation of zimbardos study weakness-ethical issues

Answer 43

* Lack of fully informed consent due to the deception required to (theoretically) avoid demand characteristics and participant reactivity. * **Psychological harm ** pps not protected from stress one pp had uncotrololable screaming&crying. * This study would be deemed unacceptable according to modern ethical standards.

Question 44

# evaluation of zimbardos study what was the aim?1983

Answer 44

* attempted to observe whether people would obey a figure of authority when told to harm another person i.e. evaluating the influence of a destructive authority figure.

Question 45

# milgrams study for obedience what is obedience

Answer 45

* a form of **social influence** in which anindividual follows a direct order. * the person issuing order **usually figure of authority** * **has power to punish** when obidient behaviour is not showing.

Question 46

# Milgrams study for obedience what was his aim?

Answer 46

* to **observe** whether people would obey a figure of authority when told to **harm another person** * evaluating influence of a destructive figure

Question 47

# milgrams study for obedience 1963 the procedure:

Answer 47

* randomly selected **40 male volunteers** * each pp given a role of a **teacher** * a confederate(actor) given role of a **learner** * pp had to ask confederate **a series of questions** if they got ot wrong,**pp had to give confederate an electrcal shock** even when answer was given * e electric shocks incremented by **15 volts at a time, ranging from 300V to 450V, where 330V was marked as ‘lethal’. ** * confederates not actually hurt they were acting.

Question 48

# milgrams study for obedience 1963 how were the pps assessed?

Answer 48

* on how many volts they were willing to shock the confederate with.

Question 49

# milgrams study for obedience 1963 what was the experimentors role?

Answer 49

* give a series of orders / prods when the participant refused to administer a shock, * increasing in terms of demandness every time pp **refused to give a shock** * same 4 prods were used each time * 1) "please continue" * 2)"experimentor **requires you** to continue" * 3)"it is absolutley **essential** that you continue" * 4)"you have **no other choice** you must continue"

Question 50

# milgrams study for ebedience 1963 what was the role of the learner?

Answer 50

* they were a **confederate** (actor) * connected to electrodes in another room answering questions in word pairs * faking their pain about the shock.

Question 51

# milgrams study 1983 what were the findings?

Answer 51

* All participants went up to **300V** * **65%** went up to **450V** * only **12.5%** stopped at **300V**, showing that the vast majority of participants were prepared to give lethal electric shocks to a confederate.

Question 52

# milgrams study 1963 factors affecting obdedience:

Answer 52

* proximity * location * uniform

Question 53

# milgrams study on obedience 1963 what is legitamcy

Answer 53

conformity to the law or to rules

Question 54

# factors affecting obedience location

Answer 54

* pps obeyed **more** when study was conducted in a prestigious university eg **yale uni** * when milgram conduction variation in a **run down office block** obedience fell to **47.5%** * meaning prestigious environment provided **legitimacy&authority** then pps believed experimentor **shared legitimacy** * ## Footnote **however** obedience was still quite high in run down offfice building as pps percieved "scientific" nature of experiment.

Question 55

# factors affecting obedience uniform

Answer 55

* pps **obeyed more when experimentor wore a lab coat** * provides *higher status and greater sense of legitimacey and authority* * in **baseline study** one variation where experimentor was taken over by *"ordinary member of the public*(confederate) in **every day clothes compared to a lab coat** * oedience**dropped to 20%** lowest variation. ## Footnote **however** demand characteristics clearly evident in this condition as pps could clearly see through this deception.

Question 56

# factors affecting obedience proximity

Answer 56

* pps obeyed more when experimentor was **in the same room** * eg, **62.5%** * reduced to **40%** when experimenter and pps were in **seperate rooms** * **reduced to a further 30% ** * eg , experimenter forcibly placed the participant’s hand on the electric plate.

