Social influence AO1 Flashcards
(52 cards)
1
Q
What is Asch’s baseline procedure?
Conformity
A
- Wanted to assess to what extent people will conform to the opinion of others
- 123 American men were tested, each in a group with other participants
- each participant saw two large white cards on each trial
- The line X is the standard line, the other three lines acted as comparison lines
- on each trial the p’s had to say which of the lines was the same
2
Q
What were the baseline findings of Asch?
Conformity
A
- Genuine p’s agreed with confeds incorrect answers 36.8% of the time
- 25% of p’s never gave a wrong answer
3
Q
What are the variables investigated by Asch?
Conformity
A
- Group size= wanted to know if size of group is more important than agreement
- varied no of confederates from one to 15
- curvilinear relation between group size and conformity
- conformity increased with group size
- 3 confeds= conformity 31.8% - Unanimity= presence of non conforming person affect naive
- introduced confed who disagreed with a confed
- genuine p conformed less often in presence of a dissenter - task difficulty= increased difficulty of the line judging task by making the stimulus and comparison line more similar to each other
- conformity increased
- may be that it becomes more ambiguous
4
Q
What are the 3 types of conformity?
Types and explanations of conformity
A
- Internalisation
- Identification
- Compliance
5
Q
Describe internalisation
Types and explanations of conformity
A
- occurs when a person genuinely accepts the group norms
- results in private and public change of opinion and behaviour
- Usually permanent
- persists even in absence of group members
6
Q
Describe identification
Types and explanations of conformity
A
- We conform to the opinions/ behaviour of a group because there is something about the group we value
- We identify with the group so we want to be a part of it
- publicly change ops/beh to be accepted even if we don’t agree
7
Q
Describe compliance
Types and explanations of conformity
A
- going along with others in public
- not privately changing ops/beh
- Superficial change
- behaviour stops as group pressure stops
8
Q
What did Deutsch and gerard develop?
Types and explanations of conformity
A
- A two process theory
- There are two main reasons people conform
- Based on two central human needs
- Need to be right (ISI)
- Need to be liked (NSI)
9
Q
What is informational social influence?
Types and explanations of conformity
A
- Who has better information
- we go with the majority because we want to be right and they are likely to be correct
- it is a cognitive process because it is to do with what you think
- permanent change
- Internalisation
10
Q
What is normative social influence?
Types and explanations of conformity
A
- We agree with the opinion of the majority because we want to gain social approval and be liked
- For this reason it is emotional not cognitive
- temp change in ops/beh
- Likely to lead to compliance
11
Q
In what situations are ISI and NSI likely?
Types and explanations of conformity
A
ISI= situations that are new to a person, where there is ambiguity, in crisis situations
NSI= Situations where you may feel concerned about rejection, also occur with people you know (social approval of friends), more pronounced in stressful situations
12
Q
Describe the SPE
Conformity to social roles
A
- Zimbardo set up a mock prison in the basement of psychology dept of stanford Uni
- 21 volunteer men who are emotionally stable
- Randomly assigned to play the role of prisoner or guard
- they were encouraged to conform to social roles through uniforms and instructions about behaviour
13
Q
How were uniforms and behavioural instructions used in the SPE?
Conformity to social roles
A
Uniform
- Loose smock, cap, identified by number
- guards had own uniform to reflect the status of their role
- guards had wooden club, handcuff and mirror shades
- Creates a loss of personal identity (de-individuation)
Behavioural instructions
- Rather than leaving early they would have to apply for parole
- guards encouraged by being reminded that they had complete power over prisoners
14
Q
What were the findings related to social roles SPE?
Conformity to social roles
A
- guards took up roles with enthusiasm, treating prisoners harshly
- within 2 days prisoners rebelled
- ripped uniforms and shouted at guards who retalliated with fire extinguishers
- guards used divide and rule tactic by playing prisoners off against each other as well as harassing them constantly to remind them of powerlessness (e.g headcounts at night)
- created opportunities to enforce punishments
- after rebeliion prisoners were subdued and depressed
- One sent home, two more on 4th day, one went on hunger strike and was put in a dark loset
- 6/14 days
15
Q
What were the conclusions of the SPE?
Conformity to social roles
A
- Social roles appear to have a strong influence on behaviour
- guards become brutal and prisoners became submissive
- even volunteers who came in found themselves behaving as if they were in a prison rather than a psychological study
16
Q
What was the baseline procedure of Milgram?
