Conformity - Resistance to SI/Minority Influence

Question 1

Social support

Answer 1

If they have an ally, someone supporting their pOV or someone who deviates from the majority. This gives the individual social support for non-conformity / non-obedience. This could be bcuz they no longer fear being ridiculed, avoiding NSI. Also resist pressure to obey as it is easier to stand up to an authority if theres is someone else to share the consequences with

Question 2

Locus of control

Answer 2

The extent to which individuals think they can control events in their lives.
Ppl with high internal locus of control believe that events results primarily from their own behaviour and actions.
Those with high external locus of control believe fate or powerful ppl control their behaviour.
- High internal locus of control are more resistant to pressures of SI

Question 3

Research for social support

Answer 3

Albrecht et al evaluated an 8 week programme design to help pregnant teens resist peer pressure to smoke and found that when social support was provided by a slightly older person, the ppts were significantly less likely to smoke than a control group
- this has important implications to benefit society

Question 4

Evaluation of explanations of resistance to SI - Locus of control research (Elms & Milgram)

Answer 4

Elms & Milgram’s investigated the background of some disobedient ppts from Milgram’s experiment.
They found that disobedient ppts had a high internal locus of control and scored higher on scale that measured sense of social responsibility

Question 5

Evaluation of explanations of resistance to SI - lacks validity

Answer 5

Locus of control research lacks internal validity as it is correlational. Therefore is it not possible to say internal locus of control causes resistance to social influence. There may be another factor that is associated with locus of control that causes independence. It may be parental styles lead to high internal locus of control and high independent behaviour.
The research lacks reliability as not all studies support the view locus of control is associated with resistance to social influence

Question 6

Minority influence

Answer 6

When an individual, or small group change their behaviour/attitudes of a larger group. The opposite of conformity. This usual results in internalisation because it is likely to result in ISI so shows true conversion

Question 7

Qualities minority influence need to have to be successful

Answer 7

• Consistency
• Flexibility
• Commitment

Question 8

Synchronic consistency

Answer 8

consistency within all members of groups

Question 9

Diachronic consistency

Answer 9

Consistency over time

Question 10

Augmentation principle

Answer 10

Part of commitment
Taking risks or sacrifice to increase attention to cause

Question 11

Research support for minority influence

Answer 11

Moscivici found that when four ppt were placed in a room with two confederates who insisted a series of blue slides were green. When the confederates were totally consistent in their responses across all 26 trials, ppts called the slides green 8.4% of the time

Question 12

Research challenges for minority influence- NEMETH

Answer 12

Some research challenge the view on consistency.
Nemeth used a simulated jury situation where groups members discussed the amount of compensation to be paid to someone involved in a ski accident. When a confederate put forward and alternative POV and refused to change his position, this had no effect on the other group members . Whereas a confederate who compromised and shows a degree of shift towards the majority, did exert some influence over the groups. This supports the view that consistency without flexibility is unlikely to lead to minority influence

Question 13

Moscivici research

Answer 13

• 172 women in groups of 6 to judge colour of blue slides
• were asked to say whether slides were blue or green
• two confederates in each group said the slides were green
• the same wrong answer was given 8.4% trials

Question 14

Problems with Moscivici’s research

Answer 14

Biased sample of only female ppts from America, so we are unable to generalise the findings and cannot assume that they apply to men as they may respond differently to minority influence.
- Research by Neto et al suggests females are more likely to conform than males due to greater need for social belonging

Question 15

Social influences processes in social change

Answer 15

• Cognitive conflict
• Social cryptoamnesia
• Snowball effect

Question 16

Cognitive conflict

Answer 16

Minorities can bring a or social change by drawing the majority’s attention to an issue. If the minority view leads to conflict with the existing values of the majority, this may cause a shift towards the minority viewpoint

Question 17

Cryptoamnesia

Answer 17

Where the majority group take on board the views and ideas of the minority but either forget where thye came from or deliberately disassociate themselves. This is because minorities tend to have a negative image that members of the majority do not wants to be associated with, so they might be persuaded by the argument but will distance themselves from the source of info

Question 18

Snowball effect

Answer 18

the influence of minority gradually gets bigger overtime. It stars with a few members of the majority moving to the minority as they pay more attention.
Eventually, there reaches a tipping point when it becomes the majority view

Question 19

Real world event of minority influence

Answer 19

• The suffragettes
• MLK civil rights movements