Question 57

# milgrams study for obedience 1963 what was the role of the teacher?

Answer 57

* they were the **naive pp** * giving increasingly severe electric shocks for every incorrect answer given * starting at **15v** * **300v** being intense shock. * **315v** learner would stop answering

Question 58

# evalutation of milgrams study strength-debreifing

Answer 58

* participants were thoroughly and carefully debriefed on the real aims of the study * in an attempt to deal with **ethical breach of the guideline of protection from deception and the possibility to give informed consent. ** * in a follow up study **84%** ofpps were glad they were partof study * **74%** felt they learnt something * means study left little or no **psycological harm** on pps

Question 59

# evalutation of milgrams study strength-real life application

Answer 59

* obedience has **resulted in negative social change** eg nazis obeyed orders led to *Hitler abusing his power*, research gives insight to why people were so willing to kill innocent jews * **we can all be easily influenced and victims to such pressures** * power of influences is important through **social order&moral behaviours**

Question 60

# evalutation of milgrams study strength-highly replicable le jeu de la mort

Answer 60

* procedure of study was replicated consistent and similar obedience levels had called **le jeu de la mort 2012** **80%** of pps delivered maximum shock of **460 volts** * behaviour was almost identical to study-while being cheered on by presenter & tv audience * *nervous behaviour,nail biting&anxiety* * inreases **external validity** | high replication increases reliablity

Question 61

# evaluation of milgrams study strength-cross cultural replication

Answer 61

* findings have been replicated to other cultures * eg **meeus&Raajmakers 1986** used a more realistic approach- pps ordered to say stressful things to interview someone (confederate) desperate for a job * **90% obeyed** * also researched proximity- when person giving orders **not present** obedience decreased dramatically * *suggets that Milgrans findings are not just limited to american men but can be applied across cultures&women.* ## Footnote **counterpoint**- Peter Smith&Michael bond identified two replications that took place in indian and jordan- which were different to US whereas other countries eg spain,australia and scotland)-more **more culturally similar to us** *therefore, conluding that milgrams are applicable to all countries may not be as reliable*

Question 62

# evalutation of milgrams study strength-social identity theory

Answer 62

* **Alex Haslam**-2014 * every pp disobeyed on the **4th prod** *"you have no choice you must go on* * therefore, pps **only obeyed when identified with sicentific aims of study** -*"experiment requires you to continue*(social identity theory) * therefore, more **valid interpretations** of study identified **obedience science as a reason for obedience** which milgram said himself

Question 63

# evalutation of milgrams study strength-external validity

Answer 63

* supporting studies **hofling et al 1966**- observed behaviour of doctors&nurses in a *natural covert experiment* * **95%** nurses obeyed a doctor(confederate) over phone to increase patients dosage by **double their usual** * suggests **every day** individuals are susceptible to obeying destructive authority figures. *

Question 64

# evaluation of Milgrams study strength- bickman&uniform

Answer 64

* Bickmen 1974 highlighted power of uniform in feild experiment * dressing in different outfits **jacket&tie,milkmans outfit,security gaurd uniform** * confederates stood in street asking passer bys to perform tasks eg *pick up litter or handing coin over for parking meter* * **people was 2X more likely to obey assistant dressed as a security vs jacket&tie** * this therefore supported the situation variable of uniform

Question 65

# evalutation of milgrams study weakness-ethical issues

Answer 65

* **deception** involved therefore informed consent couldnt be obtained * however, deception was justified by the aim of avoiding **demand characteristics eg please you and screw you effect** * **psycological harm**- inflicted upon pps showing signs of distress *sweating trembling &nervous laughter*

Question 66

# evalutation of milgrams study weakness-raises socially sensitive issue

Answer 66

* milgrams findings suggest that those who are responsible for killing innocent people **can be excused** as it was *too difficult to disobey* **judicary system would deeply disagree with this** * eg the holocaust could easily be defended as nazis were "simply folllowing orders" * individuals should be expected to take **moral resposnsibility for actions**

Question 67

# evalutation of milgrams study weakness-lacks internal validity

Answer 67

* pps **may have been aware** that procedure was **fake** * **Martinorne&Charles Holland 1968** made this critisism where experimenter was replaced by "member of public" * therefore, studies are unclear whethere findings are genuinley due to operation if obedience or because **people saw through deception responding to through demand characteristics** * & through location even when replicated in **run down office obedience only decreased to 20.5%**

Question 68

# evalutation of milgrams study weakness-lacks ecological validity

Answer 68

* tasks given to pps **dont replicate scenarios in everyday life eg the severity** * lacks **mundane realism** * producing results which lack validity

Question 69

# explanations for obedience-milgram milgrim&explanations

Answer 69

* milgram offered **social&psycological** explanations the level of obedience he found in his studies * looking at **individual behaviour** not external

