Social Influence

Question 1

Asch’s baseline study

Answer 1

He planned a procedure to assess to what extent people will conform to opinion of others even in situation where answer is certain. He showed individuals 3 lines different in length and they had to answer, some were confederates others were participants.

Question 2

Variables investigated by Asch

Answer 2

Group size
Unanimity
Task difficulty

Question 3

Definition of group size

Answer 3

He varied number of confederates to see if it would affect the agreement of the group from 1-15. He found conformity increased with group size only up to a point. 3 confederates present conformity rose but just 1/2 confederates was enough to sway an opinion

Question 4

Definition of unanimity

Answer 4

There was presence of a non-conforming person who would give answers that went against the majority of groups answers, sometimes correct was given other times incorrect. Conformity dropped because the presence of this individual made it easier to avoid conforming.

Question 5

Definition of task difficulty

Answer 5

Asch made task more difficult-lines similar in length. Conformity increased as participants were unsure of the answer - they thought the group had better/more info than them therefore they went along with them.

Question 6

Definition of anonymity

Answer 6

Asch allowed participant to write their answer on paper. Conformity dropped significantly as pressure to conform from the group was lessened by them not being able to see the answer given.

Question 7

Limitations of Asch’s study

Answer 7

Task and situation were artificial: participant knew they were in a research study and may have gone along with what was expected(demand characteristics) task of identifying lines is not something you would do everyday. Therefore may have not affected their reactions, causing a lack of validity to the results of the study

Question 8

Limitations of Asch’s study

Answer 8

Only American make undergraduates were studied: only using male American undergraduates limits ability to properly generalise the results to females, other nationalities and even younger and older generations. Similar conformity studies conducted in collectivist cultures showed conformity rates are higher therefore Asch’: findings tell us little info about conformity in women and other cultures due to specific sample of individuals.

Question 9

Types of conformity

Answer 9

Internalisation
Identification
Compliance

Question 10

Definition of types of conformity

Answer 10

Adopting behaviours, beliefs etc of another person or group

Question 11

Definition of compliance

Answer 11

Where a person agrees in public with a group (to gain approval/avoid disapproval) but the person actually privately disagrees with the groups viewpoint. It is short term

Question 12

Definition of identification

Answer 12

When individual agrees publicly on views of a group they join or admire because they identify or want want to be part of a particular group. However a persons private belief does not change

Question 13

Definition of internalisation

Answer 13

Refers to instances where a person publicly agrees/behaves with a group of people as they have actually accepted the groups beliefs. This type of conformity does result in a change in the persons private beliefs/attitudes and is long term.

Question 14

What are the two types of explanation for conformity?

Answer 14

Informational social influence
Normative social influence

Question 15

Informational social influence

Answer 15

Informational social influence: when someone is influenced because they look for guidance as they’re uncertain how to behave. Go along with group as we have a need to be right, if we think others have better/more info than us. Likely to occur in situations we’re unfamiliar with when we’re unsure what the right thing to do is. Occurs when we think someone is more of an expert than us or in emergencies. Often leads to internalisation

Question 16

Normative social influence

Answer 16

When someone’s influenced to fit in with social norms and values of a particular group and gain their approval (private views can still differ). Go along with a group because you want/need to be liked- avoid fear of rejection. Occurs with anyone: strangers, family, friends, it tends to lead to compliance

Question 17

Normative social influence

Answer 17

When someone’s influenced to fit in with social norms and values of a particular group and gain their approval (private views can still differ). Go along with a group because you want/need to be liked- avoid fear of rejection. Occurs with anyone: strangers, family, friends, it tends to lead to compliance

Question 18

Research support for ISI

Answer 18

Lucas et al found participants more likely to confirm when maths problems were difficult rather than easy. This supports ISI as it suggests people are likely to conform when something is unclear.

Question 19

Research support for NSI

Answer 19

Asch found participants conformed to a clearly incorrect majority. When asked why they confirmed most did it to fit in (supporting NSI) during anonymity variation this became clearer as participants were less likely to conform if others didn’t know their responses

Question 20

How do individual differences play a role?

