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Social Influence Flashcards

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1
Q

What is conformity? (SI)

A

Yielding to group pressure (majority)

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2
Q

What is the other name for conformity? (SI)

A

Majority influence

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3
Q

What happens when conformity takes place? (SI)

A

Someone’s behaviour and/or beliefs are influenced by a larger group of people.

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4
Q

What is the weakest form of conformity? (SI)

A

Compliance

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5
Q

What is compliance? (SI)

A

When an individual changes their behaviour in public, but not in private. (About getting a favourable reaction from others)

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6
Q

What is the middle level of conformity? (SI)

A

Identification

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7
Q

What is identification? (SI)

A

When an individual changes their behaviour in public in an effort to be accepted by a group they want to be in.

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8
Q

What is the highest level of conformity? (SI)

A

Internalisation

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9
Q

What is internalisation? (SI)

A

When an individual changes their behaviour or view to that of others in the group, in public and in private.

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10
Q

What are the types of conformity? (SI)

A

Compliance, identification and internalisation

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11
Q

What are the explanations of conformity? (SI)

A

ISI and NSI

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12
Q

What is ISI?

A

Information social influence – desire to be right

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13
Q

When is ISI most likely to occur?

A

Unfamiliar/ambiguous situations, Where there is apparently an expert present

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14
Q

Describe how the Jenness jelly bean study supports ISI.

A

Individuals privately estimated number of beans in the jar, then had a group discussion with a group estimate, then made a second private estimate. Second estimates moved closer to the group estimate suggesting ISI (can’t be NSI as second estimate was private).

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15
Q

What is Normative social influence?

A

Desire to be liked/accepted by a group

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16
Q

Which famous study demonstrated the existence of NSI?

A

Asch lines study

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17
Q

What was Asch’s sample? (SI)

A

123 American male student volunteers

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18
Q

What are the issues with Asch’s sample? (SI)

A

Small, ethnocentric, androcentric, volunteer type

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19
Q

What was Asch’s procedure? (SI)

A

Group of 7-9 confederates, 1 participant, Match a standard line to A,B or C, 12/18 trials were critical, Real participant answered second last or last, Task was unambiguous (mistake baseline was 0.7%)

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20
Q

How many participants conformed at least once in Asch’s study (%)? (SI)

A

75%

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21
Q

What was the overall % for conformity across all trials in Asch’s study? (SI)

A

36.8% (37%)

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22
Q

In the control group of Asch’s study how many participants never conformed (%)? (SI)

A

95%

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23
Q

What were the post interview findings of Asch’s study? (SI)

A

Participants reported conforming out of a desire to not be rejected (NSI)

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24
Q

Name the three factors Asch showed effected conformity. (SI)

A

Group size, unanimity, task difficulty

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25
Q

What minimum size group is required to increase chances of conformity? (SI)

A

3

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26
Q

What happened to conformity rates once Asch increased the group size above 3? (SI)

A

Little change

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27
Q

What effect does unanimity have on conformity? (SI)

A

When a group is not unanimous, conformity rates decrease

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28
Q

What effect does task difficulty have on conformity? (SI)

A

When a task is more difficult, conformity rates increase

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29
Q

How did Asch explain the increase in conformity when a task became more difficult? (SI)

A

Participants conformed out of a desire to be right (ISI)

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30
Q

How did Asch increase task difficulty in this variation of his experiment? (SI)

A

Made the lines look more similar in length.

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31
Q

Define what is meant by situational variables affecting conformity. (SI)

A

Features of an environment that affect the degree to which individuals yield to group pressure

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32
Q

Define what is meant by individual variables affecting conformity. (SI)

A

Personal characteristics that affect the degree to which individuals yield to group pressure

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33
Q

Explain what a social role is. (SI)

A

A part an individual plays as a member of a social group, where their behaviour will meet the expectations of that situation

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34
Q

Which study demonstrated conformity to social roles? (SI)

A

Haney et al, Stanford Prison Experiment (Zimbardo)

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35
Q

What was Zimbardo trying to study? (SI)

A

The extent to which people conform to roles of prisoner/guard in a simulated prison – testing if it is disposition or situation that causes ‘evil’ behaviour.

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36
Q

What was Zimbardo’s sample? (SI)

A

75 male university student volunteers, paid $15 a day (assessed as emotionally stable)

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37
Q

What was wrong with Zimbardo’s sample? (SI)

A

Small, androcentric, ethnocentric, same age, volunteers

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38
Q

Where was the SPE experimental prison created? (SI)

A

Psychology basement at Stanford.

