paper 1 fr Flashcards
Definition of Conformity:
Conformity is a change in behavior or belief as a result of real or imagined group pressure.
Types of Conformity::
1) Compliance:
2) Identification:
3) Internalization:
1) Superficial change in behaviour to avoid disapproval or gain approval.
2) Aligning behaviours with a group to maintain social relationships.
3) Deep-seated change in beliefs to match those of a group, reflecting true acceptance.
Asch’s Conformity Experiment:
.
Asch’s study involved a visual perception task where participants had to match line lengths with a standard line. Confederates purposely gave incorrect answers in some trials.
.
Findings:
__% of participants conformed at least once, giving an incorrect answer to match the group.
Demonstrated _______________ social influence, where participants conformed to avoid social rejection.
Findings: 75%
normative
Factors Affecting Conformity:
1) _______ _____. Asch found that conformity rates increased with _______ _____ up to a certain point (around _ confederates).
2) Introducing a ____________ ______ decreased conformity rates significantly.
3) Increasing ____ ___________ increased conformity rates, showing the influence of informational social influence.
1) group size, group size, 3
2) dissenting ally
3) task difficulty
Evaluation of Asch’s Experiment:
2 Strengths?
2 Weaknesses?
Strengths:
Controlled laboratory conditions ensured standardized procedures and high internal validity.
Highlighted the power of normative social influence in everyday situations.
Weaknesses:
Lack of mundane realism; participants don’t often face such overt conformity pressures in real life.
Cultural bias concerns; findings may not generalize universally across cultures.
Explanations for Conformity:
1) Normative Social Influence (NSI): Driven by the desire for _______ _____________ and fear of _____________.
Results in compliance without ____________ __________ ___________.
2) Informational Social Influence (ISI): Occurs in _____________ _____________ where individuals rely on others for correct information.
Leads to _______________ of group norms and beliefs.
1) social acceptance & rejection. internal belief change.
2) ambiguous situations, internalisation
Stanford Prison Experiment:
1) Aim?
2) Who were the Participants?
3) Purpose?
1) to study conformity to social roles in a simulated prison environment.
2) University-age males randomly assigned as either prisoners or guards.
3) To investigate how individuals adapt their behaviour to fit social roles within a defined environment.
Definition of Social Roles:
Examples:
.
1) Prisoners: Expected to be ___________ or potentially __________.
3) Guards: Expected to be __________, tough, and _____________.
Socially defined patterns of behaviour expected of individuals in certain positions in society.
1) submissive or dangerous
2) authoritative and dominant
Findings of the Experiment:
1) Guards became ________________ and _________________
2) Prisoners initially resisted but later became ______________.
.
Zimbardo’s Role: Acted as the prison ___________ and lead investigator, potentially _____________ the behaviour of participants.
1) aggressive and dominant
2) submissive
.
Warden, influencing
Evaluations of the Stanford Prison Experiment:
2 Strengths?
2 Weaknesses?
1) High methodological standards with careful participant selection and random assignment.
2) Practical applications in understanding institutional abuse in real-life contexts like Abu Ghraib.
.
3) Ethical concerns due to psychological harm inflicted on participants.
4) Lack of replication ( perrin and spencer) and issues with experimental bias due to Zimbardo’s dual roles.
Criticisms and Ethical Issues of the SPE:
1) Replication Attempts:
2) 2 Ethical Concerns:
1) Replication efforts like the BBC documentary by Reicher and Haslam did not replicate Zimbardo’s findings, suggesting limited influence of social roles.
2) Participants suffered psychological distress; study continued despite signs of harm.
Zimbardo’s dual role as superintendent and researcher may have biased results.
If an authority figure like a scientist ordered you to do something extreme, would you comply?
Milgram’s obedience experiment found 65% of participants willing to administer potentially lethal electric shocks to others, showing the power of perception of authority figures.
What psychological state involves obeying orders without personal responsibility?
Agentic state: When individuals act under authority, feeling less responsible for their actions due to the authority figure’s influence.
Why do people obey authority figures?
People obey due to perceived legitimacy; symbols like uniforms and settings enhance authority’s influence, as shown in Milgram’s variations.
How did Milgram alter his experiment to test obedience?
Milgram varied proximity, location, and uniform to test obedience variations, finding significant drops in obedience when these factors changed.
What factors affect obedience in Milgram’s experiment?
Proximity, location, and uniform influence obedience levels, demonstrating how situational factors impact behavior under authority.
What are criticisms of Milgram’s obedience experiment?
Critics cite ethical concerns, lack of ecological validity, and demand characteristics, despite its contributions to understanding obedience.
What personality trait might explain extreme obedience?
Authoritarian personality: Individuals with this trait show high obedience to authority, viewing social hierarchies rigidly and often adhering to conventional norms.
How did Adorno measure authoritarian personality?
Adorno’s F-scale assesses authoritarian traits, linking harsh upbringing to obedience tendencies and fixed beliefs about authority and morality.
What explains variations in obedience levels?
Situational factors like proximity and legitimacy of authority influence obedience, while dispositional factors like authoritarian personality also play a role.