Answer 20

Participants don’t react in the same way in experiments, some people care about being liked and fitting in whereas others do not care as much. Conformity rates depend on the individual

Question 21

Can we separate NSI and ISI?

Answer 21

Often no, as NSI and ISI are involved at the same time.

Question 22

Outline of Zimbardos study

Answer 22

Members of public signed up to participate and randomly assigned to be a guard or prisoner. Zimbardo wanted to see whether roles would be taken seriously, how far the experiment would go etc. majority of guard turned brutal and some prisoners went on strike due to awful treatment.

Question 23

Procedure of Zimbardos study

Answer 23

Used 24 male Americans, supposed to last 1-2 weeks $15 per day. Randomly assigned prisoners and guards. Prisoners stripped naked, wore a gown, chain on their foot and a number for their name. Social roles were taken far, protests occurred. Guards could punish prisoners. Zimbardo was the the super intendant, set up in mock prison at Stanford university. They did tests to ensure they were emotionally stable

Question 24

Results of Zimbardos study

Answer 24

Prisoners had breakdowns (emotional/nervous) they also protested against guards. Dehumanising and mistreatment by guards. Guards became confident and took roles to appalling levels. Due to all factors Zimbardo stopped experiment after just 6 days instead of 2 weeks. Within 2 days prisoners rebelled. Prisoner tried to leave 1st day. 2 prisoners left on 4.th day. One prisoner went on hunger strike

Question 25

Conclusion of Zimbardos study

Answer 25

Be accomplished experiment. Guards became brutal but prisoners became submissive. People coming in performing specific functions found themselves behaving as if they were in prison rather than a psychological study. He didn’t tell them the full extent of procedure. Everyone confirmed to social roles. Zimbardos gf came in and ended up stopping experiment

Question 26

Outline milgrams baseline study

Answer 26

American men participated in a teacher learner process (volunteer was always the teacher and confederate was always the learner - rigged) learner had to answer memory questions and if incorrect they got shocked by the teacher but each time they got it wrong the teacher would increase the voltage. They could stop if they wanted but were manipulated to carry on his authority figure.

Question 27

What was milgrams aim?

Answer 27

Wanted to understand why a high proportion of German population obeyed Hitlers commands. He decided to test the idea that Germans were different to people of other countries and they simply have been more obedient.

Question 28

What was Milgrams procedure?

Answer 28

He posted image in newspaper for participants-paid £4.50. 40 American men (20-50) took part, Yale uni and told it was baseline study based on memory. Introduced to another participant (confederate) and drew sticks - rigged so confederate was always learned and participant was always teacher. Experimenter also involved dressed in grey lab coat (confederate). Teacher was given a genuine shock beforehand and then learned strapped to chair and every time they got a pair of words wrong they got a shock, voltage they got ‘shocked’ with ^ everytime they got answer wrong (slight shock to intense shock) 15 V to 450 V. When teacher got to 300 V they pounded on wall and did not give a response for rest of study. 315 V he pounded 1 last time and remained silent for rest of study.

Question 29

What were the results of Milgrams study?

Answer 29

All participants went to 300 V (intense shock) with 12.5% stopping here (5 participants) 65% continued to 450 V - fully obedient. Milgrams also observed many participants showed signs of extreme anxiety, tension many were seen to sweat, dig fingernails into hands, tremble, stutter etc

Question 30

What were conclusions of Milgrams study?

Answer 30

Concluded Germans were not just different from others as American participants were also willing to obey orders even when they’d knew they were harming another persons. He felt as though there were other factors in the situation that encouraged obedience.

Question 31

What are some evaluation points of Milgrams study? Research support… Low internal validity… External validity… Ethical issues…

Answer 31

80% of contestants of game show delivered max shock of 460 V to apparently unconscious man and they displayed similar behaviour to Milgrams participants Orne and Holland suggest participants were only responding to demand characteristics and only behaved how they did because they didn’t believe the set up and simply what they thought the experimenter wanted them to do hofling et al studied nurses on hospital ward and found 21/22 nurses willing to administer a lethal dose of fake drugs to patients, shows the results of Milgrams study research can be generalised to other situations. Participants in the study were deceived on the aims of the study, allocations of roles and nature of shocks. However Milgram did debrief his participants and a questionaire showed 84% were glad to have taken part.

