Paper 1 Social Influence Flashcards
Explain what is meant by compliance (3)
- Compliance is where the individual publicly changes their own behaviour to fit in with the group.
- It is not a permanent form of social influence, it lasts as long as the group is present
- This type of conformity is linked to normative social influence
Explain what is meant by identification (3)
- Identification is where an individual changes their behaviour/ beliefs as they value the groups membership
- This is a private and public acceptance though is temporary as it doesn’t last with the groups absence
- This type of conformity is linked to normative social influence
Explain what is meant by internalisation (3)
- Internalisation is where the behaviour/ belief of the majority is accepted by the individual becoming part of their own beliefs
- This is a permanent form of social influence, lasting even in the absence of the majority
- This type of conformity is linked to informational social influence
Discuss explanations for conformity (16)
Normative social influence
- conforms to feel socially accepted
- emotional process
- associated with compliance and identification
Strength = supporting evidence
- ash’s ambiguous task post experimental interviews + later variations
Informational social influence
- judgement of who’s most likely to be correct in ambiguous or new situation
- cognitive
- associated with internalisation
Strength = supporting evidence
- changing initial estimate of jelly beans after group estimate
Limitation = doesn’t account for individual differences
- engineering students confidence = lack of conformity
Describe and evaluate research into conformity (16)
Discuss research into conformity to social roles (16)
Stanford prison
- effects of being assigned to the role of either prisoner guard or prisoner
Prisoner
- given uniform and id number
- uniforms and reflective glasses
Findings
- guards = agressive
- prisoners = submissive and subordinate
= stopped after 6 days - prisoners had psychological disturbances (extreme stress, crying, depression)
Strength = real world application of torture and treatment in Iraq prisons
- situational factors = misuse of power
Strength = Zimbardo some control over variables
- random allocation = ruled out individual personality differences - increase internal validity
Limitation = lack of realism questions validity
- demand characteristics (stereotypes)
However = real for participants
- qualitative data = conversations about prison life
= high degree of internal validity
Describe and evaluate Milgram’s research into obedience (16)
Whether ordinary people obey unjust order from an authority figure
- confederate = leader
- participant - teacher (giving electrical shocks to mistakes in learning task)
- experimenter = legitimate authority figure (white lab coat)
Standardised responses
- 300 volts = leaner pounded on wall and no following response
- verbal prods if teacher tried to stop
Quantitative data
- all reached to 300 volts and over half to 450
Qualitative data
- participants signs of distress and tension
= ordinary people willing to obey legitimate authority figure by hurting innocent people
Strength = supporting research
- game show = majority gave 460 volts to unconscious man
- anxious behaviour as well
Limitation = lacked internal validity
- didn’t completely believe shocks were real = expressed their doubts
BUT = real shocks to puppy = all women gave fatal shock
Limitation = lack external validity
- extreme obedience = artificial nature of lab
= lacks ecological validity - unable to generalise
BUT = lab reflects wider authority relationships
- nurses obedient to unjustified instructions from doctors in hospital
Describe and evaluate two situational variables that have been shown by Milgram to affect obedience
to authority (16)
Proximity
- teacher and learner in the same room = teacher able to understand the learners pain more directly
- experimenters left room and gave instructions over the phone = less compelled to obey when order is less direct and consequences are less immediate
Uniform
- member of general public with no lab coat =legitimate authoritative figures are identifiable through uniform
Location
- conducted in run down building = prestigious atmosphere generates respect and obedience
Strength = other studies determined influence of situational variables
- jacket and tie, milkmaid, security guard = pick litter
= obey security guard and jacket and tie (uniform adds legitimacy)
= increases ecological validity
Strength = high level of control
- altered one variable at a time/ all procedures followed standardised methods/ variables consistent
= high internal validity and confidence
Limitation = lack internal validity
- participants worked out procedure was fake (variations had extra manipulation)
- experimenter replaced by member of public
= saw through deception and acted accordingly - hard to tell if it was obedience
Limitation = relevance as an explanation to real life atrocities challenged
- generalising issues = excuse for evil behaviour of nazis (obeying orders and situational factors beyond their control)
= practical applications of findings are limited
Outline and evaluate one or more explanations of obedience (16)
Social psychological explanation (external)
