Conformity

Question 1

Social Influence

Answer 1

When the behaviour of others can cause a person to change their behaviour.

Question 2

Conformity

Answer 2

When the behaviour of an individual or an individual or a small group is influenced by a larger or dominant group.

Question 3

3 types of conformity

Answer 3

Internalisation
Identification
Compliance

Question 4

Internalisation

Answer 4

The deepest level of conformity. Hence, a person changes both their public behaviour and their personal beliefs.It is usually a long time change.

Question 5

Identification

Answer 5

It is the middle level of conformity.Here a person changes their public behaviour(the way they act) but NOT their private beliefs. Changes are only while they are in the presence of of the group they are identifying with.Usually short term.

Question 6

Compliance

Answer 6

The lowest level of conformity. Here a person changes their public behaviour(the way they act) but not their personal beliefs but not their personal beliefs.Usually short term.

Question 7

Explanations of conformity-
Deutsch and Gerard(1955)

Answer 7

Informational conformity
Normative conformity

Question 8

Informative conformity

Answer 8

When you agree with a group because you are unsure of a situation.
If some if uncertain about what behaviour to show or what belief to hold, they seek information.
This conformity could be shown in a new situation to a person. ∴ seek guidance.

Question 9

Normative conformity

Answer 9

When you agree with a group because you have a need for social approval.
People prefer to gain approval rather than be rejected.
Mainly happens in strangers when someone may feel concerned about being rejected.
It is an emotional process.

Question 10

Key research into Conformity-Asch(1955)

Answer 10

Aim
+A study to see wether people would confirm to a majority’s incorrect answer in an unambiguous task
Procedure
+Ps were asked to look at three lines and decide which line is equal to the standard line.
+Groups of 8(1Ps and 7 confederates)
+Ps were always last and second to last
+The answer was obvious and 12/18 Qs the Conf gave the incorrect answer.(Asch wanted to see if the ps stuck to their original answer or conform to the majority)
+Also had a control group(Ps judged the lines)
Results
+37% of Ps conformed
+75% conformed at least once.
Conclusion
Study showed normative conformity as majority of the participants conformed to the rest of the group in the trails.

Question 11

Asch’s study evaluation

Answer 11

Lab experiment.
+good control of the over the variables.
+Minimises the effects of extraneous variables
+Could replicates the procedure due to standardised procedure . ∴ it has reliability
+Artificial setting with an artificial task so they were unlikely to show natural behaviour.∴ Low ecological validity and lacks mundane realism.
Sample diversity
+Asch only used male participants from the US.
+US is a individualist culture so Ps from a collectivist culture could have different results.
Ethical guidlines
+Ps were deceived as they thought the confederates were real Ps.
+However, the Ps were debriefed after the study.

Question 12

Evaluation of Explanations of conformity
Strengths

Answer 12

1-There is research to support normative conformity By Asch

+The research showed that participants would conform to a group norm in a simple test simply bcz they do not want to be left out.
**This showed that people can show normative conformity when they are presented with a task that is unambiguous.

2-There is research to support Informational conformity by Jennes.

+It showed that participants would conform to a group norm to a group norm in a task where they had to guess how many jelly beans were in a jar.
+They changed their private answers to be closer to the group’s answer
+This showed informational conformity can be seen in tasks that are ambiguous.

Question 13

Evaluation of Explanations of conformity
weaknesses

Answer 13

1-Many research in conformity was done in a lab setting

+Participants face artificial tasks such as guessing line lengths in labs. The procedure were not ‘life-like’
+So the findings might not generalise to real life.∴ using them to explain real-life situations might not be appropriate.

2- Informational and normative conformity are difficult to distinguish between and may actually work together.

+If someone has ally in a situation, they may reduce the pressure form the group(normative) or increase the information that the individual gets(Informational).
+∴ explanations for conformity may actually need to be used together rather than than separately.

3-There are individual differences in normative conformity

+some people have a greater need to bel liked than others; they are called nAffiliaters. They are more likely to conform bcz they have a greater need for social approval.

Question 14

Variable affecting conformity

Answer 14

Group size
unanimity/Social support
Task difficulty
Confidence and expertise
Gender

Question 15

Group size(Asch)

Answer 15

Having a bigger group size means that you are more likely to conform compared to having a smaller group size.
-Asch redone his study in 1956 with fewer confederates-
2C conformity 14%
3C conformity 32%

Question 16

Unanimity/social support(Asch)

Answer 16

Asch completed his study with all confederates giving incorrect answers(unanimity)
having another person giving correct answer broke the unanimity making it easier for the Ps to give their own answer
conformity dropped from 37-5.5%

Question 17

Task difficulty(Asch)

Answer 17

Asch made the lines more similar. Hence increasing the difficulty.
it increase conformity because people were more unsure of their answer.

