Social - Conformity Flashcards
What points should I consider when evaluating a study?
The Validity - ecological and population
The Ethics - protection from harm and no deception
Supporting or contrary research or studies
What points should I consider when evaluating explanations or theories?
Include: Research evidence Supporting theories Contrary theories Quality of data
What to think about when answering stem questions?
Read the stem carefully for clues
Think about the whole course
Include course content
Involve the stem - relate back
Define Conformity?
A group influence someone’s behaviour, look or views
Define a Reference Group?
The group in which you belong to and consider yourself a member of, this may be in college, friendship group or sport
Define Social Norms?
Are rules regarding the appropriate behaviour for that particular group or situation
What does the term Implicit mean?
Not law but it is the expected and accepted thing to do: such as leaving people personal space in the EU there is lots of personal space whereas in the Eastern World we would feel as if they were too close
What does the term Explicit mean?
It is the law such as the No Smoking law in England
Define Compliance?
Where a persons behaviour changes publicly but still has their own views
Define Internalisation?
The views go internally and therefore changes the persons views and behaviour
What is Normative Social Influence (NSI)?
Type of compliance where we will change in the desire to be liked, approved of or accepted, so publicly we will go along with the majority but privately we will keep our own views
What is Informational Social Influence (ISI)?
Type of internalisation where we want to be right, where in new situations that may be ambiguous or emergencies we will look to others whom we think are right and copy, leading eventually to long lasting change in belief or behaviour
What does NSI lead to?
Public conformity, compliance is a result of public conformity
What does ISI lead to?
Private conformity, internalisation is a result of private conformity
What is the autokinetic effect?
It is optical illusion, darkened room with a spot of light which seems to move
What was Experiment 1 of Sherif 1935?
The ppts judges individually to judge how far a point of light had moved.
There was only a variation between people at this point.
After the ppts were put into groups of 3 and announce judgements aloud, this outcome was their answers were different until the norm emerged when the answers were all the same
What was Experiment 2 of Sherif 1935?
This time the first judgements were made in groups and he found that the group norm emerged more quickly.
And ppts in Experiment 1 were asked to estimate on their own after group judging and the norm was continued
Explain the aims of the Asch experiment of 1951?
Investigate conformity to the majority
and Social influence in a ambiguous situation
Explain the procedure of the Asch experiment of 1951?
1 naïve ppt and 7 confederates Call out in turn the correct line on cards 12 critical trials 18 trials in total 50 male students in total
What were the results of Asch’s experiment in 1951?
32% overall conformity rate
74% conformed at least once
26% never conformed
State the changes in the results when variations were carried out?
1 confederate agreed with ppt - 5% conformed
Losing partner a confederate changes and goes with other confederates - 28.5% conformed
Gaining a partner - 8.7% conformed
State the ecological validity issue with Asch?
The group is artificial and the answer would not have affected their day to day lives - could make a difference
State the population validity issue with Asch?
Only one gender - male who when are less certain on what they are not good at meaning that they could be more susceptible to conformity
How does Crutchfield study support Asch?
The % of conformity were similar - 30% C and 32% A, levels of conformity increase when people thought they were wrong also if the test got harder so did the compliance levels
Why was it suggested that these Asch’s results were a product of the time?
Red scare meaning that people were more likely to conform due to fear
Evidence that supports the results from Asch are a product of the time?
Perrin and Spencer 1980 - only 1 case of conformity
Evidence that supports the results from Asch and that they were NOT products of the time?
The percentage has fallen in recent years
They were American not British - population validity?
They were maths and science students meaning they were used to making decisions
