Paper 1 - Social Influence Flashcards
Explain the term conformity
Occurs when an individual changes their behaviours/beliefs in order to fit in with the majority
What are the three types of conformity ?
Compliance
Identification
Internalisation
What is compliance and is it a strong or weak form of conformity?
Compliance occurs when an individual publicly, but not privately, goes along with the behaviours/beliefs of the majority in order to gain approval from them.
Weak and temporary as only shown in the presence of the majority.
What is identification and is it a permanent form of conformity?
Identification occurs when an individual publicly and privately accepts the behaviours/beliefs of the majority.
Temporary and not maintained when the individual leaves the group.
What makes identification different from compliance?
The individual identifies with the majority and feels a strong sense of group membership
What is internalisation and is it a strong or weak form of conformity?
Internalisation occurs when an individual publicly and privately accepts the behaviours/beliefs of the majority.
Strong and permanent as it persists even when the majority is no longer present.
What was tested in Asch’s 1951 study?
Conformity
Explain the procedure of Asch’s study into conformity ?
123 American male undergraduate students took part
They were tested in groups of seven but only one participant in each group = real participant, six participants were all confederates (colleagues) of Asch
Participants were shown a standard line and three comparison lines
Each participant had to state aloud, which of the comparison lines was the same length as the standard line
(The real participant always answered second to last)
There were 18 trials (six confederates were asked to give a unanimous incorrect answer on 12 of the 18 trials - critical trials)
Explain the findings of Asch’s study into conformity ?
Explain the findings of Asch’s study into conformity ?
Participants conformed on 32% of the critical trials
74% of the participants conformed at least once
Only 26% of the participants never conformed
Explain the conclusions of Asch’s study into conformity ?
Even in unambiguous situations, there may be a strong group pressure to conform, especially if the group is a unanimous majority.
What variables did Asch investigate in his variations?
Asch (1955) investigated variables affecting conformity, including:
• Group size
• Unanimity
• Task difficulty
How does group size affect conformity according to Asch?
Conformity increases with group size but only up to a point. It rises from 3% (1 confederate) to 32% (3 confederates), but further increases (up to 15 confederates) do not significantly affect conformity.
What does Asch’s study suggest about the importance of group size in conformity?
Group size matters, but only up to a point—after three confederates, additional members have little impact.
How does unanimity affect conformity?
Conformity drops significantly when there is a lone dissenting confederate, even if their answer is incorrect (9%) or correct (5.5%). Conformity relies heavily on unanimity.
How does task difficulty influence conformity?
When the task is more difficult through the differences between the line lengths much smaller making the correct answer less obvious. Conformity increases, showing that people are more likely to conform when uncertain.
What are social roles and do different roles have different expectations?
Social roles are the roles people play within society and different roles have different expectations
What did Zimbardo et al. (1973) want to investigate regarding social roles?
Zimbardo et al. (1973) wanted to investigate why prison guards behave brutally. Seeing if they have sadistic personalities, or are conforming to their social role
Explain Zimbardo et al. (1973) procedure in investigating social roles?
- 21 ‘emotionally stable’ male student volunteers = randomly assigned as either prison guards or prisoners.
- Prisoner uniform: smock (no underclothes), heavy ankle chain, stocking cap, rubber sandals, and an ID number (used instead of names).
- Guard uniform: khaki shirt and trousers, whistle, club, and reflective sunglasses.
- Prisoners = limited rights (e.g., three meals and three supervised toilet trips per day).
- Guards couldn’t use physical violence but otherwise free to do anything to maintain law and order
- Zimbardo = Prison Superintendent.
- 2 week study
Explain Zimbardo et al. (1973) findings in investigating social roles?
- Guards quickly conformed
- Day 2: prisoners rebelled, barricading themselves in their cells. Guards used a fire extinguisher to regain control and put rebellion leaders in solitary confinement.
- From then on guards harassed prisoners, enforcing strict control:
Frequent head counts, even at night.
Forced degrading tasks (e.g., cleaning toilets with bare hands, push-ups, jumping jacks). - Prisoners = subdued, depressed, and anxious.
- Three prisoners = released early due to psychological harm.
- One prisoner = hunger strike; guards attempted force-feeding and placed him in solitary confinement.
- Guards = increasingly brutal and aggressive over time.
Zimbardo ended study after six days.
Explain Zimbardo et al. (1973) conclusions in investigating social roles?
Social roles have a strong influence on behaviour, in the SPE, ‘normal’ people quickly conformed to the social roles of prison guard and prisoner. With the guards becoming increasingly brutal and the prisoners became increasingly submissive
