social impact and factors affecting obedience Flashcards
What is social impact theory?
An alternative explanation for why people are obedient. The presence of others cause changes in a person. These changes can be emotional , behavioural and cognitive. The person being impacted in the target and the person doing the influencing is referred to as the source
3 laws of behaviour
social force, psychological law, division of impact
How does strength increase the likelihood a person will respond to social influence?
The strength of a source can be determined by status, authority or age. Perrin and Spencer found that probation officers had high levels of influence of those under probation. This can be explained due to their high levels of authority.
How does immediacy increase the likelihood a person will respond to social influence?
The distance (space and time) between source and target at the time of the influence attempt.
How does number increase the likelihood a person will respond to social influence?
How many sources and targets there are in a group
When will obedience be the greatest?
Authority figure who is perceived as legitimate, who is close to the target and great in number.
What is the multiplication impact?
Increasing n.o people from 2-3 has a large effect, but increasing sources from 66-67 would have little to no effect. So strength, immediacy, and number have a multiplicative impact where social influence becomes stronger.
What is the division of impact?
Where social influence becomes weaker. eg when an authority figure would have a diminished ability to influence someone if they had a group of allies,ally. Evidence from Milgram’s variation where 2 peers rebel against instructions of the authority figure telling them to deliver electric shocks. The presence of the peer lowered obedience to 10%. This is a diffusion of responsibility.
What is the mathematic model for SIT?
i =f(SIN), allows us to predict how people are likely to behave and makes the theory reliable if the same measurements are used the same predictions will emerge consistently
Applications of SIT
Mathematical formula is useful as it can predict how people behave in certain conditions- Which increases reliability if the same measurements are put into the formula, the same predictions emerge
Negative applications of SIT
Can be criticised for being static rather than dynamic because it doesn’t take into account how source and target interact and ignores what the target brings to the situation. Is limited in type of social situation it may explain. Cannot predict what might happen if two equal groups impact on one another
Methodology of SIT
Both lab and field experiments were used to develop SIT eg Milgram, and Latane which increases scientific credibility. However, analysing people’s obedience using a mathematical formula can be considered reductionist as it attempts to explain complex social behaviour.
Evidence for SIT
Latane- n.o of people that would respond to Billy Graham’s appeal for converts. Small audiences( less allies)= more likely to agree that vicars meet them +milgrams variation 7 shows proximity + Jackson and Sedikides found people tended to obey a uniformed zoo keeper when he told not to lean on railings compared to a causally dressed zookeeper which demonstrates strength of status in influencing target. this was carried out in a birdhouse in the zoo.
Evidence against SIT
ignores individual differences. eg does not explain why some pf us are more resilient to social impact and some are more affected by it. The theory does not explain why people are influenced by others, just under what conditions they are more likely to be influenced
Alternative theory to SIT
Agency theory
Difference between Milgrams agency theory and Latanes social impact theory
Agency theory- doesn’t use quantifiable data, less reliable as it doesn’t predict exactly how people behave in any situation, explains obedience behaviour and discusses it directly
SIT- Quantifiable data- uses a mathematical formula, reliable if the same measurements are put into the formula same predications emerge.
Similarities of agency theory and SIT
Agency- supported by research eg Hofling, ignores individual difference why some people don’t obey orders, doesn’t explain WHY people obey authority
SIT- Supported by Sedikides and Jackson, ignores individual differences doesn’t explain why some people are more resistant to social impact, doesn’t explain WHY people are influenced by others just under what conditions they’re likely to be influenced
Individual differences affecting obedience
Personality Gender
- locus of control
-authoritarianism
-empathy
How does locus of control affect obedience?
Rooter describes it as extent people feel they are in control of their own situation and lives. External- behaviour is beyond their control, Internal- they are responsible for their own actions. eg in Milgrams research many obeyed as they felt experimenter held responsibility. This area is mixed with only tentative evidence that those of internal locus of control resiist and those with external obey
How does authoritarianism affect obedience?
