Social Influence Paper 1

Question 1

What is conformity?

Answer 1

The influence that social pressure has on our thoughts, behaviours and decisions

Question 2

What is compliance?

Answer 2

Individual publicly agrees but disagrees privately. A way to gain approval, associated with NSI and is a temporary form

Question 3

What is identification?

Answer 3

Individual adopts behaviour/beliefs as they value membership. They conform privately and publicly due to wanting association. It is temporary and strong but fades

Question 4

What is internalisation?

Answer 4

Individual accepts beliefs and makes it their own- private and public agreement. The strongest and most permanent form of conformity

Question 5

What was the aim of Asch’s study?

Answer 5

To investigate whether individuals would conform to the majority, even if the correct answer is obvious

Question 6

What was the methodology of Asch’s study?

Answer 6

123 male American students were told they were taking part in a visual perception task. They were provided with 1 line and 3 comparison line and were asked to state which line matched the standard. Each participant was placed in groups 6-8 and the other people in the group were confederates who purposefully said the wrong answer. The participant always answered second to last. The confederates gave the same incorrect answer on 12/18 trials.

Question 7

What were the findings of Asch’s study?

Answer 7

36.8% was the conformity rate
75% of participants conformed once/ 25% conformed never

Question 8

What did the participants state their reasoning for conforming was in Asch’s study?

Answer 8

Avoiding ridicule, doubting judgment, believing the majority was correct

Question 9

What was the conclusion of Asch’s study?

Answer 9

Group influence affected inidvidual behaviour

Question 10

What were Asch’s variations?

Answer 10

1) Group size- One confederate had 3% conformity, 3 confederates had 32% conformity and 15 confederates had decreased conformity due to suspicion

2) Unanimity- Conformity decreased when asked to write answers instead of verbally provide them. Dissenter was used who disagreed with the A)majority or B)everyone. Both decreased conformity

3) Task difficulty- Asch made comparison lines more similar. Conformity increased as difficulty did- ISI example

Question 11

What are the strengths of Asch’s research into social influence?

Answer 11

Supporting evidence- Lucas et al (2006) found participants conformed more on harder maths tasks. Asch is correct in his claim which increases concurrent validity. However, participants with higher confidence in maths and their ability conformed less highlighting individual differences play a role in conformity.

Question 12

What are the limitations of Asch’s research into social influence?

Answer 12

Ethical issues- Deception was used which may have caused psychological harm. However, a cost benefit analysis would evaluate this risk

Artificial- demand characteristics and lack of ecological validity pointed out by Fiske (2014) who used varied groups

Population Validity- gender bias and cultural bias due to androcentric sample lacks generalisation (Bond and Smith). USA is an individualist culture and conformity rates in collectivist cultures is higher. However, Perrin and Spencer (1980) replicated Asch’s study with British Engineeering studies finding that lower conformity ratees which shows cultural and temporal factors do have a role but conformity is still of occurance in many, varied populations

Question 13

Who created the ideas of NSI and ISI?

Answer 13

Deutsch and Gerard (1955)

Question 14

What is NSI?

Answer 14

Normative Social Influence-
The desire to be liked, associated with compliance, an emotional process, seen in social situations

Question 15

What is ISI?

Answer 15

Informational Social Influence-
The desire to be right, associated with internalisation, a cognitive process, seen in ambigious situations

Question 16

What research supports NSI?

Answer 16

Asch- participants didn’t want to seem like the odd one out. When writing, conformity dropped by 12.5%, as the need for social approval wasn’t apparent

McGhee and Teevan (1967)- People with a high need for affiliation and relatability were more likely to conform

Question 17

What research supports ISI?

Answer 17

Jenness (1932)- Jelly bean task- private eestimates shifted towards the group response

Lucas et al- participants solving easy and hard maths questions. Participants conformed more to incorrect answers when the problems got harder, supporting ISI. However, the study found participants with high confidence in maths conformed less on difficult tasks, highlighting individual factors

Question 18

What are social roles?

Answer 18

Behaviours expected of individuals in different social groups, linked commonly to power or authority and appropiate behaviour

Question 19

What are dispositional factors?

Answer 19

Internal factors that help to explain the behaviour of certain people, like traits and personality

Question 20

What are situational factors?

Answer 20

External influences or circumstances, like environment, people, or events, that can impact a person’s behavior, decision-making, or actions

Question 21

What was the procedure of Zimbardo’s study?

