Social Influence

Question 1

Compliance

Answer 1

Changes public behaviour, not private beliefs

Question 2

Internalisation

Answer 2

Genuine acceptance, results in private and public change of opinions/ behaviour

Question 3

Identification

Answer 3

Identify with group we value/ want to be part of so publically change even if not privately agreeing

Question 4

Normative Social Influence

Answer 4

Conforming to be accepted/ belong in group- socially rewarding or avoid social rejection

Question 6

NSI evaluation

Answer 6

+ research support

• two-process model is oversimplified
• individual differences

Question 7

ISI evaluation

Answer 7

+ research support

• two-process model oversimplified
• individual differences

Question 8

Informational Social Influence

Answer 8

Conforms to gain knowledge/ other person is ‘right’- bc of lack of information

Question 9

Asch (1951)- Procedure

Answer 9

• 123 American male students
• participants identified length of standard line on each trial
• confederates gave correct answer on first few trials but then selected all wrong answers.
• 18 trials, on 12 critical trials confederates gave wrong answer

Question 10

Asch (1951)- Findings and conclusions

Answer 10

• wrong answer given 36% of time
• considerable individual differences: 25% never wrong so 75% conformed at least once
• most conformed to avoid rejection (NSI) and continued to privately trust own opinions (compliance)

Question 11

Asch variables of conformity (1955)- procedure

Answer 11

1) Group size: number varied between 1 and 15
2) Unanimity: truthful confederate/ dissenting but inaccurate confederate
3) Task difficulty: task made harder by making lines more similar in length

Question 12

Asch variables of conformity (1955)- findings

Answer 12

1) Group size: conformity for 2 confederates= 13%, for 3= 31%
2) Unanimity: dissenting confederate reduced conformity to 25%
3) Task difficulty: Conformity higher when task more difficult bc ISI

Question 13

Asch- Evaluation

Answer 13

• Lacks ecological validity
• ‘Child of it’s time’
• Ethical issues: deception, no informed consent so possible embarrassment when true nature revealed HOWEVER were debriefed

Question 14

The Stanford Prison Experiment- procedure

Answer 14

• Aim: wether brutality of prison guards was result of sadistic personalities or created by situation
• 24 stable students randomly assigned to roles, w prisoners arrested at home
• Prisoners routines heavily regulated
• De-individualisation

Question 15

The Stanford Prison Experiment- findings

Answer 15

• within 2 days prisoners rebelled, guards harassed them w frequent head counts
• guards were enthusiastic, behaviour threatened prisoner’s psychological and physical health
• revealed power of situation to influence behaviour, w both sides conforming to roles

Question 16

The Stanford Prison Experiment- evaluation

Answer 16

+altered the way US prisons are run

• ethical concerns: lack of fully informed consent (to arrest), protection from psychological harm
• demand characteristics/ lacks population validity

Question 17

Milgram Obedience study (1963)- procedure

Answer 17

• 40 males recruited through newspaper ads and postal flyers, paid $4.50
• drew lots, conf always teacher and ptp learner

Question 18

Agentic state

Answer 18

An individual believes they don’t have responsibility for their behaviour as they are the agent of an authority figure

Question 19

Autonomous state

Answer 19

When individuals actions are free from control

Question 20

Legitimacy of authority

Answer 20

The idea that individuals accept that other individuals who are higher up the social hierarchy should be obeyed, that there is a sense of duty

• learnt through socialisation
• some have right to punish
• accepted by most that it is needed

Question 21

Legitimacy of authority ADV

Answer 21

Milgram:
+ demonstrated power of legitimacy w professors demonstrating high social level due to extensive education and respect for science as a discipline
+ shows Agentic state as ptp often agreed to continue after experimenter clarified he was responsible

Question 22

Legitimacy of authority DISADV

Answer 22

Milgram:
- 35% of ptp resisted resisted authority and refused to deliver 450 volt shock to ‘learner’. If Agentic shift was true of all people then all would’ve given full shock