Milgram proposed: autonomous state and agentic
Autonomous = independently
Agentic state = little responsibility
- agentic shift = autonomous to agentic because of authoritative figure ( causes moral strain)
Binding factors = aspects that minimise the damaging effect - reduces moral strain (shifting responsibility to victim/ denying damage)
Legitimacy of authority
- posture, tone of voice, facial expressions
- overt symbols: formal dress, uniform
Milgrams variations:
- member of general public with no lab coat =legitimate authoritative figures are identifiable through uniform
Destructive authority
- Milgrams study = experimenter used prods to order participants to behave in ways that went against their consciences
Strength = supporting evidence
- twice as likely to obey confederate dressed as security than confederate dressed as civilian = identified through uniform
Strength = social psychological agentic state supported by milgrams research
- asked in experiment who was responsible = milgram would
- post experiment interview they said they would do it themselves they were just doing what they were told
- moral strain evident = admitted they were wrong/ physical moral strain during experiment
Further = real life application
= nazis (awareness of dangers of ignoring moral strain)
Limitation = doesn’t explain many research findings
- some participants didn’t obey milgram in original study
- doesn’t explain why nurses didn’t feel anxiety handing responsibility to doctor
= can only account for some situations
Discuss social psychological explanations of obedience (16)
Milgram proposed: autonomous state and agentic
Autonomous = independently
Agentic state = little responsibility
- agentic shift = autonomous to agentic because of authoritative figure ( causes moral strain)
Binding factors = aspects that minimise the damaging effect - reduces moral strain (shifting responsibility to victim/ denying damage)
Legitimacy of authority
- posture, tone of voice, facial expressions
- overt symbols: formal dress, uniform
Milgrams variations:
- member of general public with no lab coat =legitimate authoritative figures are identifiable through uniform
Destructive authority
- Milgrams study = experimenter used prods to order participants to behave in ways that went against their consciences
Strength = supporting evidence
- twice as likely to obey confederate dressed as security than confederate dressed as civilian = identified through uniform
Strength = social psychological agentic state supported by milgrams research
- asked in experiment who was responsible = milgram would
- post experiment interview they said they would do it themselves they were just doing what they were told
- moral strain evident = admitted they were wrong/ physical moral strain during experiment
Further = real life application
= nazis (awareness of dangers of ignoring moral strain)
Limitation = doesn’t explain many research findings
- some participants didn’t obey milgram in original study
- doesn’t explain why nurses didn’t feel anxiety handing responsibility to doctor
= can only account for some situations
Discuss the authoritarian personality as an explanation for obedience (16)
Dispositional explanations (internal)
Authoritarian personality (Adorno)
- harsh childhood parenting
- conditional love
= resentment - treat people who are socially inferior with poor treatment
characteristics
- extreme respect and submission to authority
- conservative views surrounding authority within society
F-scale = measures fascist tendencies
- scored highly on f-scale = identified with ‘strong’ people and contemptuous of ‘weak’
= more obedient to authoritative figures (extreme submission and respect)
Strength = supporting research
- milgrams post experimental interview = obedient participants scored higher on f-scale than disobedient participants
- obedient participants = less close to fathers and admired experimenter (opposite for disobedient)
= supporting characteristics
BUT = not much of correctional link between to variables (personality causes obedience on basis of this result)
- 3rd factor lower level of education
Limitation = f-scale is politically biased
- measures tendency towards extreme right wing ideology BUT left wing authoritarianism emphasises importance of complete obedience to legitimate political authority
= can’t account across whole political system
Limitation = research is stronger for situational factors than dispositional
- milgrams research
- real life application
= situational forces powerful in overwhelming any dispositional factors that may influence individual responses
Describe and evaluate two explanations of resistance to social influence (16)
Social support
Other non conforming
- avoid normative social influence
- less at risk of negative consequences form resisting majority or authority
- Asch’s research = majority conforms again the individual will follow = effect is short term
other seen to disobey
- milgrams variations = participant was joined by disobedient confederate (model) - frees participant from own conscience
= challenges legitimacy of an authority figure
Strength = supporting research evidence (resisting conformity)
- confederate social support = thick sense glasses = invalid social support (test of visual discrimination)
