Intro and Conformity

Question 1

What does social psychology study?

Answer 1

• how INDIVIDUALS behave within culture/groups/institutions

Question 2

Why is it called “social” psychology? Give one criticism of this

Answer 2

• studying the science of people’s cognition and interaction in social situations

CRITICISM:

• does not consider learned helplessness
• avoiding the choice of carrying out helpful behaviour as operantly conditioned

Question 3

What is cognitive dissonance?

Answer 3

• two cognitions that are inconsistent; one thought is altered un retrospect to appear consistent (with action)

Question 4

How does social psych study “power of the situation”? Give on criticism

Answer 4

• studying how an individual responds to a powerful situation (dissonance, learned helplessness)
• internal, external and factors influencing
• construal of stimuli

CRITICISM:

• leaves out emotion, beliefs and self concept, which remain consistent
• Ironic process theory: trying not to think of something, increased thought of it

Question 5

Why is social psych considered the science of human experience?

Answer 5

• looking at subjective experience
• developing new understandings from the same place (e.g. chameleon effect, mimicking, and perception of others encourages engagement etc)

Question 6

What is social influence?

Answer 6

• ways people interact with one another

- changes from real/imagined presence of others

Question 7

Define the 3 types of social influence

Answer 7

Conformity: do what others do

Compliance: do what others want you to do (explicit request)

Obedience: strongest type - do as others (authority figures) command

Question 8

What is unconscious conformity and give example studies?

Answer 8

• mimicking/observational learning
  e.g.
  Bobo doll

Mirror neurons; Gallese:

• neural level
• same neurons fire when performing and watching action (watching sad film)
• mirror neurons send signals to emotional areas
• Autistic patients have deficits in these neurons (Ravishandran)

Bargh and Chartand - Chameleon Effect:

• automatic and unconscious mirroring of another
• boosts affiliation (high need to, more likely)
• confed and ppt - given talk topic - confed mirrored and was rated nicer - positive subconscious consequence

Fox and Balleson

Question 9

What is conscious conformity?

Answer 9

• changing ones behaviour or beliefs in responses to real or imagined pressure form others

Question 10

What is informational social influence (give evidence)?

Answer 10

• ambiguous how to behave - using others as a guide
• private acceptance, changed opinion

Sherif (1936):

• ppts in dark room with light on wall (autokinetic illusions)
• appears to move but doesn’t
• alone and together judgements converged over trials
• sourcing others due to lack of knowledge

Question 11

What is normative social influence (give evidence)?

Answer 11

For acceptance and approval to be part of a group, in order to reduce conflict.

Asch (1936)

• one true ppt with a confed
• differences in lines - conformed with the others (1/3 of trials)

Question 12

Give factors affecting conformity

Answer 12

Anonymity

• eliminate normative, reduce conformity
• private acceptance vs public compliance

Group size

• more people, more likely to conform (level of disapproval)
• group of 4 in Asch, conformity levels off at max

Unanimity

• break reduced 33% to 5.5%
• giving strength to disagree

Expertise and status

• experts carry more weight and greater disapproval
• higher status, leads to normative, experts exert more informative
• Torrance (1955) - gave members of bombing crews reasoning problems (higher rank had more influence - pilot = 90%, gunner = 63%)

Culture
- Collectivist - more conformity - value social solidarity

Interpretive context
- level of pay off (incentive) - may reduce conformity