Question 32

What 4 things could experimenter say to order participant (teacher) to continue?

Answer 32

Please continue The experiment requires you to continue It is absolutely essential you continue You have no other choice you must go on

Question 33

What are the variations of Milgrams study?

Answer 33

Proximity Uniform Location

Question 34

What is proximity and how is it related to Milgrams study?

Answer 34

How close an authority figure is to the person they’re giving an order to as well as how close the ‘teacher’ and ‘learner’ were to each other. Experimenter was sat in same room and teacher but learned and teacher could not see each other. 3 variations: Teacher and leaner in same room - 40% Teacher forces learners hand on shock plate- 30% Experimenter gave orders by phone: 20.5% Teachers less likely to obey when same room as learner as they’re no longer protected against the consequences of their actions. Least obedient when experimenter is not physically present by giving lower V shocks than ordered or skipping them entirely

Question 35

What is location and how is it related to Milgrams study?

Answer 35

Place where an order is issued-relevant factor that influences obedience is the status associated with the location. Milgram conducted his study in a run down office block rather than in the Yale uni setting (the baseline of the study)

Question 36

What is uniform and how does it relate to Milgrams study?

Answer 36

People in positions of authority often have a specific outfit that is symbolic of their authority, means they’re entitled to expect our obedience. In baseline study the experimenter wore a grey lab coat as a symbol as his authority.

Question 37

What is a weakness of Milgrams study?

Answer 37

It has low internal validity- orne and Holland proposed the idea that particpants may have been aware it was fake e.g. when experimenter was replaced with a member of the public (that doesn’t happen regularly). In all of Milgrams studies it’s unclear whether the findings are genuinely due to the operation of obedience or because participants saw through deception and just ‘’play-acted”

Question 38

What is the agentic state?

Answer 38

Mental state where we feel no personal responsibility for our behaviour because we believe ourselves to be acting for an autonomy figure

Question 39

What is the autonomous state?

Answer 39

Being aware of the consequences of one’s own actions and therefore taking voluntary control of one’s own behaviour. This explains why some individuals act independently rather than obediently as in an agentic state

Question 40

What’s the process going from agentic state to autonomous state?

Answer 40

When someone perceived somebody else as an authority figure. Agentic shift occurs going from autonomous state ( free to act according to our own conscience ) to agentic state

Question 41

What are binding factors?

Answer 41

Aspects of the situation that allow the person to ignore or minimise the damaging effect of their behaviour and this reduce moral strain they’re feeling ( shift responsibility onto victims)

Question 42

Research support for the agentic state…

Answer 42

Milgrams Own studies support role of agentic state in obedience. Majority of Milgrams participants asked experimenter questions about procedure like “who is responsible if learner is harmed?” - because experimenter said he would be responsible, the participant’s fully obeyed

Question 43

How can agentic shift be considered a limited explanation?

Answer 43

Agentic shift does not explain many research findings about obedience. Agentic shift can only account for some situations of obedience.

Question 44

What is legitimacy of authority?

Answer 44

Explanation for obedience that suggests we’re more likely to obey people who we perceive to have authority over us. This authority is justified by the individuals position or power within a social hierarchy

Question 45

What is destructive authority?

Answer 45

Legitimate authority figure that leads you down a destructive path e.g. hitler

Question 46

How does this take into account cultural differences over the years?

Answer 46

Kilman and Mann only 16% of Australian women went to 450 volts whereas montell found 85% of Germans did

Question 47

Why might it not explain all types of obedience?

Answer 47

Rank and Jacobson found 16/18 nurses disobeyed orders from doctor to administer a dangerous drug to a patient despite the legitimate authority a doctor would have. However not all obedience can be explained and other factors may be important.

Question 48

What is an authoritarian personality?

Answer 48

A type of personality that Adorno argued was especially susceptible to obeying people in authority. Such individuals are thought to be of a higher status than others.

