Social influence

Question 1

Define conformity

Answer 1

A change in a persons behaviour or opinions as a result of real or imagined influence of pressure from others

Question 2

Name the three types of conformity

Answer 2

Compliance
Internalisation
Identification

Question 3

Define compliance

Answer 3

Going along with others in public but privately not changing opinion
Superficial and temporary

Question 4

Define internalisation

Answer 4

Occurs when a person genuinely accepts the group norms
Results in a private as well as public change
Permanent

Question 5

Define identification

Answer 5

Form of influence where an individual adopted an attitude or behaviour because they want to be associated with a particular person or group

Question 6

Explain normative social influence

Answer 6

• need to be liked
• public not private
• change in attitude/ behaviour is temporary

Question 7

Explain informative social influence

Answer 7

• the need to be right
• individual believes the group has more knowledge
• likely to be permanent

Question 8

Briefly evaluate explanations of conformity

Answer 8

✅Jenness
✅asch
❌artificial tasks
✅Schultz

Question 9

Explain Jenness study

Answer 9

Used a a glass bottle filled with white beans
Asked to individually estimate how many beans the glass bottle contained
They then divided into groups and provided a group estimate
After discussion the individually estimated the number of beans
Most changed there answers by considerable amount

✅support informative social influence

Question 10

Explain Aschs study

Answer 10

Line judgement task
3/4 confirmed on at least one trial
Each participant was tested individually with a group of 6-8 confederated
These all gave the same answer

✅ normative social influence- participants do not change their mind privately, they wanted the approval of other people

Question 11

Criticise aschs research

Answer 11

The use of artificial tasks has very low ecological validity and cannot he compared to normal every day tasks

Question 12

Explain Schultz

Answer 12

Wanted to persuade guests to reuse there towels rather than having fresh ones delivered

A sign placed saying 75% chose to reuse there towels everyday

People reduced their need for towels by 25%

✅ supports NSI

Question 13

Name the three variables affecting aschs research

Explain each

Answer 13

Group size- people are likely to comply as long as there are 3 or more other people in the group
Unanimity- the presence of a dissenter enabled the naive participant to behave more independently
Task difficulty - suggested ISI played a more important role when the task was harder

Question 14

Briefly evaluate aschs research

Answer 14

❌ecological validity
❌population validity
❌temporal validity
❌culture

Question 15

What is meant by temporal validity

Answer 15

Refers to how likely it is that the time period when a study was conducted has influenced the findings and whether they can be generalised to other periods of time

Question 16

Explain a criticism of aschs research: culture

Answer 16

• limited to western individualistic cultures
• this is because aschs study was conducted in the USA which is where individuals are much more focused on the self rather than the group
• when repeated in China (collectivist countries) conformity rates are far higher

Question 17

Explain Smith et al (cultural variations)

Answer 17

Average conformity rates:

• individualistic cultures: 25%
• collectivist cultures: 37%

Culturally limited

Question 18

Define social roles

Answer 18

The parts people play as members of various groups

Eg student/ child

Question 19

Describe the Stanford prison experiment

Answer 19

• Zimbardo
• participants all male students at stanford uni
• volunteer and randomly assigned to either prisoner or prison guard
• prisoners were arrested at home and taken to the mock prison in the uni given a uniform and a number
• prison guards given a uniform and mirrored Sunnies
• everyone conformed to their roles within the prison and the stereotypical behaviour of these roles
• deindividuation

Question 20

Define the term deindivuduation

Answer 20

Where u lose your sense of identity and personal responsibility

Question 21

Briefly evaluate zimbardos research into social roles

Answer 21

✅high level of control
❌ecological validity
❌population validity
❌ethical issues

Question 22

Describe some of the ethical issues involved in zimbardos study

Answer 22

• researcher bias
• protection from harm
• informed consent
• right to withdraw
• dehumanising

Question 23

define obedience

Answer 23

A form of social influence in which an individual follows a direct order from an authority figure

Question 24

Explain 3 differences between conformity and obedience

Answer 24

• conformity= no request you pick up the behaviour / obedience= direct request to change behaviour
• conformity= pressure from a group of people / obedience= request from just one person
• conformity= from a same status (a peer) / obedience= from a higher status

Question 25

Describe milgrams obedience study

Answer 25

- male Yale uni students - participants was paired with another person ( confederate) - supposedly draw straws for roles but participant was always teacher and confederate always learner - learner asked a question- got it wrong- teacher gives learner a shock - teacher encouraged with standardised prods - all participants shocked up 300 volts and 65% up to 450V