Answer 21

-24 Male students, described as mentally stable and sound randomly allocated as a prisoner or guard
-Mock prison set up
-Prisoners provided with numbers, deindividuated, names taken away. Arrested at home, strip-searched, fingerprints taken
-Guards provided with batons, glasses and uniforms
-Volunteer sampling
-Participant observation as Zimbardo was parole supervisor and researcher
-Overt observation
-Confined to their cells for 23 hours and had to follow 16 strict rules

Question 22

What was the aim of Zimbardos study?

Answer 22

To investigate the behaviour of individuals when assigned to social roles

Question 23

What were the findings of Zimbardos study?

Answer 23

-Planned to last for 2 weeks, lasted for 6 days
-Prisoners rebelled, guards responded with fire extinguishers and hitting
-Officers became aggressive, cruel and abusive
-Prisoner went on hunger strike and was force fed
-Three prisoners left due to emotional distress
-Guards acted sadistic, did not feel guilty and lacked empathy
-Prisoners were depressed, subdued and anxious

Question 24

What were the strengths of Zimbardo’s study?

Answer 24

-Participants weren’t acting- McDermott (2019) found 90% of prisoners conversations were about the prison which shows a deep engagement with the study and scenario. Prisoner 416 believd real prison authorites ran the experiment. This increases internal validity as behaviour is naturalistic. However, demand characteristics may play a role in behaviour still

Question 25

What is Banuazizi and Mohaved's limitation of Zimbardo's study?

Answer 25

Participants were acting and behaviour was based off stereotypical representations, not their own such as a 'guard' stating his characer was based off Cool Hand Luke which decreases internal validity

Question 26

What is Fromm's limitation of Zimbardo's study?

Answer 26

Not all guards behaved the same way which ignores individual differences as 1/3 were brutal 1/3 wer kind and 1/3 were fair which suggests dispositional factors do play a role in conformity to social roles. It argues Zimbardo's conclusion was deterministic

Question 27

What is Reicher and Haslam's limitation of Zimbardo's study?

Answer 27

Lacks explanatory power- they conducted the BBC Prison Study and found guards only became brutal if they strongly identified with the social role which highlights conformity is an active choice. This links to Social Identity Theory that groups influence self concept

Question 28

What was the aim of Milgrams study?

Answer 28

The experiment studied obedience to authority, exploring whether individuals would obey instructions to harm another person because an authority figure told them to

Question 29

What was the procedure of Milgrams study?

Answer 29

Participants would be in a room with a confederate who acted as the experimenter. Another confederate came in the room and they randomly picked a role which was either learner or teacher. This was rigged and the participant always got the teacher. They were given a trial shock of 45V for authenticity. They gave word pairs to the learner and was requested to shock them if they got it wrong. 3/4 times the learner got the answer wrong. Mr Wallace was the confederate. The experimenter gave 4 verbal prods. The sample was 40 male participants aged 20-50 in New Haven It took place in a controlled environment in Yale University

Question 30

What were the findings of Milgram's study?

Answer 30

65% went to the highest voltage of 450V 100% went to 300V Participants showed signs of distress like sweating, panic and trembling- 3 had seizures

Question 31

What is obedience?

Answer 31

Direct type of social influence involving following orders by an invididual perceived to be an authority figure

Question 32

What does Beauvoirs 2012 research show

Answer 32

Strength- He replicated Milgrams study in 2012 on a French TV show where the participants were instructed by the presenter to administer fake shocks to another participant Shows high reliability Shows that different settings are still applicable with obedience

Question 33

What does Orne and Holland’s study show?

Answer 33

Limitation- participants may have believed the experiment was set up, reducing the internal validity. This means they behaved due to demand characteristics rather than obedience

Question 34

What does Perrys 2013 research show?

Answer 34

Limitation- he analysed findings from the tapes of Milgrams study and found that many expressed doubts over the authenticity of the shocks which shows participants only acted the way they did due to believing it was fake rather than obedience. This means it lacks internal validity

Question 35

What does Sheridan and Kings research show?

Answer 35

Strength- the participants were genuinely obedient . Told to give shocks to a puppy- 54% of male participants and 100% of female participants still administered fatal shock. This increases validity and generalisability (population validity)

Question 36

What does Haslams study show?

Answer 36

Limitation- Social Identity Theory as the fourth prod led to disobeying when they said ‘You have no other choice , you must go on’ rather than scientific aims which shows they were willing to continue due to genuine purpose

Question 37

What does Baumrinds study show?

Answer 37

Limitation- Ethical concerns like distress and deception

Question 38

What are situational variables?