Obedience, Milgram
A
- 40 American men aged 20-50 from conneticut
- Supposedly study on memory
- Each were introduced to another participant (confed)
- drew lots to see who would be teacher and learner but the draw was fixed so the p was always the teacher
- Paid $4.50 for participating
- each time the learner misremembered the teacher had to deliver a strong fake electric shock
17
Q
What was the point in verbal prods?
Obedience, Milgram
A
To ensure that participants continued
18
Q
What were the 4 verbal prods?
Obedience, Milgram
A
- please continue
- The experiment requires that you continue
- it is absolutely essential you continue
- You have no other choice, go on
19
Q
What were the baseline findings of Milgram?
Obedience, Milgram
A
- All participants delivered shocks up to 300v
- 12.5% stopped at 300v
- 65% continued to 450v
- Collected qualitative data= many p’s seen to sweat, tremble, bite their lips, groan, two even had seizures
20
Q
What conclusions were drawn about Milgram?
Obedience, Milgram
A
- Concluded that german people are not different
- American p’s willing to obey orders even if they harm another person
21
Q
How were ethics controlled in Milgram?
Obedience, Milgram
A
- P’s were debriefed and assured that their behaviour was normal
- sent a follow up questionnaire and 84% were glad to have participated
22
Q
What were the 3 situational variables of Milgram?
Situational variables, Milgram
A
- Proximity
- Location
- Uniform
23
Q
Explain the situational variable: proximity
Situational variables, Milgram
A
- In this variation the T and L in same room
- Obedience rate dropped from 65 to 40%
- In the touch proximity the T had to force the L hand onto an electroshock plate if he refused to do so by himself, obedience dropped to 30
- In remote instruction variation the E left the room and gave instructions to T via phone, obedience reduced to 20.5
24
Q
Explain how proximity affects obedience?
Situational variables, Milgram
A
- Decreased proximity allows people to psychologically distance from the consequences of their actions
25
Explain the situational variable: Location
## Footnote
Situational variables, Milgram
- The variation was conducted in a run down office block rather than in Yale Uni
- obedience fell to 47.5%
Ex:
* The prestigious uni gave Milgram's study legitimacy and authority
* P's were more obedient here as they perceived the experimenter to have equal legitimacy and that obedience was expected
26
Explain the situational variable: Uniform
## Footnote
Situational variables, Milgram
- In one variation the E was called away
- The role of the E was taken by a member of the public (confed) in everyday clothes
- Obedience dropped to 20%
Ex:
* Uniforms encourage obedience as they are widely recognised as a symbol of authority
* we accept that someone in uniform is entitled to expect obedience as their authority is legitimate
27
What is the agentic state?
| Situational explanations
A mental state where we feel no personal responsibility for our behaviour because we believe ourselves to be acting for an authority figure. This frees us from the demands of our consciences and maintain psychological distance from our actions.
28
Describe what the autonomous state is
| Situational explanations
When we are free to behave according to their own principles and feel a sense of responsibility for their own actions
29
What is the term for the shift from autonomy to agency?
| Situational explanations
The agentic shift
30
When does the agentic shift occur?
| Situational explanations
Milgram suggested this occurs whena person perceives someone else as an AF
- The AF has greater power because they have a higher position in social hierarchy
31
What are binding factors?
| Situational explanations
Aspects of the situation that allow the person to ignore or minimise the damaging effect of their behaviour and thus reduce moral strain
32
What is meant by legitimacy of authority?
| Situational explanations
An explanation for obedience which suggests that we are more likely to obey people who we perceive to have authority over us. this authority is justified by the individual's position of power in a social hierarchy
33
What characteristics do people with an authoritarian personality portray?
| Dispositional explanation
According to adorno
- they show extreme respect and submissiveness to authority
- they view society as weaker than it once was so we need strong enforcing leaders
- more likely to obey
- show contempt for those of inferior social status
- black and white thinking
34
Who are targets for authoritarians and why?
| Dispositional explanation
'other' people because of their inflexible outlook on the world, they believe 'other' people are responsible for the ills of society
35
How does the authoritarian personality form?
| Dispositional explanation
According to adorno
- it forms in childhood as a result of harsh parenting
- parents give conditional love
36
What does a harsh upbringing cause?
| Dispositional explanation
- such experiences create resentment and hostility, cannot express feeling so they displace it onto someone weaker (scapegoating)
- explains hatred for socially inferior people
37
Describe Adorno's procedure.
