Exam Questions Flashcards
Name three behaviours that enable a minority to influence a majority
- Consistency
- Commitment
- Flexibility
Marcus wants to persuade his group of friends to go travelling in the summer but the rest of the group would like to go on a beach holiday. Briefly suggest how Marcus might use the three behaviours that you have identified in your answer to 01.1 to persuade his friends to go travelling.
- Marcus could show consistency by keeping on repeating the same message about how great it would be to go travelling
- Marcus could show commitment by explaining how he is taking time and working hard to plan the travelling trip and saving for the trip
- Marcus could show flexibility by listening to the others and agree to going on a beach holiday at the end of the travelling trip
The mode is one type of descriptive statistic. Identify two other descriptive statistics that could be used to further analyse the data in Table 1. In each case, explain how the descriptive statistics you have identified could be calculated.
- Median could be calculated by arranging the scores in order then choosing the numerical midpoint (between 5th and 6th score)
- Range could be calculated by taking the lowest score from the highest (and adding Standard deviation could be calculated by using the distance of each score from the mean (credit formula for SD)
The study in question 02 involves self-report. Outline what is involved in self-report.
where the participant gives information to the researcher/provides details of own feelings/thoughts/behaviour
involves responding to questions on a questionnaire/during interview • elaboration of a self-report method eg (open/closed questions, structured/unstructured)
Which of the following statements best describes the agentic state?
People no longer feel responsible for their actions as they are acting for an authority figure
Select the phrase that best describes internalisation.
The individual changes his/her public and private beliefs
Daniel and Matthew are in the same class at school but have very different views on success.
Daniel is convinced that success is due to hard work and determination, whilst Matthew believes that luck and fate determine success.
The class is putting on a play and neither Daniel nor Matthew wants to participate. Their friends are trying to persuade them to take part.
Using your knowledge of locus of control, identify which boy is most likely to resist the social influence of his friends. Explain why.
Daniel’s internal locus of control
He believes that people are successful due to hard work and determination
Daniel is less likely to rely on the opinion of others in the class, making him more immune to social influence
Daniel will see himself as more of a leader than a follower, making him less likely to follow the majority
Daniel will not seek social approval as much as those who are externals
Another boy in the class, Tom, refuses to take part in the play.
Explain how Tom’s refusal to take part might affect Daniel’s and Matthew’s ability to resist social influence.
Tom’s refusal will increase their ability to resist social influence/they will be less likely to take part in the play.
Tom acts as social support/presence of a role model of non-conformity
Tom may not affect Daniel due to Daniel’s internal locus of control
Tom may affect Matthew due to Matthew’s external locus of control
Social influence research helps us to understand how it is possible to change people’s behaviour:
for example, understanding how to persuade people to eat more healthily.
With reference to this example of social change, explain how psychology might affect the economy
Social influence research tells us how behaviour and attitudes can be changed: eg how minority influence can be exerted or how people tend to conform to perceived norms (or reference to any other relevant social influence process)
In this case, the resulting change of eating more healthily means that people should be more healthy
Economic implication: eg saves health service/care resources; means less time off work sick
Polly always checks what her friends are going to wear before she gets ready to go out because she does not like to be the odd one out.
Jed watches his colleagues carefully when he starts a new job so that he can work out where to put his things and how long to take for lunch..
Discuss two explanations for conformity.
Refer to Polly and Jed in your discussion.
Polly’s change in behaviour is due to normative social influence because she is wanting to be the same as everyone else/be part of the norm
Jed is using colleagues as a source of information – informational social influence – he will put his coat in the right place and take the appropriate amount of time for lunch
