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yr 12 psychology revision > social influence > Flashcards

social influence Flashcards

1
Q

what is conformity?

A

A change in a person’s behaviour/ opinions due to pressure from a person or group of people

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2
Q

what are the 3 types of conformity?

A

identification, internalisation and compliance

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3
Q

what is identification?

A

An individual changes their public views to match those of a group, because they value the group and wish to be part of it (identify with it)

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4
Q

what is internalisation?

A

When an individual changes their public and private views or behaviour to match those of a group. This is a superficial change.

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5
Q

what is compliance?

A

When an individual changes their public, but not private, behaviour or views to match those of a group. This is a superficial type of conformity.

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6
Q

what are the 2 explanations for conformity?

A

NSI (Normative social influence) and ISI (informational social influence)

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7
Q

What is NSI?

A

It is when an individual agrees with the opinion of the majority because they want to gain social approval and be liked.

-NSI is the need to be liked

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8
Q

What is ISI?

A

ISI is when an individual agrees with the opinion the majority because they believe it is correct

-ISI is the need to be right

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9
Q

Conformity and Asch’s research
What was the aim?

A

To what extent people conform to the opinion of others

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10
Q

What 3 variables was Asch investigating?

A

Unanimity, task difficulty and group size

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11
Q

Did group size lead to an increase or decrease in conformity?

A

-INCREASED but only up to a point (3 confederates)

-3 confederates = conformity to wrong answer rose to 31.8%

-presence of more confederates made little difference

-Group sized varied 2-16

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12
Q

Did unanimity lead to an increase or decrease in conformity?

A

-DECREASED

-genuine participant = conformed LESS, in presence of dissenter

-dissenter = freed naïve participant, behaved independently

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13
Q

Did task difficulty lead to an increase or decrease in conformity?

A

-INCREASED as task difficulty got harder

-Asch made line lengths more similar (led to ISI)

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14
Q

A03 of Asch’s study into conformity = Artificial situation/task

A

-Limitation

-Participants knew this was a study, so played along (demand characteristics)

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15
Q

A03 of Asch’s study into conformity = Research support

A

-Strength

-Support for effects of task difficulty

-Todd Lucas et al : solve maths problems, got harder over time
-conformity increased = task got harder

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16
Q

conformity to social roles- Zimbardo
What was the aim of his study?

A

he wanted to know why prison guards behaved, brutally- was it because they have sadistic personality is, or was it their social role that created such behaviour?

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17
Q

Outline Zimbardo‘s research (SPE)- APPRC

A

APPRC:

Aim: Behaviour related to social roles and norms

Participants:
-21 male
-Student volunteers
-Tested “emotionally stable”

Procedure:
-Mock prison
-Guards ran prison
-Stanford University

Results:
-Guards = behaved brutally
-Prisoner’s rebellion inhibited
-Prisoners become depressed
-Study ended = 6 days

Conclusions: Relate to social roles
-Participants = conform strongly to their social roles

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18
Q

what did the prisoners have to wear in Zimbardo’s SPE study?

A

-A loose smock
-A cap to hide hair
-Identifies by a number

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19
Q

what did the guards have to wear in Zimbardo’s SPE study?

A

-Uniform to reflect their status
-Wooden club
-Handcuffs
-Mirror shades (helps with no eye contact between prisoner and guard)

-Uniforms created a loss of personal identity (de-individualisation)

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20
Q

A03 Zimbardo (SPE) = Control

A

-Strength

-Random assignment of roles = increases internal validity

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21
Q

A03 of Zimbardo (SPE) = lack of realism

A

-Limitation

-Play-acted social roles , media-derived stereotypes (Banuazizi & Movahedi)

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22
Q

A03 of Zimbardo (SPE) = Counterpoint for lack of realism

A

-Strength

-Evidence that prisoners though prison was real
-90% of conversations = about prison life (McDermott)

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23
Q

Define obedience

A

A form of social influence, in which an individual follows a direct order

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24
Q

APPRC for Milgram’s research into obedience

A

APPRC:

Aim:
-Were Germans different?

