Lecture: Social Influence

Question 1

Conformity

Answer 1

change in behavior due to the presence of others and their actions
can be good: informational social influence
can be a problem: pluralistic ignorance (nobody knows)

Question 2

Asch 1952 Study

Answer 2

Three lines experiment, participants were not real except one had to answer a loud
The confederate gave fake answers yet participants still conformed even though they knew the answer
76% conformed to at least one critical trial
18 trials- But only see conformity on 1/3 of all 12 critical trials
Alone: 95% of people responded correct
Write down: 12.5% conformity on critical trials (people nervous their answer would be read aloud)

Question 3

What key details allowed for the study of Asch to show conformity?

Answer 3

Majority of 3 enough *to give conformity effect)
Must be unanimous (same answer because if not gives participants an out to say right answer)
Higher in collectivist societies
Can get with anonymous groups

Question 4

Compliance

Answer 4

Accede to explicit request

Question 5

Descriptive norms

Answer 5

What’s commonly done

Question 6

Injunctive (prescriptive) norms

Answer 6

what’s “right” (what one should do)

Question 7

What are the results of Milgram’s study?

Answer 7

65% obedience

Question 8

Why did the participants in Milgram’s study obey?

Answer 8

Authority (need it- experimenter with gray coat as authority)
Incremental task- the participants went up by 15 volts, so they think if they can take the last 15, then they should be able to take the next
No stable defintion
No route to disobey

Question 9

Channel factor

Answer 9

Feature that allows intention-action

Question 10

What was Milgram’s study criticized for?

Answer 10

No informed consent
Can’t imprison subjects
Harm suffered too great
Debriefing inadequate
Prompts were insufficient to produce effects- some more effective than others
Some participants didn’t believe the experiment