Question 70

# explanations for obedience agentic state

Answer 70

* (acting as a state for another person) * they feel **no personal responsibility** for their actions * person **shifts from autonomous state**(where they will take responsibility for actions) to agentic state * known as **agentic shift** | **autonomous state** independant&free make descisions based on moral pri ## Footnote **agentic shift** shift from autonomous to agentuc shift due to **presence of authoritive figure**

Question 71

# explanations for obedience what is the agency theory

Answer 71

* idea that people are more likely to **obey** when they are in **agentic shift** as they believe *they will not suffer for the consequences of their actions* * because they believe they are acting on behalf of **their agent**

Question 72

# explanations for obedience binding factors

Answer 72

* Milgram observed that many pps **wanted to stop** howvever they *seemed powerless to do so* * in which he wondered why they remained in **agentic state** ( because of binding factors) * means different aspects of situation allows person to **ignore or minimise** the damaging effects of their actions and behaviour * therefore this reduces **moral strain** * eg shifting responsibility ## Footnote **moral strain**=when you have to do something you believe to be immoral in order to function as an agent of authority and benefit the society.

Question 73

# explanations for obedience legitamacey of authority

Answer 73

* legitimacey of an authority figure is *judged according to an agreed social hierarchy in society*/ how credible they are * morally good/right(**legally based or law abiding)** * which explains **why** we obey instructions we are given * **eg security gaurds,police,teachers,&*experimentor in milgrams research(expert authority all knowledgeable&resposible***

Question 74

# explanations for obedience consequences for legitamacy of authority

Answer 74

* when some people are **granted the power to punish people** * individuals are **more wiling to give up some independance** (give up our freedom to the people we trust who excerisie their authority properly)

Question 75

# explanations for obedience-legitimacy of authority destructive authority

Answer 75

* when **legitimacy of authority** becomes **destructive** * for example powerful leaders who take advantage of their power **Hitler,Stalin.Polpot** * odering people to behave in *cruel&dangerous ways* * **shown in milgrams study when experimentor used prods eg u must carry on or there will be consequences**

Question 76

# evaluation for agentic state research support

Answer 76

* **Blass&Schmitt 2001** * They asked observers to explain who they thought was responsible for the harm caused to the learner in Milgram’s study. * Most thought the experimenter was responsible, so supporting the agentic state explanation. * suggests pps **felt they were no longer responsible for behaviour& acted as experimentors agent**

Question 77

# evaluation for agentic state research contradiction for agentic state | nurse

Answer 77

* evidence in **Hofling et al’s field experiment (1966).** Evidence: Nurses were asked to give patients double the recommended dose of a drug over the phone by a doctor (the researcher) * **21/22 instructions were obeyed, YET with no evidence of anxiety** * nurses shouldve experienced anxiety as they klnew actions were **destructive** * causing **moral strain**

Question 78

# evaluation of agentic state limitation-cannot explain all of obedience

Answer 78

* agentic shift doesnt explain **why some pps in study didnt obey** * as in theory if they were all in agentic state they would **all** obey * & **cannot explain** obedience over*long periods of time eg Nazi Germany*

Question 79

# evaluation for legitimacy of authority support-cross cultural research

Answer 79

* useful cross cultural replication of milgrams experiment where **obedience rate were consistent among across several western societies(america)** * yet Australia was very different, with top-voltage obedience rates of **16%** only. * suggesting australian culture questions authority more.*impacting entitlement for authority fugures to demand power* * reflecting how different societies how differnet societies **are stricted and how children are raised to percieve authority figures.**

Question 80

# evaluation for legitimacy of authority weakness- doesn’t explain all obedience

Answer 80

* eg nurse experiment * some people may be **more or less obedient than others** * we may have tendicies that infulence our behaviour then legitimacey of authority figure.