Participants:
-40 American men
-Yale University

Procedure:
-Participants gave ‘fake’ electric shocks to a ‘learner’ , responding to prods from ‘experimenter’

Results:
-65% gave highest shock of 450v
-100% gave shocks to 300v
-Many participants showed signs of anxiety e.g. sweating

Conclusions:
-German people are not ‘different’
-American participants willing to obey orders, even if it harms

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25
Q

A03 of Milgram’s study = Research support

A

-Strength

-French TV documentary (Milgram-type experiment)
-80% gave maximum shock
-Showed similar anxiety too ((Beauvois et al)

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26
Q

A03 of Milgram’s study = low internal validity

A

-Limitation

-Realised shocks = fake, so ‘play-acting’ (Orne & Holland)

-Supported by Perry- tapes of participants saying they knew shocks were fake (50% believed real)

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27
Q

what are the 3 situational variables according to Milgram?

A

-Proximity
-Location
-Uniform

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28
Q

define proximity

A

The physical closeness or distance of an authority figure to the person they are giving an order to

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29
Q

define location

A

The place where an order is issued

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30
Q

define uniform

A

people in positions of authority often have a specific outfit that is symbolic of their authority

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31
Q

proximity- milgram

A

teacher and learner in same room- rate dropped from 65% to 40%

touch proximity variation- obedience dropped to further 30%

remote instruction variation- experimenter left room , instructors to teacher given via telephone- obedience = 20.5%

-decreased proximity allows for people to psychologically distance themselves from the consequences of actions

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32
Q

location- Milgram

A

-Variation in run-down office- obedience fell to 47.5%

-prestigious university environment gave the study legitimacy and authority (more obedience)

-However, obedience was quite high in office block as participants perceived ‘scientific’ nature of procedure

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33
Q

uniform- Milgram

A

Experimenter (grey lab coat) was called away

-replaced by ‘ordinary member of the public’ in everyday clothes

-obedience dropped to 20%

  • uniforms = widely recognised symbol of authority

-Someone without a uniform has less right to expect our obedience

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34
Q

A03 of Milgram’s situational variables = Research support

A

-Strength

-Bickman = showed power of uniform in field experiment

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35
Q

A03 of Milgram’s situational explanations of obedience = cross-cultural replications

A

-Strength

-Replicated in other cultures (e.g. Dutch)
-90% participants obeyed to say stressful things to confederate

-Decreased proximity = decreased obedience (Meeus and Raajjmakers)

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36
Q

A03 of Milgram’s situational variables = Counterpoint of cross-cultural replications

A

-Limitation

-Most studies = western cultures (similar to USA)

-Cannot be generalised (Smith & Bond)

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37
Q

what are the 2 situational explanations of obedience?

A

Agentic state and legitimacy of authority

38
Q

What is the agentic state?

A

-Where we feel NO PERSONAL responsibility for our actions
-We feel POWERLESS to DISOBEY
-Shift from autonomy to ‘agency’ = agentic shift

39
Q

What other ‘state’ is linked to the agentic state?

A

autonomous state

40
Q

What is the autonomous state?

A

-OPPOSITE of agentic state
-feel ‘autonomy’ = liberated/FREE to think on own
-feel a sense of RESPONSIBILITY

41
Q

What did Milgram suggest about the agentic shift?

A

-It occurs when we perceive someone else as the authority figure

-Authority figure = greater power , higher position in SOCIAL HIERARCHY

42
Q

How does Milgram define binding factors?

A

Aspects of the situation that allows someone to ignore the effects of their destructive behaviour

-Reduces ‘moral strain’

-People reduce the ‘moral strain’ by blaming victim or denying their behaviour

43
Q

How does Milgram define binding factors?