Question 18

Confidence and expertise(Asch)

Answer 18

Asch found that people who were more confident in their answer conformed less.

Question 19

Gender(Asch)

Answer 19

Females are perceived to be more conforming. However research suggest that their are inconsistencies between gender and conformity.

Question 20

Conformity to social roles-Social roles

Answer 20

Social roles are the parts people play as members of social group. These come with expectations that we and society have of there roles.

Question 21

Zimbardo’s Stanford Prison Experiment (Haney, 1973)
Aim

Answer 21

Aim-
+To investigate if people would conform to the roles of guard and prisoner in a role playing exercise that stimulated prison life.
He wanted to see whether the brutality reported among guards in American were due to the environment.
Procedure-
+Used a lab experimen

Question 22

Procedure of Zimbardo

Answer 22

Procedure-
+Used a lab experiment
+Converted the basement of Stanford University into a mock prison
+24 males were selected from 75 applicants
+Participants Were randomly assigned to prisoner or guard.
+Prisoner were arrested from their houses without warning
+Guards were issued khaki uniforms, whistles, handcuffs and dark sunglasses.
+No physical violence was permitted.
Zimbardo acted as the police warden.
+ Prisoners were booked and blindfolded and driven to the mock prison.
+Prisoners went through a process of deindividuation.i.e stripped naked, deloused, personal possessions were removed and they were given prison garments. Referred with a number.

Question 23

Findings of Zimbardo

Answer 23

+Within hours the guard started harassing the prisoners.
+The prisoners adopted a prisoner-like behaviour.
+Started taking the prison rules very seriously as though they were there for their benefit.Some even began siding with the guards.
+The guards were firmly in control.The guards contempt were directly proportional to the the prisoners submission.
1.One prisoner had to be released after 36 hours because of uncontrollable bursts of screaming, crying and anger. His thinking became disorganised and he appeared to be entering the early stages of a deep depression.

2.Within the next few days 2 more participants also had to leave after showing sings of emotional disorder

**3.Zimbardo had intended that the experiment should run for a fortnight, but on the sixth day he closed it down. **

Question 24

Conclusion of Zimbardo

Answer 24

People will readily conform to highly stereotyped social roles.
The prison environment was an important factor in the brutal behaviour.
Most of the guards found it difficult to believe that they had behaved in the brutalizing ways that they had.

Question 25

Evaluation of the Stanford prison experiment

Answer 25

Impact on the society/Benefit to society
+Zimbardo hoped that his study would help improve prison conditions in America. This happened and prisoner treatment improved.

Internal validity
+The study was highly controlled
I.E Uniform, cell size, meals.
+However, due to the volunteer sampling people who have a tendency for prison environment might have been more inclined to join the study.

External validity
+The study was conducted on American males who were all students.
+So the study might not represent females ,non-americans and non students.
+Student could be more likely to conform.

Temporal validity
+The study was conducted in 1973.
+Individuals have become more individualistic so they might be less likely to conform than others.

Ecological validity
+Prisoners and guards had a highly accurate setting for a prison
+However, the prisoners had not done any real crimes and they had a very short sentence.

Question 26

Ethical evaluation of Zimbardo’s Study.

Answer 26

Informed consent
+The participants were informed of the entire procedure and agreed to it before hand.
+However, the prisoners did not know that they would be arrested from their homes.

Right to withdraw
+The participants had the option to leave anytime they want.
+However, they were locked in their cells at night which gives a state of not being able to leave.

Protection of participants
+The guards were left to do as they liked to the prisoners.

Deception
+

Question 27

Milgram’s Study of Obedience
Aim

Answer 27

Aim
+To investigate how obedient participants would be when following orders would mean breaking their moral code and harming a another person.

Question 28

Procedure of Milgram

Answer 28

Procedure
+40 males between 20 to 50 years of age through a volunteer method and they represented various occupations.
+Mr.Wallace was a confederate. The participants and Mr.Wallace were assigned to roles of learner or teacher but, the selection was rigged such that Mr.Wallace was always the learner.
+The participants and Mr.Wallace were taken to adjacent rooms but couldn’t see each other. the confederate was strapped to a chair and this was seen by the participants.
+The participants were told that an electrode was attached to Mr.Wallace and a shock generator. It was told that the shocks were painful but not enough to create permanent damage.
+ the participants were given a sample shock of 45V.
+The participant asked Qs from Mr.Wallace and give shocks for every incorrect answer.
+ the confederate gave a predetermined set of answers
+The experimenter was in the room with the teacher to oversee the study.
+When the teacher started to hesitate, the experimenter gave standardised verbal prods to remind them that they need to continue
eg-prod 1-please continue,2- the experiment requires you to continue.
+The participants were thoroughly debriefed after the study and shown that Mr.Wallace was not harmed.

