Lecture 7 - Social Influence

Question 1

Define social influence

Answer 1

• Process wherby attitudes and behaviour are influenced by the real or implied presence of others
• This occurs at all times without use knowing

Question 2

Define Compliance

Answer 2

• Public not private change in response to a request
• Superficial, public and transitory change in behaviour and expressed attitudes in response to requests coercion or group pressure

Question 3

Define Obedience (to authority)

Answer 3

• Unquestioning obeying to a legitimate authority

- about authority

Question 4

Define conformity

Answer 4

• Deep seated, private and enduing change in behaviour and attitudes due to group presssure
• About group pressure
• Private and Public

Question 5

What are the 3 methods to provoke compliance?

Answer 5

1) Foot in the door
2) Door in the face
3) Low Ball

Question 6

Describe the foot in the door technique

Answer 6

Starting with a modest request, before making a large request -
E.g. can you get some milk from the shops, whilst youre there….
- They’ve already committed

Question 7

Describe the door in the face technique

Answer 7

Start with a large request, before a modest request.

E.g. can i have 20% pay rise? no? how about 10%

Question 8

Describe the low ball

Answer 8

After someones comitted to an original price, you can ask for mroe money if they can get it today.
As they’ve already comitted, theyll take that higher price as it seemse justified

Question 9

Define social norms

Answer 9

• A system of norms that specifies what is acceptable and what is not, in a society, community or group.
• Guide us on how to behave
• They are based on what we think others are doing/ how they’re behaving
• Take your litter home, other people do

Question 10

Who did the autokinetic study?

Answer 10

Sherif (1936)

Question 11

Describe Sherif’s (1936) Autokinetic study

Answer 11

• He wanted to see how social norms emerge in uncertainty in order to guide behaviour
• Autokinesis is an optical illusion where a dot of light appears to move
• ASked p’s to estimate the movement of the dot
• They found it very difficiult and over time, they used previous answers as a frame of reference
• They then repeated the task in groups of 2’s and 3s, had to call out their estimates in front of everyone
• Overtime they converged to a group mean
• When placed back alone, they still used the groups estimates to guide their answer

Question 12

Who did the study about changing the eating habits of american families

Answer 12

Lewin (1947)

Question 13

OUtline Lewin (1947)

Answer 13

• American housewives were either given a factual lecture about nutritional benefits of offal or encouraged to talk amongst themselves and reach a consensus aout food habits
• only 3% in lecture group changed behaviour
• 32% in group changed their behaviour
• Shows that group dynamics are most important in behaviour change

Question 14

What was the average conformity rate in Asch (1951)

Answer 14

33%
<1% in controls
Also dropped when given a peer (who broke the unanymity)

Question 15

What were the reasons for yielding to majority group pressure found by asch>

Answer 15

• My perception is wrong, the group is actually right
• i didnt want to rock the boat
• Saw the lines as the group did
• ‘Independents’ disagreed with group
• sudden self-doubt/ self conciousness

Question 16

When was the first expressino of pain in Milgram?

Answer 16

120v - hey that really hurts

Question 17

at what point would the learner stop making noise in milgram?

Answer 17

300v+

Question 18

What are the findings of Milgrams baseline study?

Answer 18

75% went up to 300v (points of scream and refusal)
65% went all the way to 450v
0% predicted to go above 300v

Question 19

What were the suggested explanations of Milgrams findings that he rejected?

Answer 19

• Personality - no difference in personality of rebellious or obedient ps
• Aggression - when experiment gave no instruction to proceed, most stopped at 50v
• Obedience to authority? 0 sort of, when dressed as civilian, still 20% went all the way?
• Experimentors manner - obedience was equal when they were nice or nasty

Question 20

What explanations did milgram invent of his findings?

Answer 20

• Agentic mode

- Commitment to course of action - ive come this far

Question 21

What were MIlgrams conclusions?

Answer 21

• We should focus on situation, not personality when blaming someone
• Cruelty correlates with relationship of authority and subordination, not personality
• Inhumanity is a function of social relationships
• Peronsality has litle to do with cruelty

Question 22

What are the findings of the Milgram variations in authority figure?

Answer 22

- Moved to civilian building 
48%
- Orders given via phone
21%
- Experimentor gave no orders
2.5%
- Civilian clothing
20%

Question 23

What are the findings in the milgram variations with peers?

Answer 23

• Disobedient peers
  10%
• Obedient peers
  98%

Question 24

What are the findings in the Milgram variations in terms of Proximity of the victim?

Answer 24

- Learner in same room
40%
- Shock Plate
30%
- No feedback?
100%

Question 25

Evaluate Milgram

Answer 25

X - psychological distress
X - No freedom to leave
X - No informed consenst
√ - most of distress was short term
√ - 99% felt positive/ neutral about taking part