Question 26

Briefly evaluate milgrams research

Answer 26

❌ecological validity ✅real life supporting evidence: Hofling (nurses) ❌population validity ❌ethical issues

Question 27

Describe the study by hofling

Answer 27

They conducted a field experiment with nurses in a hospital ward, Nurses asked over the phone to administer a illegal dosage 21\22 obeyed and administered the drug

Question 28

What are the four explanations for obedience

Answer 28

1) situational variables 2) agentic state 3) legitimacy of authority 4) authoritarian personality (dispositional explanation)

Question 29

Define situational variables in relation to obedience

Answer 29

These are the factors that influence obedience that all relate to the external circumstances rather than the personalities of the people involved

Question 30

Name 3 situational variables Explain

Answer 30

1) proximity- obedience fell when the teacher and learner was in the same room - 65%➡️40% 2) location - conducting experiment in a run down building- fell to 47.5% 3) uniform- when the researcher was wearing everyday clothes obedience dropped to 20%

Question 31

briefly Evaluate milgrams variations (situational factors)

Answer 31

✅control of variables ✅bickman= the power of uniform ❌western cultures only

Question 32

Describe the study by bickman

Answer 32

Three Male researchers gave orders to 153 randomly selected participants The researchers were dressed in either three ways: suit, milkman or guard They gave orders to pedestrians Found people obeyed more when the researcher was a guard (80%) rather than a milkman or civilian (40%)

Question 33

Explain a criticism of situational variables: western cultures only

Answer 33

Milgrams research took place in the west This is a problem because these countries are individualistic, people in collectivist countries will obey instructions that come from within your group or benefit the group

Question 34

Define agentic state

Answer 34

A mental state where we feel no personal responsibility for our behaviour because we are acting for an authority figure

Question 35

Define agentic shift

Answer 35

Involved moving from an autonomous (independent) state into an agentic state

Question 36

Explain binding factors

Answer 36

Explains why a person remains in a agentic state, this is because the participant has commitment to the researcher and may fear appearing arrogant and rude

Question 37

List two evaluative points for agentic state

Answer 37

✅supporting evidence: hofling - nurses - fake drug - obeyed a perceived authority ❌does not fully account for real life obedience Doctors at Auschwitz: lifton Found people had shifted from caring doctors into people capable of carrying out lethal experiments This was a gradual and irreversible transition

Question 38

What is legitimacy of authority

Answer 38

Idea that we are more likely to obey people who we perceive to have authority over us because this persons authority is justified

Question 39

Evaluate legitimacy of authority

Answer 39

✅bickman ✅ Tarnow ❌cultural differences- Kilburn and Mann

Question 40

Explain tarnow study on legitimacy of authority

Answer 40

Obedience in the cockpit Aviation accidents Found excessive dependence on the captains authority and expertise

Question 41

Explain Kilburn and Mann study into cultural differences

Answer 41

Replicated milgrams study in Australia Only 16% of participants went up to top voltage scale

Question 42

What did Mantell find

Answer 42

85% of Germans shocked up to the maximum

Question 43

Describe the dispositional explanation

Answer 43

Obedience is caused by an individuals own personal characteristics rather than situational influences

Question 44

Define authoritarian personality

Answer 44

A type of personality that Adorno argues was characterised by strict compliance traditional values and a belief in absolute obedience or submission to authority

Question 45

List 3 characteristics of authoritarian personality

Answer 45

- very obedient to authority - extreme respect for authority - look down on inferior people

Question 46

Where does Adorno argue an authoritarian personality is created

Answer 46

In childhood as a result of harsh parenting

Question 47

What did Adorno argue harsh parenting leads to in a child

Answer 47

Resentment and hostility These were displaced onto others

Question 48

Explain adornos study

Answer 48

Investigated the cause of obedience in a study of Americans using a questionnaire Developed the f-scale test to measure authoritarian personality There was a strong positive correlation between authoritarianism and prejudice

Question 49

briefly evaluating authoritarian personality

Answer 49

pro: -elms and Milgram= found participants who were most obediant scored higher on the f-scale test con: -correlational research- difficult to establish cause and effect -culturally limited- pettigrew

Question 50

describe elms and milgrams research

Answer 50

repeated milgrams obediance study using the f-scale test found obediant participants scored higher on the f-scale test

Question 51

describe Pettigrews study

Answer 51

-white south africans showed high levels of anti-black prejudice but not authoritarianism, suggests personality type alone cannot explain why people are prejudice therefore extremely unlikely that they would all possess an authoritarian personality