Question 29

Results- Milgram

Answer 29

+100% gave Mr.Wallace a 300V shock
+65% gave the maximum of 450 volts
+After the max V was reached the participants were required to continue giving shocks at that level.
+When the experiment was stopped, many participants shook their head in regret
+During the study many participants showed signs of tension and stress
I.E sweated, trembled, stuttered, bit their lips, groaned, dug fingernails into skin
+Also 14/40 participants had nervous laughing fits.
+3 participants had seizures.

Question 30

Conclusion- MIlgram

Answer 30

+Most participants were clearly distressed and some wept and begged believing that they had killed Mr.Wallace.
+When interviewed the participants said that they did not that they could stop when the experimenter ordered them to continue.
+This shows the power of authority over our behaviour.
+Even when the participants didn’t want want to shock the learner thay felt that they could not.

Question 31

Evaluation of Milgram

Answer 31

Internal Validity
+The participants were sample shocks of 45V.
+Lab coat was worn
+Sounds of pain.
Ecological validity
+In everyday life, this type of situation would not occur.
+Demand characteristics due to the lab like environment.
Population validity
+All were males of ages 20-50
+Does not include population which include females, non-student etc

Question 32

Hofling study

Answer 32

+Gave 22 nurses a order to give a deadly dosage through a phone by a unfamiliar doctor.
+21/22 nurses obeyed
+ Milgram’s study is highly applicable

Question 33

Reliability of Milgram’s study

Answer 33

Used standardised procedure
+same answers
+The number of voltages
+Prods by experimenter

Question 34

Ethical validation for Milgram

Answer 34

Deception
+The participants were told it was a study of memory
Withdrawal
+Participants were allowed to leave but it was highly concealed by the prods
Protection from harm
+People had seizures and mental breakdowns
+However, Milgram followed up with the participants and found that there was no permanent harm done
+84% was glad to have participants
Informed consent
+Not all the details of the study was not disclosed
+However Milgram said that if he had told the aims, the reactions would not be natural.

Question 35

variation of Milgram’s study

Answer 35

Location=At Yale-65%
Run down office-47.5%
Proximity=T&L in the same room-40%
T forces hand of- 30%
E gave phone orders-20.5
Uniform=lab coat-65%
Member of public-20%

Question 36

Situational factors effecting obedience

Answer 36

Proximity
Location
Uniform

Question 37

Evaluations of situational variables as explanations for obedience

Answer 37

Research support Bickman (1974)
Lack of internal validity
Cross cultural variations
Control of variables in Milgram’s variations

Question 38

Research support- Bickman (1974)

Answer 38

-Asked people on the street to follow orders. The confederate was dressed in normal clothing, milkman outfit, security guard uniform.
Normal=19%
Milkman=14%
Security=38%
People even obeyed even after the guard walked away.
Therefore, they did not follow orders simply because they were pressurised to do so.

Question 39

Lack of internal validity (Milgram)

Answer 39

Participants could have been aware of the aims of the study.
Hence, they give demand characteristics.

Question 40

Cross culture variations (Obedience)

Answer 40

Meeus and Raaijmakers
+Realistic study
+Asked to say uncomfortable questions in an interview setting
+90% of them obeyed.
+Obedience dropped
Smith and Bond
+They found that

Question 41

Control of variables in Milgram’s Variations.

Answer 41

He controlled proximity, location, and uniform. He controlled extraneous variables
This is a strength because we can be confident that controlled variables changed the behaviour.

Question 42

Situational explanations of obedience.

Answer 42

+Agentic state
+Legitimacy of authority

Question 43

Milgram’s agency theory of Obedience

Answer 43

Agent
-A person who does not take responsibility for their actions, but believe that they are acting for a higher authority.
Autonomous state
-A person who is free to behave according to their own principles and take responsibility.
Agentic state
-A person who feels no personal responsibility and believes they act under an authoritative figure.
Moral strain
- A state of mental discomfort or anxiety experienced in the agentic state when a person’s actions conflict with their personal morality.
Agentic shift
-The shift from autonomous to agentic state after an individual perceives an individual as an authoritative figure.
Blinding factors
Aspects that minimise moral strain.

Question 44

Evaluation of the agentic state

Answer 44

+It can help explain the acts of human cruelty such as the holocaust.
+Future to stop agentic state is to train people to refrain from blindly following from authority.
+65% of people would blindly follow orders.
Individual differences
Individual differences could stop agentic state. ∴, agentic does not explain individual differences.
Agentic state might not explain real life setting
+replication of holfing by Rank and Jacobson
+16/18 nurses disobeyed
+Obedience dropped due to change of time

Question 45

Legitimacy of Authority

Answer 45

+Most societies have a hierachcal way.
+People in certain positions hold power over others.
+These authority figures is seen as legitimate
+This allows society to function smoothly.