Question 81

# evaluation for legitimacy of authority&agentic state real life examples kilham&mann

Answer 81

* **kilham&Mann** put forward the **My Lai Massacres** whereby thousands of american soldiers went through *vietnamese villages&murdered civillians* * which can be explained through **agent state theory** soldiers simply obeying orders from generals therefore **their resposibility shifted to authoritive figure lacking moral strain** * authority was **legitimate** due to their high position within armys social hierarchy ranks * **therefore both theories are valid ecplanations for obedience**

Question 82

# dispositional explanations for obedience-authoritarian personality what is a dispositional explanation

Answer 82

* internal explanation i.e personality factors/individual reasons why someone obeys

Question 83

# dispositional explanations for obedience-authoritarian personality what is authoritarian personality&who researched it

Answer 83

* **Adorno et al 1950** wanted to understand this **anti sementic mindset** for holocaust * he drew **very different conclusions to Milgram** * believed high level of obedience was basically a psycological disorder (pathological) * *causes disorder to lie in personality of individual rather than situation* * which is why its dispositional

Question 84

# dispositional explanations for obedience-authoritarian personality characteristics for authoritarian personalty

Answer 84

* very obedient to authority * submissive * concsious of status * overly traditional, conventional

Question 85

# dispositional explanations for obedience-authoritarian personality What did adorno et al argue?

Answer 85

* people with authoritarian personality trait are more likely to obey * they show **extreme respect for authority&are submissive** * some view society as **weaker** than it wa stherefore, we need **strong&powerful** leaders to enforce traditional values eg love for family&country * they believe *everything is either right or wrong* *

Question 86

# dispositional explanations for obedience-authoritarian personality what are the origins of authoritarian personality?-adorno

Answer 86

* Adorno believed in *psychodynamic approach* * therefore, he believed that it formed from **childhood due to harsh parenting** * **strict disipline,expectation of loyalty&high expectations** * only give conditional love if child achieves something therefore *they lack unconditional love* * **displace** feelings of fear or anger as they couldnt express it to parents onto **"inferiror" others**known as scapegoating) * more likely *to target people who seem "weak" eg minority groups* | known as reaction formation and is often seen in current politics

Question 87

# dispositional explanations for obedience-authoritarian personality procedure of adornos research

Answer 87

* studied more than **2000** middle class **white americans** & their unconsous attitudes towards other ethnic groups * measured through **F scale** (potential for facism scale) to see authoritarian personality. ## Footnote facism-**An authoritarian and nationalistic right-wing system of government and social organization.**

Question 88

# dispositional explanations for obedience-authoritarian personality findings of adornos research

Answer 88

* people with authoritarian leanings scored **high on the F scale** * conscious of status,showing extereme respect to those **of higher status** * *these traits are the basis of obedience* * also found people had a **cognitive style** of thinking meaning they had **fixed&distinctive steryotypes about other groups** eg black&white thinking

Question 89

# evaluation of -authoritarian personality(F scale) limiation-lacks validity&reliablity

Answer 89

* suggested by **greenstein** scale is susceptible to **acquiscence bias** * therefore,findings produced lack validity&reliability as its not peoples true beliefs * also shows **social desireablity bias** people present themselves in a favourable fashion ## Footnote * acquiscence bias-**individuals are likely to agree with something regardless of how they actually feel.**

Question 90

# evaluation of adorno authoritarian personality limitation-may not explain all cases of obedience across political spectrum

Answer 90

* according to **Christie&Jahoda** * measures likenesss to an individual&facism(far right on political scale) * but **left wing authoritarianism is also present** eg bolshevism(communism) * *therefore,this suggests facist like views can be found across the whole spectrum left&right which authoritarian personality **does not account for***

Question 91

# evalutation of adornos authoritarian personality limitation-lacks ecological validity

Answer 91

* cannot explain real life examples of mass obedience * eg *unlikely that whole of german population has authoritarian personality* * may have displaced fear about future onto "inferior" groups of people & used them as scapegoats * there **theory is limited for some examples of obedience**

Question 92

# evaluation of authoritarian personality strength-research support

Answer 92

* evidence from **milgrams study supports it** * 1966 **Elms&Milgram** interviewed small sample of people who participated in original study&been fullt obedient * had to complete **F scale** * **20 obedient pps scored significantly higher on F scale then other 20 disobedient pps ** * this supports the theory ## Footnote counterpoint-researchers analysed subscales on f scale found that **obedient pps** had characteristics that were unusual for authoritarians * didnt experiencce unusual levels of punishment from childhood*link between obedience and authoritarianism is complex*

Question 93

# resistence to social influence what is resistence to social influence?

Answer 93

* ability to withstand the **social pressures** to conform to the majority or obey authority * influenced by both **situational&dispositional factors**

Question 94

# resistence to social influence locus of control-rotter 1966

Answer 94

* measurement of an individuals sense of **control over their lives** * internal(more control)________external(less control) * **internal locus of control**- caused by *their own efforts and personal descions* * **external locus of control**-*behaviour caused by fate or luck* * it varys on your position on scale **low internal&external** lie inbetween.