Personality trait by hostility to people of a different race, social group, age, sexuality, or other minority. Submissive to authority, harsh to those seen as subordinate to themselves. Theodor Adorno created f-scale to measure authoritarianism
Evidence supporting authoritarian personalities are linked to obedience
Milgram and Elms- compared f-scale scores for 20 obedient and defiant. Obedient has higher F-scale score and defiant showed more social responsibility.
Dambrun and Vatine- simulation of Milgram’s experiment using computer simulation and found high authoritarian scores meant more likely to be obedient
How does empathy affect obedience?
High levels of empathy should have high levels of obedience-Burger investigated and found people who score high on empathy were likely to protest against giving the electric shock but this didn’t translate to lower levels of obedience
How is gender a source of individual difference in obedience?
Overall no difference, difference in emotional responses with females reporting more tension than males. Milgram conducted a variation for 40 female teachers and obedience rate virtually identical at 27% breaking off at 300v, but anxiety was much higher for males. This was also found in Burgers study . Similarly, Blass found obedience consistent between M&F across 9/10 studies in their meta-analysis
What did Kilham & Mann find? (to do with gender differences)
Replicated Milgrams study in Australia found woman were less obedient 16% than men 40%. This may of been because male teachers were paired with male learner and female teacher with female learners. Female teachers may of felt solidarity with female learner and more inclined to disobey male experimenter
Situational variables that affect obedience
Momentum of compliance
Proximity
Status of authority figure
Personal responsibility
How does momentum of compliance affect obedience?
Experimenter starts off by asking small and trivial requests to not cause anxiety, these initial requests commit ppt to experiment so they feel duty-bound to continue eg Voltage on shock machine gradually increases by 15v
How does proximity affect obedience?
Closer the authority figure higher level of obedience. Closer victim lower level of obedience. e.g. learner if learner was in the same room as teacher ,or if teacher had to physically place the hand of the learner to shock obedience drops. Learner in a different room + not seen or heard obedience rose to 100%. Milgram refers to proximity of the victim as a buffer as it reduces obedience.
How does status of authority figure affect obedience?
Strongest when authority figure was seen as legitimate. eg increased obedience when conducted at Yale and decreased at office block where instructions were given by an ordinary man not a high status researcher
How does personal responsibility affect obedience?
Strongest when they felt someone else was responsible for harming the learner. Variation where they had to sign a contract stating they were taking part of their own will and Yale was not responsible for any legal consequences obedience fell to 40%
What is culture?
Incorporates values, ideas, customs, and behavioural norms of a particular group, people, society.
Individualistic culture- Eg Britain and America tend to behave independently, resisting conformity and compliance with their culture. Emphasis individualism.
Collectivist culture- importance of whole group as a collective eg China. Tend to behave as a collect group based on interdependence meaning co-operation and compliance is important for the stability of the group
What did Ancona and Pareyson find? (culture)
Replicated Milgrams study in Italy with just students and max voltage of 330. Found obedience rate of 80%
What did Slater find? (culture)
Virtual reality replication of Milgram’s study in the UK and found 74% obedience and found through skin conductivity, heart rate, interviews all indicated they suffered stress as a result of hurting the avatar
What did Meeus and Raaijmakers find? (culture)
In Netherlands, whether people would obey orders to psychologically abuse job interviewee. 92% obedience
What did Schurz find? (culture)
Conducted Milgram’s study in Austria ppts were told to give bursts of ultrasound which they were told were painful and 80% obedience
What did Blass find? (culture)
Reviewed studies done in US and elsewhere average US 60.9% and 65% elsewhere. Similar to Milgram’s results and similar cross-culturally- across cultures this is a universal behaviour
Issue and Debate- Dev psych- Gender and culture?
Dev psych- predict women be more compliant according to gender role schemas, they have been socialised to be quiet. Also predict we are shaped by culture we grow up in eg growing up in an individualistic culture where independence is valued= less obedience
