Social Influence

Question 1

Milgram: What are the advantages of his study

Answer 1

• High internal validity- Large population size
• Low chance of demand characteristics

Question 2

Milgram: What are the disadvantages of his study

Answer 2

• Low ecological validity
• ethno/androcentric
• questionable internal validity (Perry 2012)

Question 3

Milgram: How is Milgram’s study unethical

Answer 3

• Milgram manipulated the ppt by telling them the study was testing how punishment affects memory
• Mr Wallace didn’t have a heart condition

Question 4

Milgram: What signs did ppt show in Milgram’s study

Answer 4

Ppt can be seen showing nervous laughter, twitching, fidgeting, sweating and smoking after the experiment. 3 ppt suffered seizure with only one of them allowed to go to hospital

Question 5

Milgram: What were the results of Milgram’s study

Answer 5

100% went up to 300 volts
65% went up to 450
50% continued after reaching 45

Question 6

Asch: What are the advantages to his study

Answer 6

• High internal validity
• No demand characteristics
• High ecological validity

Question 7

Asch: What are the disadvantages of his study

Answer 7

• entho/androcentric
• Low temporal validity
• Lacks ecological validity
• Low population size

Question 8

Asch: How is his study unethical

Answer 8

Manipulated ppt, telling them the aim was to test eye sight
Lack of protection from harm - ppt reported feeling stressed when disagreeing with the majority

Question 9

Asch: What were the 3 main conditions in his study

Answer 9

Group size
Social support
Task difficulty

Question 10

Asch: What were the results of his study

Answer 10

35% conformed every time
75% conformed at least once
25% never conformed

Question 11

Zimbardo: What were the advantages of his study

Answer 11

• High ecological validity
• High temporal validity
• All ppt were given a psych eval to ensure they were all mentally healthy

Question 12

Zimbardo: What were the disadvantaged of his study

Answer 12

• Only took place for 5 days
• Zimbardo played the role of the warden
• Demand characteristics

Question 13

Zimbardo: How was his study unethical

Answer 13

• Zimbardo allowed assault on the prisoners
• He acted as the warden allowing him to control what events took place

Question 14

Zimbardo: How were the prisoners treated that could have led to misbehaviour in Zimbardo’s study

Answer 14

Ppt were sent home and told they weren’t right for the study, then arrested the next day. They were booked and dehumanised before being taken to the prison

Question 15

Zimbardo: What were the results of his study

Answer 15

Police brutality towards inmates causing physical, emotional and sexual assault. Got so bad prisoners rioted on the second day

Question 16

What are the three types of conformity and their definitions

Answer 16

Compliance - publicly agree with the majority without a change in personal opinion (temporary)
Identification - development of group behaviour, acting similar to the majority due to valuing group membership (lasts as long as the group)
Internalisation - change of behaviour and/or opinion similar to the group (permanent)

Question 17

What are the two explanations for conformity and their definitions

Answer 17

Informational social influence (ISI) - change in opinion and/or behaviour due to someone else’s response to the same event. You deem them higher in the social hierarchy than you (cognitive)
Normative social influence (NSI) - temporary change in behaviour and/or opinion due to wanting to fit in with the majority (emotional)

Question 18

What are the two states within social influence and their definitions

Answer 18

Agentic state - giving up personal responsibility to an authority figure (blind obedience)
Autonomous state - actions are fully taken responsibility for without diffusing responsibility

Question 19

What is legitimacy of authority and how is it recognised

Answer 19

Legitimacy of authority - based on the social hierarchy, the idea no one is equal and there are some people higher than others. This can be recognised through; job, gender, pay, group dynamics etc.

Question 20

What is an authoritarian personality, what factors contribute to it and how do they contribute

Answer 20

Someone who holds high respect for those higher in the social hierarchy than them, but no respect to those lower in the social hierarchy.
Factors include; might is right - how physical strength determines ones worth, upbringing - if a parent serves then the child will hold higher respect for them and lower respect for people who don’t, personality traits - certain traits such as extreme submission or aggression could alter the extremism, the f scale - whether they are right wing or not.

Question 21

What is resisting to social influence (RSI) and what factors can affect this

Answer 21

RSI - when someone acts as an individual, defying social pressure. This could be temporary or permanent
Factors include; Social support (when a minority is given an ally who also disagrees with the majority), Internal locus of control (Loc) is the extent to which we think we have control over our own behaviour.

Question 22

What is minority influence and what are the three main factors which can boost this

Answer 22

Minority influence - when a minority convinces members of the majority to join them until they then become the majority. This links in with informational social influence and internalisation.
Factors include; Consistency, commitment and flexibility.

Question 23

Describe the three main factors which boost minority influence

Answer 23

Consistency - synchronic consistency is when all members of the group back the same reasons, whilst diachronic consistency is a singular person being consistent with their reasoning.
Commitment - dedication to the same cause over a large period of time. Links in with the augmentation principle (when the minority causes conflict in the majority, convince themselves)
Flexibility - where the minority becomes flexible with their cause, leading to the majority becoming more likely to join.