Question 49

Characteristics of an auhoritarian personality…

Answer 49

Obedient to authority Show extreme respect to authority Contempt for those considered to be in an inferior class Hugh conventional attitudes towards sex, race and gender Believe in strong leaders to enforce traditional values Believe everything is right/wrong Likely to have strict upbringing Unaccepting of new ideas

Question 50

Outline adornos baseline study…

Question 51

What was the aim of adornos study?

Answer 51

He wanted to test the idea that obedience and personality are linked

Question 52

What was the procedure of Adornos study?

Answer 52

Interviewed 2000+ middle clsss white Americans Various scales were used to measure they attitudes (including f-scale) towards other racial groups

Question 53

What were the results of Adornos study?

Answer 53

Those who scored highly on f - scale identify with strong people and looked down on weak Awareness of own/others status- showing greater respect to those of higher status Has distinctive stereotypes of different people Strong correlation between authoritarianism and prejudice

Question 54

What does the f-scale stand for?

Answer 54

Facism scale

Question 55

What are some evaluation points of the study?

Answer 55

Research support - fully obedient participants from Milgrams study - rated highly on f-scale Unlikely so many people have strict upbringing and similar personality (cannot account for obedience of entire social groups) F-scale flawed due to acquiescence bias (tendency to agree) and researchers bias

Question 56

What is and how can you resist conformity?

Answer 56

The ability of people to withstand the social pressure to conform to the majority or to obey authority. Influenced by both positional and dispositions factors.

Question 57

What is a locus of control?

Answer 57

Sense we each have about what directs the events in our lives. You can be internal, external or a mixture of both (average)

Question 58

What does having an internal locus of control mean?

Answer 58

Believe they’re mostly responsible for what happens to them.

Question 59

What does having an external locus of control mean?

Answer 59

Believe it is mainly a matter of luck or other outside forces (people) who decide the events in our lives.

Question 60

What is social support?

Answer 60

Presence of people who resist pressures to conform or obey can help others to do the same.

Question 61

Who are more likely to be able to resist social influence? Internal LOC or external LOC…

Answer 61

People with high internal LOC; they take responsibility for their own actions. Base decisions on own beliefs rather than others.

Question 62

Minority influence, what is it?

Answer 62

A form of social influence which a minority of people persuaded others to adopt their beliefs, attitudes and behaviours. Private attitudes are changed as well as public behaviours.

Question 63

What are 3 things a minority influence must be?

Answer 63

Consistent Committed Flexible

Question 64

What’s consistency?

Answer 64

It’s when the minority influence is most effective when they keep the same beliefs both overtime and between all individuals.

Question 65

What are the 2 types of consistency? And what do they do…

Answer 65

Synchronic- they’re all saying the same thing Diachronic- they’ve been saying the same thing for sometime now

Question 66

What is commitment?

Answer 66

Minority influence is more powerful if it demonstrates dedication to their position e.g. making personal sacrifices.

Question 67

What’s flexibility?

Answer 67

Relentless consistency could be counterproductive if it’s seen unreasonable. Therefore minority influence is more effective if it shows flexibility by accepting the possibility of compromise.

Question 68

What is the research support for consistency? Moscovici…

Answer 68

Blue/green slide study show’s consistent minority opinion has greater effect on changing the views of other people than an inconsistent opinion. Wood et al carried out a meta-analysis of almost 100 similar studies Anne found minorities who were seen as being consistent were most influential.

Question 69

What is social influence?

Answer 69

Process by which individuals and groups change each others attitudes and behaviours

Question 70

What’s social change?

Answer 70

When societies adopt new attitudes, beliefs and ways of doing things.

Question 71

Name the six stages of the “six stage process of social change”

Answer 71

Draw attention Consistency Deeper processing Augmentation principle Snowball effect Social cryptomnesia

Question 72

What does each stage mean (draw attention, consistency, deeper processing, augmentation principle, snowball effect, social cryptomnesia)

Answer 72

Provide social proof of the issue at hand- civil rights marches drew attention to racism Synchronic and diachronic- minority display a message and intent Make people start to think about the issues because it’s different Individuals engage in risky acts to show their dedication More and more people began to accept the issuer until is becomes the majority view People forget the events that led to changes