Question 95

# resistence to social influence internal locus of control

Answer 95

* control&obey less-because they take **responsibility for their own actions** and see themselves having more control than external locus of control * make descions based on **their own moral code** * more likely to be leaders not followers ## Footnote "i won this award because i worked hard for it"

Question 96

# resistence to social influence external locus of control

Answer 96

* believe that majority of their life events are **beyond control meaning they act on behalf of another(agent)** * particularly susceptible towards obedience ## Footnote "i won this award because it was meant to be-my destiny"

Question 97

# resistence to social influence strength locus of control-research support

Answer 97

***Atgis 1998** conducted meta analysis of studies considering locus of control&likelyness to conform * found that people who scored highest on **enternal locus** were more easily persuaded&more likely to conforrm * *therefore external locus of control leads to greater rate of conformity*

Question 98

# evaluation of loc research support-contradiction point

Answer 98

* not all research supports the link between **LOC&resistence** * **Twenge et al** analysed data from american locus of control * over *40 year period* * data showed over the time span people become **more resisant to obedience&more external** *therefore we shouldexpect people to become more internal if they become more resistant.*

Question 99

# resistance to social influence research support-obedience

Answer 99

* **Gamson et al 1982** found higher levels of resistance in study than Milgram * because Gamsons study was in **groups** * **29/33 (88%) rebelled** * which highlights*social support is linked to greater resistance*

Question 100

# resistance to social influence social support-obedience

Answer 100

* can be reduced if another person is seent to **disobey** * *seen in Milgrams study obedience dropped from **65% to 10%*** when pp was joined by disobedient **confederate** * they act as a **model for pp**

Question 101

# resistance to social influence social suppport-conformity

Answer 101

* pressure can be **reduced** if there are other people present that **are not conforming** * *proven in Aschs study someone else not following majority enables person to be free to follow their own conscience* * (doesnt have to be right)

Question 102

# evaluation for social support research support-conformity

Answer 102

** supports the role of **dissenting peers** in resisting conformity * **Allen&Levine 1971**- when dissenter involved conformity dropped * even when dissenter in aschs study wore **thick glasses and said he had difficulty with vision.** * supports thst *social support encourages someone to be free from the pressure of the group*

Question 103

# minority influence what is minority influence | moscovici

Answer 103

* form of social influence in which a **minority** persuades others to adopt their *beliefs and behaviour of other people* * **minority&majority influence involve different cognitive processes**

Question 104

# minority influence what does minority influence most likley lead to?

Answer 104

* most likely leads to **internalisation** * form of conformity where public behaviour and private beliefs are changed by the process

Question 105

# minority influence moscovicis study-aim

Answer 105

* to observe how minorities can influence a majority

Question 106

# miscovicis study procedure

Answer 106

* lab experiment * pps were in a groupwith **2 confederates(minority)** * and 4 pps **(majority)** * everyone was shown **36 blue slides** * each with a **different shade of blue** * confederates-deliberetly said there were gtreen on **2/3** of trials producing a *consistent minority view* * number of times pps reported slide was green was observed ## Footnote **control group used consisting real pps only without confederstes**

Question 107

# moscovicis study findings

Answer 107

* when confederates were**consistent** with answers 8% of pps said slides were green * when confederates answered **inconsistently** 1% of pps said they were green * *thus highlights that **consistency*** crucial for **minority to exert maximum influence on majority**

Question 108

# minority influence what 3 things do minority influence need to change beliefs or behaviour

Answer 108

1. consistency 2. commitment 3. flexibility

Question 109

# minority influence consistency

Answer 109

* overtime **consistency** will increase amount of interest from other people * may be an agreement in a group eg(**synchronic consistency** all say same thing * or (**diachronic consistency**) saying same thing over time * leads to people *rethinking their own views*

Question 110

# minority influence what is synchronic consistency?

Answer 110

* consistency between its members – all members agree and back each other up

Question 111

# minority influence what is diachronic consistency?

Answer 111

* consistency over time – the majority sticks to its guns, doesn’t modify its views

Question 112

# minority influence commitment

Answer 112

* when minority influence demonstrates **dedication** to their position * eg making *personal sacrifices* * sometimes they engage in extreme activities to draw attention to their views * **eg Emily davidson running into race track for womens rights&suffergete movement** * majority view will ppay more attention (argumentation principle) ## Footnote argumentation principle-process of justifying beliefs with the aims to influence others.