| Dispositional explanation
- Studied more than 2000 middle-class white americans and their unconscious attitudes towards other ethnic groups
- F-scale (fascism)
- Examples of items from F-scale= 'obedience is the most important virtue for children to learn' and 'there is hardly anything lower than a person who does ot feel great love and respect for his parents'
38
What were the findings of Adorno's research?
| Dispositional explanation
- People with authoritarian learning identified with 'strong' people
- contemptuous of the weak
- very conscious of status and showed extreme respect and servility to those of higher status
- they have a certain cognitive style where there was no fuzziness between categories of people
- strong positive correlation between authoritarianism and prejudice
39
How might people resist to conform?
| Resistance to social influence
- If there are other people present who are not conforming
- e.g Asch
- the fact that someone is not following the majority acts as social support, enables naive to follow own conscience
- confederate acts as a model of independent behaviour
40
How do people resist obedience?
| Resistance to social influence
- the pressure to obey can be resisted if there is another person who is seen to disobey
- e.g milgram oebdience dropped fro 65-10% when the confed joined the participant
- the confed's disobedience acts as a model of dissent for p to follow
- ths frees him to act from his own conscience
- confed challenges the legitimacy of the AF
41
Who proposed locus of control?
| Resistance to social influence
- Rotter
42
What are the two types of LOC?
| Resistance to social influence
Internal= they believe that the things that happen to them are controlled by themselves
External= they tend to believe the things that happen are outside of their control
43
Which LOC is more likely to resist social influence and why?
| Resistance to social influence
- People with high internal LOC
- If a person takes responsibility they tend to base decisions on ow beliefs rather than others' opinions
- high internal LOC tend to be more self confident, these lead to greater resistance
44
What is minority influence?
| Minority influence
Refers to situations where one person or a small group of people influences the beliefs and behaviour of other people. Most likely to lead to internalisation- bot public and private beliefs are changed
45
Name 3 factors that are important for minority influence
| Minority influence
Consistency= increases the amount of interest, can take form of agrement between people in group (synchronic) or consistency over time (diachronic)
Commitment= may engage in extreme activities to draw attention to their views, important that it poses some risk to minority as it shows greater commitment, majority pays attention, augmentation principle
Flexibility= nemeth argued that consistency is not only important factor as it can be off putting, may seem unbending and dogmatic, need to be prepared to adapt their POV and accept reasonable counterarguments
46
How do we explain the process of change due to the 3 factors?
| Minority influence
- Hearing something new may lead u to think deeper especially if the source is commited, flexible and consistent
- This deeper processing is important in the process of conversion
- Snowball effect
47
Use the example of the african american civil rights movement to explain how social influence creates social change.
| Social influence and social change
1. Drawing attention- civil rights marches drew attention to segregation providing social proof of the problem
2. Consistency- civil rights activists represented a minority, remained consistent, many marchers over several years
3. Deeper processing- activism meant many people who acceped status quo begun to think deeply about the unjustness
4. augmentation principle- individuals risked their lives, many freedom riders were beaten, this indicates a strong belief and reinforces their message
5. The snowball effect- activists gradually got attention of US gov, more people backed them
6. Social cryptomnesia- people have a memory that change has occured but don't remember how
48
How does social influence lead to social change via conformity?
| Social influence and social change
- Environmental and health campaigns exploit conformity processes by appealing to NSI
- Messages on bins 'bin it- others do' and prevent young people from taking up smoking
- social change is encouraged by drawing attention to what the majority are doing
49
How can obedience lead to social change?
| Social influence and social change
- zimbardo suggested how obedience can lead to social change throgh gradual commitment
- once a small instruction is obeyed it becomes difficult to resist a bigger one
- people 'drift' into a new kind of behaviour
50
Describe Mosovici's research aim
| Minority influence
- wanted to see if a consistent min could influence a maj to give an incorrect answer
51
Explain the procedure of Mosovici's research
| Minority influence
- Sample consisted of 172 female p's who were told they were in a colour perception task
- placed in groups of 6 and shown 36 slides which were all varying shades of blue
- p's had to state the colour of each slide out loud
- 2 of the 6 p's were confederates
- and in the consistent conditions the confed said all 36 slides were green
- in the inconsistent the confeds said that 24 slides were green, 12 blue
52
What were the findings of Mosovici's research?
| Minority influence
- Consistent cond= real p's agreed on 8.2% of trials
- Inconsistent= p's agreed on 1.25% of trials
- shows a consistent min is 6.95% more effective
