Social Influence Flashcards
(22 cards)
What is social Influence
The process through which the attitudes, beliefs or behaviors of an individual are changed by the present or actions of others
What is conformity
Conformity can be defined as giving into group pressure. Conformity occurs when a person adapts, beliefs and behaviors of people in a particular group in response to either real or imagined pressure
What are the 3 types of levels/types of social influence
Compliance (shallow)
Identification (Intermediate)
Internalization (deep)
What is the baseline procedure of the asch study
123 male Americans used in total. Groups of 8-10 asked to complete a line judgment test for vision.
Participants around a table were shown 2 cards where they took turns to identify which 1 of 3 lines on the 2nd card is identical to the 1 on the 1st card. - Correct answer always obvious.
All participants except 1 were confedorates. Confeds gave unanimous wrong answers on 12 out of 18 trials ‘critical trials’
Explain the concept of internalisation (3)
Internalisation results in a private aswell as public change of opinions/behaviour. This change is likely to be permanent the attitudes have been internalised - become part of the own persons belief. The change in behaviour stays even when in absence of other group members (ISI)
Explain the concept of identification (3)
Individually agrees publically but not privately with the group. A temporary behaviour change as there behaviour is just to fit in with the group/ avoid rejection. Compliance is typically due to NSI
Explain the concept of Social Influence (3)
The process through which the attitudes, beliefs or behaviors of an individual are changed by the present or actions of others
What are the 2 types of Social influence
Normative social influence
Informative social influence
Explain Informational social influence
Motivated by the need to be right. When in a new, uncertain situation, looking to see what others are doing and copy. Results in internalisation.
E.g. Starting college and copying the older year because “they know what to do”
Explain normative social influence
Motivated by the desire to be accepted by others, inclined to conform to the group to gain acceptance. Results in compliance - change opinions publically not privately.
Results of the Base procedure asch task
Overall conformity rate in the critical trials was 32%. 75% conformed atleast once. 5% conformed all 12 times
Types and explanations for conformity (A01)
TYPE: Compliance - agrees externally buy keeps personal opinions. Temporary change. As it’s to fit in - it’s generally NSI.
TYPE: Identification - Behavior and private values change only when with the group as membership is valued.
TYPE: Internalisation - Personal opinions genuinely change, permanent change due to ISI
EXPLANATION: NSI: driven by a desire to be liked & accepted. Appear normal and be majority, temp.
EXPLANATION: ISI: Desire to be correct, look to others assuming they have more knowledge, permanent.
Explanations for conformity (AO3)
(+) Suppourt for ISI, For example Jenness study where she asked participants individually for an estimate on the amount of beans in a jar, and then after group discussion, P’s had to give another estimate, and people changed there estimate to the group number. Changed to be right
(+) Asch’s origional research suppourts evidence for NSI, for example 75% of participants conformed atleast once despite the answers being unambiguous. TIIB p’s didnt want to stand out or be rejected from group.
(-) Asch study is artificial, in a controlled lab doing line tasks, dosent reflect real world, lacks ecological validity bcs findings can’t be generalized.
Aschs study and variations to Aschs study for conformity(A01)
•AIM= Investigate whether people would conform to the majority in obvious situations.
•PROCEDURE= Participants shows 2 cards, one with a standard line and then one with 3 comparison lines, In which they had to say matched the standard line, 1 participant alongside 6-8 confeds giving wrong answers. 12/18 critical trials. 123 American males.
•FINDINGS= 36.8% of responses lined up with confeds. 75% conformed atleast once.
VARIATIONS
•Group size - when group size changed to 3 confeds, conformity dropped by 5%.
• Unanimaty - person more likely to conform if whole group goes one. Conformity decrease if 1 person gives the right answer.
•Task difficulty - like task made more difficult - increase in conformity
Discuss Zimbardoes study for Conformity to socials roles (A01)
Aim: test conformity to social roles.
Fake Prison created in the basement of Standford University.
21 most stable student volunteers randomly allocate to either guard or prison - encouraged to conform to roles and were arrested in their homes.
Zimbardo also took on a role as ‘superintendent’
UNIFORMS
Prisoners - loose smock, cap over hair, identified by a number.
Guards - reflecting shades (deindividuation), wooden club, handcuffs.
RESULTS
Within first few days, guards grew increasingly abusive. They conducted headcounts,called numbers. One prisoner became anxious, one went on hunger strike and put in ‘the hole’
Conclusions:
Social roles appear to have a strong influence on individuals behaviours. Guards became submissive.
Zimbardo A03
(+) High control, emotionally stable individuals, randomly assigned prison and guard, set uniforms.
(-) Participants not protected from harm, Participant left on second day due to emotional distress.
Wouldn’t be passed BPS, has ethical issues.
Sample group
Explanations for obedience (A01)
● Milgram argues in the right situation most people will show destructive obedience to an authority figure.
●Agentic state: state of mind in which the individual believes they dont have responsibility for their behaviour as they are acting as the agent of an authority figure. Individual does stuff they morally oppose as they see authority figure as responsible.
The autonomous state (feeling responsible) to agentic state is called agentic shift.
Legitimacy of authority : through socialisation individual learn a social hierarchy, and obey who is above not below. LOA needed for society to function and communicated through visible symbols such as uniform and setting.
Situational variables affecting obedience. Milgram (A01)
Milgram conducted study to test extreme obedience. 40 male 20-50 volunteers believed to do study on punishment affecting memory and learning.
Participants given teacher and introduced to proffesor in lab coat and confed learner in diff room strapped to electrodes. Participants told to deliver electric shocks (15-450volts). At 300 the learner made noise and refused to go om bit teacher encouraged using promts.
Results: 100% -> 300 volts. 12.5% stopped at 12.5, 65 to 45%.
(Proximity) Instructions over phone, obedience dropped.
(Location) At office instead of uni.
(Location) - Office instead of uni decreased obedience
(Uniform) decreases obedience
Conclusion: under circumstances participants do obey authority.
(Milgram) situational variables affecting obedience
Milgram research suppourts the agentic state. The ecperimenter accepts responsibility for the learner. Suppourts agentuc state
Low population validity
High control, experimental method. - lab - internally valid.
Explanations of resistance to social influence: (Social suppourt A01/A03)
Social suppourt: Seeing others resistance reduces the oressure to conform or obey yo authority. A disobedient role model challenges the LOA.
Non-conformist ally/ dissenter breaks group unanimity
Milgram - 2 confed teachers stopped at 150 and 210
Explanation to resistance to social influence LOC (A01/A03)
Rotterdam 1966: High internal LOC; people see themselves responsible so resist social influence. High external LOC see fate or luck more so less empowerd to use change
Holland replicated milgram study and tested.