Answer 38

Features of immediate physical and social environment which may influence a persons behaviour

Question 39

What were the situational variables in Milgrams study?

Answer 39

Proximity, location and uniform

Question 40

How was proximity tested in Milgrams study as a situational variable and what did it conclude?

Answer 40

-Victim in same room- 40% -Teacher forcing hand on to shock plate- 30% -Experimenter on phone - 20% Participants psychologically distance themselves from consequences and actions so further proximity leads to less awareness of harm

Question 41

How was uniform tested in Milgrams study as a situational variable and what did it it conclude?

Answer 41

Experimenter was dressed as a normal member of the public and casual clothing- 20% Uniforms encourage obedience and they are recognised as signs of authority and legitimacy

Question 42

How was location tested as a situational variable and what can it conclude?

Answer 42

Run down office block- 47.5% Prestigious environments give legitimacy and authority. Scientific procedure look increased obedience

Question 43

What does Bickmans 1974 show?

Answer 43

In a New York field study, participants were asked to carry out requests like pick up litter and lend money , odd and specific requests. They were asked by different uniforms like milk maids; suit and tie and security guard. People were twice as likely to obey the security guard than the rest which shows the real life applicability

Question 44

What did Smith and Bonds 1998 study show?

Answer 44

Most replications have been done in Western societies which are not culturally different from America which indicates a lack of generalisability and ecological validity

Question 45

What is Mandela 1998 argument against Milgrams study?

Answer 45

It offers an excuse for evil behaviour as he argues it is offensive to the survivors of the holocaust that the Nazis were obeying orders and we’re victims themselves

Question 46

What is a situational explanation?

Answer 46

Attributes behaviour to external environmental factors rather than internal, personal characteristics. This includes social norms, authority figures and group/peer pressure

Question 47

What is the agentic state?

Answer 47

A mental state where we feel no responsibility for our actions/behaviour as we believe we are acting as an 'agent' and for an authority figure. There is high realisation when an individual realises wrongdoing

Question 48

What is the autonomous state?

Answer 48

A mental state where a person is independent over their actions and they are free, acting as according to their own principles and wishes

Question 49

What are binding factors?

Answer 49

Aspects of the situation which allow a person to minimise the damaging effects of their behaviour which reduces moral strain and keeps the agentic state active

Question 50

What is legitimacy of authority?

Answer 50

We are more likely to obey people who we perceive authority over. The authority is justified as the experimenter has the right to exert control and power over the individual

Question 51

What is destructive authority?

Answer 51

Powerful leaders using their authority in a harmful way like ordering people to behave dangerously- Eg Hitler

Question 52

What is a dispositional explanation?

Answer 52

Behaviour is highlighted as the individuals personality as a key factor

Question 53

What is an authoritarian personality?

Answer 53

A dispositional explanation where traits like strict discipline, high expectations in childhood, loyalty to family, severe criticisms and conditional love are attached

Question 54

What is the agentic shift?

Answer 54

From autonomous- agentic where someone else is perceived as an authority figure and at a greater position in the social hierarchy

Question 55

How does Milgram's 1963 original study link to the agentic state?

Answer 55

Most of Milgram's participants resisted at some point, asking who was responsible. They continued after the experimenter/confederate accepted blame for any harm caused. This shows binding factors allowed them to be obedient

Question 56

How does Rank and Jacobsons 1977 disapprove of the agentic state?

Answer 56

They replicated Hofflings's nurse study. 16/18 nurses disobeyed orders from a doctor on the phone to administer excessive drug dose. The nurses rejected an authority figure

Question 57

What does Mandel's 1998 study show about the autonomous state?

Answer 57

One incident in WW2 where German Police Battalions shot many civilians in Poland despite no orders to

Question 58

What is Kilham and Mann's 1974 study on obedience and Mantell's 1971 study show about cultures?

Answer 58

Replicated Milgram's procedure in Australia- 16% of participants went to 450V. Replicated Milgram's procedure in Germany and 85% of participants went to 450V. Across cultures, the agentic state is still visible but changes

Question 59

How does Kelman and Hamilton's 1989 study support the idea of a power hierarchy?

Answer 59

The My Lai massacre- unarmed civilians killed by American soldiers in Vietnam War

Question 60

What is the authoritarian personality and who stemmed it?

Answer 60

Adorno et al (1950)- -Believes in absolute obedience, submission to authority and a rigid adherence to traditional values -Shows contempt for those of lower social status and higher conventional attitudes towards sex, gender and race -Society needs to have strong leaders to enforce traditional values -Sees issues as right or wrong

Question 61

What is the F-Scale study by Adorno et al (1950)?