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39
Q

How were the roles assigned in the SPE? (SI)

A

Randomly

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40
Q

How were the prisoners deindividuated in the SPE? (SI)

A

Uniform, number

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41
Q

How were the guards aided into their social role in the SPE? (SI)

A

Uniform, dark reflective glasses, billy clubs

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42
Q

What happened with the social roles of the guards and prisoners in the SPE? (SI)

A

Settled quickly, prisoners became steadily more depressed, guards increasingly brutal

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43
Q

What happened to the prisoners after around 36 hours in the SPE? (SI)

A

One had a breakdown

44
Q

How many days did it take before the SPE was stopped? (SI)

A

6 (instead of running for the full 2 weeks)

45
Q

What were the conclusions of the SPE? (SI)

A

Individuals readily conform to social roles. Situational variables are more important in ‘evil’ behaviour (given that none of the participants had shown these traits before – can’t be dispositional)

46
Q

The BBC recreated the SPE, what did they find? (SI)

A

Couldn’t support the SPE, prisoners rebelled and overthrew the guards!

47
Q

What recent criticisms have arisen linked to the SPE? (SI)

A

That Zimbardo manipulated the behaviour of the guards, encouraging ‘tough guard’ behaviour – investigator effects

48
Q

What is obedience? (SI)

A

Complying with the demands of an authority figure

49
Q

Why is obedience generally a good thing? (SI)

A

It helps society to function effectively

50
Q

Who famously researched obedience? (SI)

A

Milgram

51
Q

What was the sample for Milgram’s study? (SI)

A

40 male, American volunteers aged 20-50.

52
Q

What was wrong with Milgram’s sample? (SI)

A

Small, ethnocentric, androcentric, volunteers

53
Q

What were the participants told Milgram’s experiment was testing? (SI)

A

Memory

54
Q

What were the two roles in Milgram’s experiment and who took on each role? (SI)

A

Teacher – the real participant, Learner – confederate

55
Q

Who was the authority figure in the study and how could they be identified? (SI)

A

Experimenter – in a grey lab coat

56
Q

What was the punishment system for the ‘memory task’ in Milgram’s study? (SI)

A

Increasing levels of electric shocks ‘given’ when the learner gave the incorrect answer. Started at 15 volts, up to a possible 450 volts.

57
Q

How did Milgram make his participants believe the shock machine was real? (SI)

A

Gave them a 45 volt shock before the experiment started.

58
Q

What percentage of Milgram’s participants went to 450 volts? (SI)

A

65%

59
Q

What percentage of Milgram’s participants went to 300 volts? (SI)

A

100%

60
Q

Describe the behaviour of the participants during the Milgram’s study. (SI)

A

Increasing levels of discomfort, signs of distress like sweating, 3 even had seizures!

61
Q

What does Milgram’s study tell us about obedience? (SI)

A

People are likely to obey an authority figure even if it distresses us or goes against our moral code.

62
Q

What type of experiment was Milgram’s study? (SI)

A

Controlled observation.

63
Q

What were the ethical issues in Milgram’s study? (SI)

A

Psychological harm, questions regarding the right to withdraw (prompt statements), deception

64
Q

How did Milgram try to control some of the ethical issues in his study? (SI)

A

Participants were reunited with the learner, debrief given, (only 2% of participants regretted taking part)

65
Q

What additional situational factors did Milgram test in variations of his original experiment? (SI)

A

Proximity, location and uniform

66
Q

How did Milgram alter proximity in his experiment? (SI)

A

1) Teacher and learner in same room, 2) Teacher forces hand of learner onto shock plate, 3) Experiment instructs teacher by phone

67
Q

How did Milgram alter location in his experiment? (SI)

A

Completed in a run down office block rather than at Yale

68
Q

How did Milgram alter uniform in his experiment? (SI)

A

Instead of the lab coat the experimenter was called away and a plain clothes confederate took over

69
Q

What happened to the percentage of fully obedient participants when Milgram changed location to a run down office block? (SI)

A

Dropped by almost 20% (to 47.5%)

70
Q

What happened to the percentage of fully obedient participants when the instructions were being given by someone in plain clothes? (SI)

A

Dropped by 45% (to 20%)

71
Q

What happened to the percentage of fully obedient participants when they increased their proximity to the learner (victim)? (SI)

A

Decreased – 40% when in same room (down 25%), 30% when forcing the hand (down 35%)

72
Q

What is the agentic state? (SI)

A

A mental state where we feel no personal responsibility for our behaviour because we believe we are acting for an authority figure.

73
Q

What is the opposite of being in the agentic state? (SI)

A

Autonomous state

74
Q

What is the agentic shift? (SI)

A

When someone moves from being in an autonomous state to the agentic state – happens when we perceive someone as a legitimate authority.

75
Q

What are binding factors linked to obedience? (SI)

A

Aspects of a situation that will allow someone to minimise the damaging effect of their behaviour (reduce moral strain) e.g. blaming the victim

76
Q

What research supports the existence of the agentic state? (SI)

A

Blass and Schmitt showed Milgram’s study to students and asked them who’s fault it was, they all identified the experimenter as he was the legitimate authority.

