Social Influence

Question 1

Situational Factors Affecting Conformity

Answer 1

• Diffusion of responsibility = others can help
• Noticing the event
• Pluralistic ignorance = interpreting situation according to others, if others help so will you
• Cost of helping = danger

Question 2

Personal Factors Affecting Conformity

Answer 2

• Competence =if you are able to help (CPR)
• Mood
• Similarity

Question 3

Situational Factors Affecting Conformity (from Asch)

Answer 3

• Size of majority
• Unanimity of majority = most people say no you are likely to say no
• Task difficulty

Question 4

Personality Affecting Confrmity

Answer 4

Internal Locus of control = deserved

External Locus of Control = lucky

Question 5

Situational Factors Affecting Obedience to an Authority Figure (Milgram)

Answer 5

• Proximity of victim
• Proximity of authority figure
• Authority figure = wear lab coat
• Legitimacy of context = if in rundown office block
• Personal Responsibility
• Support of others

Question 6

Other factors that affected conformity in Milgram’s study

Answer 6

• Shocks not harmful
• Volunteered
• Not taken part in psychology experiment before (little understanding about procedure)
• Feel obliged to see it through to the end

Question 7

Personality Factors Affecting

Answer 7

• Respect for authority figures
• Rigid beliefs and attitudes
• A strong belief in justice
• Right-wing politics
• Aggressive to those inferior to themselves

Question 8

Background information in Zimbardo’s study

Answer 8

• 22 participants
• 10 prisoners, 11 guards
• Not given instructions on how to behave
• Wore uniforms and given ID numbers

Question 9

Results from Zimbardo’s study

Answer 9

• After few hours = guards physically and verbally aggressive, gave punishments
• Prisoners conformed to role and became submissive
• Uniforms deindividuated guards and prisoners
• Study stopped after 6 days, anxiety and depression

Question 10

Strengths and Weaknesses of Zimbardo

Answer 10

-Stopped after 6 days, psychological harm
-Unethical
-Participants could be acting in the way they thought they were expected to
+Weren’t acting, prisoners were talking about prison life not real lives
-Only conducted on male college students