Question 113

# minority influence flexibility

Answer 113

* **Nemeth 1986** argued consistency may be interpreted negatively if constantly repeated with same arguments&behaviours * members of minority need to be **prepared to adapt points of their view&accept reasonable counter arguments** * accepting possibilty of a **comprimise**

Question 114

# minority influence what is process of change

Answer 114

* called the snowball effect * when minority view turns into majority view

Question 115

# minority influence process of change

Answer 115

* the three factors * (consistincy,flexibility&commitment) * cause majority to think more deeply about the issue * overtime they will switch from**majority** to **minority** * when they have become "converted" * lnown as **snowball effect**because gradually **minority** view will become **majority view**

Question 116

# minority influence research support-consistincy

Answer 116

* **wood et al 1994** used **meta-analysis**(combination of the results of multiple studies) * found that over **100 studies** being consistent was **most influential** * *suggests that presenting a consistent view is a minimum requirement for a minority trying to influence a majority. *

Question 117

# minority influence evaluation research support for depth of thought | martin et al 2003

Answer 117

* there is a greater degree of internalisation of a minority view, compared to a majority view. * one group heard the opinion of a minority group whilst the second group heard the opinion of a majority group. *After both groups were **exposed** they were **significantly less likely to change their own views. ** *deeply processed and had a more enduring effect, supporting *

Question 118

# evaluation of minority influence artificial task-limitation

Answer 118

* tasks involved, such as identifying the colour of a slide, are artificial * **don’t reflect how minorities attempt to change the behaviour of majorities in real life,** * *e.g. jury decision making, political campaigning * * therefor lacks **external validity ecological validity** * results can be geralised is limited.

Question 119

# social change what is social change? | +examples

Answer 119

* when **whole societies** rather than individuals adopt a new **attitude,beliefs&ways of doing things** * eg womens sufferage,gay rights,environmental issues,attutude towards smoking.

Question 120

# social change what are the steps?

Answer 120

1. drawing attention 2. consistincy 3. deeper processing 4. augumentation principle 5. snowball effect 6. social cryptomnesia

Question 121

# social change 1. drawing attention

Answer 121

* draw attention towards issue * eg *inequality for women=starts to protest*

Question 122

# social change 2.consistency

Answer 122

* displaying consistincy&intent * *eg suffergete movement formed more people joined*

Question 123

# social change 3.deeper processing

Answer 123

* attention meant people began to think about issue&significance of it * *eg people started to question whether women should gain votes*

Question 124

# social change 4.augumentation principle

Answer 124

* number of incidints where people risked lives * engaging in **extreme behaviours to activley challenge issue** * & demonstrate **commitment** * eg*women became more violate acting through hungerstrikes&fighting on streets*

Question 125

# social change 5.snowball effect

Answer 125

* the **tipping point** * switching minority to majority viewpoint * *eg government started to acknowledge the movement&rights for women*

Question 126

# social change 6.social cryptomnesia ## Footnote **people have memory of change that has occured but dont remember how it happpend**

Answer 126

* eg*everyone knows women were given rights to vote but they dont know the process or different stages*

Question 127

# social change practical application of conformity leading to social change

Answer 127

* Environmental and health campaigns often use conformity processes * **appealing to normative social influence and by providing information on what other people are doing** * Such as, advertising recycling by showing others doing it correctly.

Question 128

# social change role of deeper processing mackie 1987-limitation

Answer 128

* disagrees with the view that minority influences cause individuals to think more deeply about an issue. * *if the majority believes something different, then we are forced to think about their arguments and reasoning. *causes **lack of validity in moscovicis theory**

Question 129

# social change evaluation nemeth-limitation

Answer 129

* **claims social change is due to the type of thinking that minorities inspire** * type of thinking is broad rather than narrow, in which the thinker actively searches for information and weighs up more options. * eg **it takes decades for attitudes to change eg drunk driving&smoking**