Question 52

define resistance to social influence

Answer 52

the ability of people to withstand the social pressure to conform to the majority or obey authority

Question 53

define social support

Answer 53

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

Question 54

give an example of social support in aschs research

Answer 54

when the confederates werent unanimous, it inspired someone else to follow their own conscience, in this conformity dropped to 25%

Question 55

describe allen and levine | what does this support

Answer 55

found conformity decreased when there was one dissenter in an asch type study supports the view of social support

Question 56

describe gamson | what does this support

Answer 56

participants were in groups and had to produce evidence to falsely damage the reputation of an oil company 87.9% rebelled shows that peer support is linked to greater resistance

Question 57

define locus of control

Answer 57

this refers to the level of control we percieve to have over events and situations in our lives

Question 58

explain the difference between internal locus of control and external locus of control

Answer 58

internal LOC believes we are responsible for what happens to us external LOC believes it is mainly out of our control and down to outside forces

Question 59

which type of LOC would you expect to be linked to resistance to social influence

Answer 59

internal-able to resist conformity pressure and have control over our own lives

Question 60

what is the continuum

Answer 60

there isnt just internal and externalLOC but it is mor eof a continuum, a scale,

Question 61

evaluate LOC

Answer 61

pro: - oliner and oliner - holland con- -methodical problems= questionnaire

Question 62

describe oliner and oliners study

Answer 62

interviewed two group of non-jewish people who had lived through nazi germany and the holocaust compared 406 people who had protected and rescued the jews from the nazies and 126 who had not, found those who did rescue jews had internal LOC therefore shows how those with internal LOC can resist obediance even in the most dramatic of circumstances

Question 63

describe hollands study

Answer 63

repeated milgrams study and measured whether participants were internal or external found 37% of internal did not shock up to the highest level, whereas 23% of externals did not continue

Question 64

what is the problem with questionnaires

Answer 64

can lead to people to only give socially desirable answers to make themselves look better, weakens validity of results as not accurate

Question 65

who was the first person to identify the process of minority influence as a contrast to majority influence

Answer 65

Serge Moscovici

Question 66

define minority influence

Answer 66

refers to situations where one person or a small group of people persuade others to adopt their beliefs, attitudes or behaviours

Question 67

what are the three behavioural characteristics of minority influence

Answer 67

1) consistency 2) commitment 3) flexibility

Question 68

explain consistency

Answer 68

minority influence is effective if the minority keeps up the same belief over time and between all members of the minority

Question 69

explain commitment

Answer 69

most powerful if the minority demonstrate dedication tot heir position, eg making personal sacrifices

Question 70

explain flexibility

Answer 70

relentless consistency could be counter productive if it is seen by majority as unreasonable, more effective is accept the possibility of compromise

Question 71

describe moscovicis study into minority influence

Answer 71

two conditions: 1) two of the six participants were confederates, said all slides were green 2) two of the six were confederates said that 24 were green and 12 blue in condition 1 the real participants agree on 8.2% of trials, whereas in condition 2 participants only agreed on 1.25% of trials

Question 72

criticise moscovicis study

Answer 72

lacks population validity- all participants were female- not an accurate representation of whole population cannot generalise to men as well

Question 73

explain clarks study

Answer 73

twelve angry men experiment - 270 college students were asked to role play the part of jurors and read a summary of a court case presented in the film 12 angry men, students who were all unfamilair with the film had to decide whether the accused was guilty clark found that participants were most persuaded when they heard consistent persuasive arguments from the minority jury members

Question 74

criticise moscovicis and clarks study

Answer 74

clark- artificial tasks as it was a role play, nothing was really at stake ( demand characteristics?) moscovici- artificial tasks not applicable to everyday

Question 75

define social change

Answer 75

this occurs when whole societies rather than just individuals adopt new attitudes, beliefs and ways of doing things, for example womens rights and environmental issues

Question 76

what are the six steps of social change

Answer 76

1) drawing attention 2) consistency 3) deeper processing- those who had just accepted the status quo begin to question it 4) augmentation principle- were a number of incidents where individuals risked their lives, eg freedom riders 5) snowball effect- got attention of the us govt 6) social cryptoamnesia- change has occured but people cannot remember how it happened

Question 77

how does conformity contribute to social change

Answer 77

campaigners use normative social influence to influence others

Question 78

evaluate social influence and social change

Answer 78

methodical problems- moscovici- ecological validity asch- population vaLIDITY