Chapter 1 Social Influence - Conformity

Question 1

Conformity - Asch´s research - Baseline procedure?

Answer 1

123 men judged line lengths. Confederates deliberately gave wrong answers.

Question 2

Conformity - Asch´s research - Findings?

Answer 2

Naive pts conformed on 36.8% of trials. 25% never conformed.

Question 3

Conformity - Asch´s research - Variations?

Answer 3

• Group size - Varied group size from 2 to 16. Conformity increased up to 3, then levelled off.
• Unaminity - Placed a dissenter (conf) in the group. Conformity rate reduced.
• Task difficulty - Made line lengths more similar. Conformity increased when task was harder (ISI).

Question 4

Conformity - Evaluation of Asch´s research - Artifical situation & task? WEAK

Answer 4

Pts knew this was a study so they just played along with a trivial task.

Question 5

Conformity - Evaluation of Asch´s research - Limited application? WEAK

Answer 5

Research only conducted on American men.

Question 6

Conformity - Evaluation of Asch´s research - Research support? STRONG

Answer 6

Lucas et al found more conformity when maths problems were harder.

Question 7

Conformity - Evaluation of Asch´s research - Ethical issues? WEAK/STRONG

Answer 7

Research may help avoid mindless conformity, but pts were decieved.

Question 8

Types & Explanations - Types of conformity - Internalisation?

Answer 8

Private & public acceptance of group norms.

Question 9

Types & Explanations - Types of conformity - Identification?

Answer 9

Change behaviour to be part of a group we identify with, may change privately too.

Question 10

Types & Explanations - Types of conformity - Compliance?

Answer 10

Go along with group publicly but no private change.

Question 11

Types & Explanations - Explanations of conformity - Informational social influence (ISI)?

Answer 11

Conform to be right. Assume group knows better than us.

Question 12

Types & Explanations - Explanations of conformity - Normative social influence (NSI)?

Answer 12

Conform to be liked or accepted by group.

Question 13

Types & Explanations - Evaluation - Research support for NSI? STRONG

Answer 13

When no normative group pressure (wrote answers), conformity down to 12.5% (Asch).

Question 14

Types & Explanations - Evaluation - Research support for ISI? STRONG

Answer 14

Pts relied on other people´s answers to hard maths problems (Lucas et al).

Question 15

Types & Explanations - Evaluation - Individual differences in NSI? WEAK

Answer 15

nAffiliators want to be liked more, so conform more (McGhee & Teevan).

Question 16

Types & Explanations - Evaluation - Is the NSI/ISI distinction useful? WEAK/STRONG

Answer 16

NSI/ISI distinction may not be useful but Asch´s research supports both.

Question 17

Conformity to social roles - Zimbardo´s research - The Stanford prison experiment?

Answer 17

• Mock prison with 21 student volunteers, randomly assigned as guards or prisoners.
• Conformity to social roles created through unforms (e.g. loose smocks, carrying wooden club) & instructions about behaviour (e.g. guards have power).

Question 18

Conformity to social roles - Zimbardo´s research - Findings related to social roles?

Answer 18

• Guards became increasingly brutal, prisoners´rebellion put down & prisoners became depressed.
• Study stopped after 6 days.

Question 19

Conformity to social roles - Zimbardo´s research - Conclusions related to social roles?

Answer 19

Pts strongly conformed to their social roles.

Question 20

Conformity to social roles - Evaluation of Zimbardo´s research - Control? STRONG

Answer 20

Random assignment to roles increased internal validity.

Question 21

Conformity to social roles - Evaluation of Zimbardo´s research - Lack of realism? WEAK

Answer 21

• Pts play-acted their roles according to media-derived stereotypes (Banuazizi & Movahedi).
• Counterpoint - evidence prisoners thought prison was real to them e.g. 90% conversations about prison (McDermott).

Question 22

Conformity to social roles - Evaluation of Zimbardo´s research - Exaggerates the power of roles? WEAK

Answer 22

Only 1/3 of guards were brutal so conclusions exaggerated (Fromm).