Answer 61

Sample- 2000 middle class, White Americans -Measured unconscious attitudes towards different racial groups -Developed F-Scale questionnaire to assess authoritarian traits

Question 62

What were the findings of the F-Scale study by Adorno et al (1950)?

Answer 62

-There is a strong correlation between prejudice and authoritarianism -High F-scale scores linked to admiring strong leaders, showing extreme submission to authority while expressing prejudice to that of lower status individuals -Authoritarian individuals displayed fixed stereotypes and rigid, black and white views

Question 63

What is Elms and Milgrams 1966 findings on the authoritarian personality?

Answer 63

Reported a correlational link that highly obedient participants in Milgram's study were significantly more authoritarian on the F-Scale than disobedient participants, supporting the link between authoritarian personality type and obedience

Question 64

What is Christie and Jahoda's 1954 argument against the F-Scale?

Answer 64

The F-Scale is politically biased as it ignores left-wing authoritarianism like Chinese Maoism and focuses on right wing like Nazis. Many extreme ideologies have common themes so therefore the F-scale is not a comprehensive dispositional explanation for the entirety of the political spectrum

Question 65

What is Greenstein's 1969 argument against the F-Scale?

Answer 65

The F-Scale has methodological errors like how you can select agree and get a high score, resulting in response bias

Question 66

What is Altemeyer's 1998 study supporting the authoritarian personality type?

Answer 66

Used a controlled experiment and reported that participants with an authoritarian personality type who were ordered to give shocks to themselves, gave higher shocks than those without the personality type, suggesting the higher levels of obedience

Question 67

What is the Middenthorp and Meleon's 1990 study on the authoritarian personality type?

Answer 67

Found that less educated people are more likely than well educated people to display authoritarian personality characteristics. This suggests that when explaining obedience, the level of education may be a factor as well

Question 68

What is social support?

Answer 68

The ability to withstand the social pressure to conform to the majority or to obey authority

Question 69

How does social support lead to resistance of conformity? (Asch)

Answer 69

Having someone else not following the majority or acting as a dissent enables the participant to be free to follow their own conscience. The confederate acts as a model of an independent behaviour in Asch's study as the dissent highlighted the majority is not unanimous any more

Question 70

How does Milgram's study show resistance to obedience?

Answer 70

In Milgram's variations, the rate of obedience dropped from 65% to 10% going to 450V when a dissent was present. The participant may not have followed the dissents behaviour but they act as a model for dissent. The legitimate authority figure is challenged which makes it easier to disobey them

Question 71

What does Albrecht's et al 2006 study show about a dissenter?

Answer 71

Teen Fresh Start 8 week programme to help pregnant teenagers to resist the peer pressure to smoke. They were paired with an older buddy- they were more likely to resist peer pressure to smoke than the control group without the buddy

Question 72

What does Gamson et al's 1982 study show about resistance in a group?

Answer 72

Participants were told to produce evidence to help an oil company run a smear campaign - there were higher levels of resistance than Milgrams study which shows situtational factors affecting resistance. 29/33 participants rebelled against orders

Question 73

What is the internal locus of control?

Answer 73

The belief that when things happen, they are down to being controlled by an individual

Question 74

What is the external locus of control?

Answer 74

The belief that when things happen, they are outside an individuals control

Question 75

Which LOC is more likely to resist social influence?

Answer 75

Internal LOC as their actions are viewed as their own responsibility. They are self confident, achievement orientated, with higher intelligence and a lower need for social approval

Question 76

Who created the idea of locus of control and when?

Answer 76

Rotter in 1966

Question 77

How does Holland's 1967 study support the idea of locus of control?

Answer 77

Repeated Milgram's baseline study and measured external/internal LOC. 37% of internals didn't continue to 450V whereas 27% of externals didn't continue to 450V, which agrees with internal locus of control is more likely to defy social pressures and disobey

Question 78

How does Twenge et al (2004) study disapprove of the locus of control?

Answer 78

Analysed data from American LOC studies conducted over a 40 year period which showed people became more resistant to obedience but more external- this questions the temporal validity of Rotter's work

Question 79

What does Rotter's later 1982 study suggest about LOC?

Answer 79

LOC is not the most important factor in determining someones resistance to social influence but it still has some control. LOC depends on the role of the situation and it only impacts new situations. If a person has already obeyed, they will obey again regardless of the internal and external LOC

Question 80

What is minority influence?