- confederate social support = normal vision = valid social support (had more of impact on non conformity)
= ally is helpful in resisting conformity (more if valid social support)
Strength = real world application
- gestapo threat of open fire on women = women disobeyed = free of jews
- German women defining authority of gestapo in protest
= milgrams research irl (presence of disobedient peers = confidence)
Locus of control: rotter
- internal = responsible for what happens to them
- external = outside force/ external factors of what happens to them
- continuum = spectrum for locus of control
resistance of social influence
- internal LOC = resist pressures to conform/ obey (take responsibility for own actions/ experiences = decisions based on own beliefs)
- internal LOC = self confident, higher intelligence, less need for social approval
Strength = supporting reproach evidence
- other research influenced by milgrams baseline study - measuring participants are internal or external
- internals typically showed greater resistance to to authority an did not continue to highest shock level
= nature increases validity of LOC explaining resistance
Limitation = not all research supports link between LOC and resistance to social influence
- meta analysis of studies over 40 years = people have become more external in LOC but more resistant to obedience
= resistance like dot internal LOC - expect people to become more internal = challenging the link
Describe and evaluate research into minority influence (16)
Factors enhancing effectiveness of a minority = consistency, commitment, flexibility
Consistency: Moscovici
= shared belief retained over time = majority re think own views
- Moscovici: minority influence majority to give incorrect answer in colour perception
- 2 confederates said incorrect colour consistently (green)
- 2 confederates said incorrect colour said some blue and some green
= participants agreed more in consistent condition - constant minority is more effective than inconsistent
Strength = supporting research
- meta analysis similar studies = minorities consistent were most influential
Limitation = limited in real world application
- colour perception task = doesn’t apply to irl minority influence such as political campaigning
- real world cases are very different to those in a lab
= research lacks external validity
Commitment
= extreme activities to draw attention to their views
- some risk to minority = shows commitment to cause = argumentative principle
Flexibility: Nemeth
= adapt point of view and accept reasonable and valid counter arguments
- strikes a balance between consistency and flexibility
strength = supporting evidence
= consistency was not the most important - negative traits (rigid)
- confederate in jury with consistent alternative view = no effect on group
- confederate in jury compromised (some shift towards majority) = exert influence on group
- BUT only evident in later negotiations (flexibility) rather than earlier (caged into majority)
= maximum impact - minority should be consistent with regard to argument and position but also open minded and reasonable
Discuss the role of social influence process in social change (16)
minority influence creates social change
Drawing attention
= majority made aware of the need for change
Consistency
= shared belief retained over time - majority re think own views
Deeper processing
= the more people think about the issue at hand the more able to challenge the existing social norms to bring about change
The argumentative principle
= when the majority pays attention to selfless and risky actions being taken by the
minority group and is more likely to integrate the group’s opinion into their own personal viewpoints due to the
personal sacrifices of the minority
The snowball effect
= once the minority viewpoint has got the attention of some of the majority group members, more and more people begin paying attention to the minority viewpoints gathers momentum.
Social cyptoamnesia
= social change has occurred but the source of the change and the message itself have become disassociated through the process of social crypto amnesia and they do not recall how it happened.
Conformity
- Asch’s variations = dissent
- Environmental health campaigners conformity processes by appealing to normative social influence
Obedience
- Milgram = disobedient role models
- Zimbardo = gradual commitment (Once a small instruction is obeyed, it becomes much more difficult to resist a bigger one)
Limitation: minority influence barrier to social change
- environmental activists/ feminists = live up to stereotypes associated with group - off putting for outsiders
= majority don’t want to be stereotypically labelled
Strength: supporting evidence conformity (normative social influence)
- experimental = messages on residents doors to say most residents were reducing energy usage
- control = no reference to other residents and just asked to save energy
= significant reduction in experimental group
BUT = not all social norms interventions led to social change
- campaign to reduce alcohol usage
= surveys at start of campaign to after 3 years showed didn’t show lower perception of student drinking levels or lower self reported alcohol consumption