77
Q

What is legitimacy of Authority? (SI)

A

We are more likely to obey people who we perceive to have an authority over us, they are perceived as legitimate because of their position within a social hierarchy.

78
Q

What is destructive authority? (SI)

A

When a legitimate authority abuses their power e.g. Hitler – in Milgram’s study this happened when the experimenter used the verbal prompts

79
Q

What is an authoritarian personality? (SI)

A

A type of personality that is more susceptible to obeying people in authority.

80
Q

Who developed the authoritarian personality explanation for obedience? (SI)

A

Adorno

81
Q

Describe the authoritarian personality? (SI)

A

Very deferent/submissive to those of higher status, extremely obedient to authority figures, dismissive/contemptuous of their inferiors

82
Q

How is the authoritarian personality measured? (SI)

A

F scale

83
Q

What research supports the relationship between the authoritarian personality and obedience? (SI)

A

Milgram tested his participants with the F scale, those who were more obedient scored more highly.

84
Q

What is resistance to social influence?

A

The way an individual attempts to withstand majority influence/group pressures/threats to freedom of choice.

85
Q

What is social support? (SI)

A

The idea that you have people around you who are resisting conformity or obeying and that this can help you to do the same (they act as role models showing resistance is possible)

86
Q

How did Milgram demonstrate the role of social support in resisting obedience? (SI)

A

When participants were paired with a disobedient confederate, obedience rates dropped to 10%

87
Q

How did Asch demonstrate the role of social support in resisting conformity? (SI)

A

If a non-conforming dissenter is present then the participant becomes less likely to conform (it was noted that they didn’t necessarily give the same answer as the dissenter, just needed the role model of someone else going against the majority)

88
Q

What is locus of control? (SI)

A

The extent to which individuals believe how much control they have over their lives.

89
Q

What is meant by a high internal locus of control? (SI)

A

The belief that things happen due to our choices and decisions, we have control in our lives and influence within our world.

90
Q

What is meant by high external locus of control? (SI)

A

The belief that things happen due to fate, luck or other external forces, we have little control in our lives and no real influence on what happens within our world.

91
Q

What type of LOC is most resistant to social pressures? (SI)

A

High internal LOC

92
Q

What research supports LOC in resisting social pressure? (SI)

A

Holland – repeated Milgram’s study and measured LOC. 37% of internals did not continue to the highest shock level. Only 23% of externals did not continue – internals showed greater resistance.

93
Q

What research contradicts LOC in resisting social influence? (SI)

A

Twenge et al – meta analysis over a 40 year period, Americans have become more resistant to obedience over this time, but also more external in their LOC.

94
Q

What is minority influence? (SI)

A

A type of social influence that motivates individuals to reject established majority group norms.

95
Q

What type of social influence is minority influence most likely to lead to? (SI)

A

Internalisation

96
Q

What three factors are the main processes involved in minority influence? (SI)

A

Consistency, flexibility and commitment

97
Q

What is consistency in terms of minority influence? (SI)

A

The minority will be most effective when they keep to the same beliefs over time (diachronic) and between individuals (synchronic)

98
Q

What is flexibility in terms of minority influence? (SI)

A

Having relentless consistency could be counter-productive (like Teresa May and her Brexit deal!), minorities are more effective if they show flexibility or the possibility of compromise.

99
Q

What is commitment in terms of minority influence? (SI)

A

Minorities are more powerful if they show dedication to their position.

100
Q

What research shows the importance of consistency and commitment in minority influence? (SI)

A

Moscovici – consistent minority judgements in an unambiguous situation (blue and green slides)

101
Q

What was Moscovici’s slide study procedure? (3 marks) (SI)

A

1) 32 groups of 6, two confederates per group, 2) shown 36 blue slides varying in intensity of shade. 3) Consistent condition – confederates described slides as green. Inconsistent condition – 24 were described as green.

102
Q

What were the findings and conclusions of Moscovici’s slide study? (SI)

A

32% agreed at least once in consistent condition, only 1.28% in inconsistent condition à consistency is important in minority influence.

103
Q

What is social change? (SI)

A

When whole societies eventually adopt new attitudes, beliefs and ways of doing things

104
Q

Give an example of a social change? (SI)

A

Women’s suffrage, environmental movements, Civil rights movement

105
Q

How can social change occur through majority influence? (SI)

A

Use NSI – if everyone thinks it is the norm then they will alter their behaviour accordingly – leads to a more immediate change to maintain social order e.g. laws like the smoking ban

106
Q

What are the key processes in social change when caused by a minority? (SI)

A

1) Drawing attention, 2) Consistency (of the minority), 3) Deeper processing (by others), 4) Augmentation principle, 5) Snowball effect (resulting in minority to majority), 6) Social cryptomnesia

Psychology (11 decks)

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