Answer 80

A small group/individuals ability to persuade the majority to adopt their views or behaviour. It is likely to lead to internalisation from informational social influence and highlight social change

Question 81

What is consistency?

Answer 81

Minority influence is more effective if the minority keeps the same beliefs over time, drawing attention to their view

Question 82

What is synchronic consistency?

Answer 82

All members say and believe the same thing

Question 83

What is diachronic consistency?

Answer 83

All members are consistent for a long period of time

Question 84

What is commitment?

Answer 84

The minority group must engage in extreme activities to draw attention, posing some threat or risk to self

Question 85

What is the augmentation theory?

Answer 85

People pay more attention and change views when commitment to a cause is shown

Question 86

What is flexibility?

Answer 86

Nemeth (1986) argued consistency on an extreme level may be off-putting so for success, a minority should be willing to adapt their viewpoint to fit others, accepting reasonable arguments and counter points

Question 87

What is the snowball effect?

Answer 87

If a source is committed, flexible and consistent, it is more likely to be acknowledged and processed. The deeper processing leads to conversion. As more people switch, the rate of conversion gets faster. This leads to a view of the minority becoming a view of the majority

Question 88

What was the method of Moscovici's 1969 study?

Answer 88

Six female undergraduates assessed 36 blue coloured slides that varied in intensity, stating if they were blue or green

Question 89

What were the groups and findings of Moscovici's 1969 study?

Answer 89

1st group- 2 confederates stated the slides were green 2/3 of times which led to a 8.42% increase in the minority being wrong. 32% of participants gave the same answer as the minority at least once 2nd group- Inconsistent majority meant agreement fell to 1.25% 3rd group- No confederates led to 0.25% of answers wrong

Question 90

What was the conclusion of Moscovici's 1969 study?

Answer 90

A consistent minority has a greater effect on other people than an inconsistent minority

Question 91

What real life examples are there are of minority influence?

Answer 91

Suffragettes, Civil Rights Movement

Question 92

What does Martin et al's (2003) research show about minority influence?

Answer 92

Strength- Research supports deeper processing and change of attitude Method- Measured participants agreement with a viewpoint before and after hearing it supported by a majority and minority Results-Less likely to change viewpoint after listening to minority Minority influence encourages deeper processing However- it was in a controlled environment so lacks ecological validity and a real life environment

Question 93

What are limitations of minority influence/research into?

Answer 93

-Tasks like in Moscovivi's study are arttifical, not linked to real life events. This lacks external validity as minority influence can be seen in life/death situations like jury decision making -Gender bias of Moscovici's study- not applicable

Question 94

What does Wood et al's (1994) study show about consistency in minority influence?

Answer 94

Strength- Consistency is a key factor Method- Conducted a meta analysis of 100 studies of Moscovici's replications Results- Minorities who consistently maintained who consistently maintained their viewpoint had the most influence. This signals strength and commitment in belief as qualities that make someone more likely to listen to a perspective. It creates doubt in the majority's position and influences deeper cognitive processing Link- Supports Moscovici's conversion theory which is evident in real life scenarios like civil rights movement and the suffragettes However- meta analysis may be affected by different methodologies and samples. Study design may affect the generalisability of results

Question 95

What is social change?

Answer 95

When a society adopts a new way of thinking or acting which becomes the norm. The shift of change is gradual but continuous.

Question 96

What are the steps to social change?

Answer 96

Drawing attention, consistency, deeper processing, augmentation principle, snowball effect, social cryptomnesia

Question 97

What is drawing attention?

Answer 97

Social proof like marches, public speeches. Growing peoples time or acknowledgement through acts

Question 98

What is constistency?

Answer 98

A group keeps the same belief and over time

Question 99

What is deeper processing?

Answer 99

People think on a deeper level about the unjustness of a situation or an act

Question 100

What is augmentation principle?

Answer 100

A person is more likely to acknowledge and process someone's argument if they are committed to it or show acts of extremity

Question 101

What is snowball effect?

Answer 101

An idea gaining speed of rate of conversion and more people adapting to change or influence

Question 102

What is social cryptomnesia?

Answer 102

People have a memory that change has occured but don't remember how

Question 103

What are limitations of social change?

Answer 103

-Indirect and delayed (Nemeth) -Not always leads to deeper processing (Mackie)- a majority influence is more effective -Resistance may be due to negative stereotypes (Bashir)

Question 104

What are strengths of social change?

Answer 104

-Real world applications (Nolan) as they hung messages in front of doors that most residents were trying to reduce their energy usage which led them to also try reduce their energy usage