A

Aspects of the situation that allows someone to ignore the effects of their destructive behaviour

-Reduces ‘moral strain’

-People reduce the ‘moral strain’ by blaming victim or denying their behaviour

44
Q

A03 agentic state = Research support

A

-Strength

-Milgram’s resistant participants continued giving shocks when Experimenter took responsibility

45
Q

A03 agentic state = a limited explanation

A

-Limitation

-Cannot explain why Rank and Jacobson’s nurses + some of Milgram’s participants disobeyed

46
Q

Define legitimacy of authority

A

We are more likely to obey people, we perceive to have authority over us

-SOCIAL HIERARCHY

-learned in childhood

47
Q

What is the type of authority where power is miss-used?

A

Destructive authority

48
Q

Give an example of destructive authority

A

Hitler

49
Q

A03 of L of A = explains cultural differences

A

-strength

-Australia obeyed 16% (Kilham & Mann)
-Germany obeyed 85% (Mantell)
-Reflects different society structures + how children raised

50
Q

A03 of L of A = Cannot explain all (dis) obedience

A

-limitation
-Rank & Jacobson’s study (nurses in hierarchal society, did not obey legitimate authority)

51
Q

Who came up with the authoritarian personality?

A

Adorno

52
Q

Define authoritarian personality

A

Dispositional explanation of obedience
extreme respect for authority and submissiveness

53
Q

What caused the authoritarian personality, according to Adorno?

A

-Harsh parenting
-creates hostility = expressed on others, not parents

54
Q

What scale did Adorno create in his research?

A

-F-Scale

55
Q

What is the F-Scale?

A

Studied unconscious attitudes towards other racial groups

2000 middle-class, white Americans

56
Q

What does the F-scale stand for?

A

F = Fascism/ Fascist

57
Q

What were the findings from Adorno’s research?

A

-People with authoritarian personality = identify with ‘strong’ people who hold STEREOTYPES/ PREJUDGES

58
Q

A03 of Adorno’s research = Research support

A

-strength

-Obedient participants had high F-scale scores (Elms & Milgram)

59
Q

A03 of Adorno’s research = Limited explanation

A

-limitation

-Can’t explain obedience across a whole culture (only used white, american men)-

60
Q

A03 of Adorno’s research = Political bias

A

-limitation

-F-scale only measures right-wing ideology

-ignores left-wing authoritarianism (Christie & Jahoda)

61
Q

What are the 2 explanations of resistance to social influence?

A

Social support
LOC (locus of control)

62
Q

Define resistance to social influence

A

Explaining why people disobey and resist the pressure to conform

63
Q

Define social support

A

someone who resists pressure to conform/obey
helps others to do same

64
Q

What are the 2 explanations of social support?

A

Resisting conformity
Resisting obedience

65
Q

What is resisting conformity?

A

-Presences of a dissenter = reduces conformity
-Example = Asch

66
Q

A03 social support (resisting conformity) = Real-world support

A

-Strength

-Teen Fresh start USA (14-19 adolescents) - 8 week programme

-Having a ‘buddy’ helps resist peer pressure to smoke (Albrecht et al)

67
Q

What is resisting obedience?

A

-Presence of disobedient peer = decreases obedience
-Acts as model to follow = challenges L of A figure
-Example = Milgram- obedience dropped 65%-10%

68
Q

A03 social support (resisting obedience) = research support for dissenting peers

A

-Strength

-Obedience to order from oil company = fell when in a group (Gamson et al)
-29 out of 33 groups (88%) rebelled

69
Q

Define LOC

A

The sense we each have about what directs events in our lives

70
Q

What are the 2 types of LOC?

A

-internals
-externals

71
Q

Define internals (LOC)

A

They believe in personal responsibility
They are responsible for their own actions

72
Q

Define internals (LOC)

A

They believe in personal responsibility
They are responsible for their own actions

(e.g. a bad test result is down to a lack of revision on their part)

73
Q

Define externals (LOC)

A

They believe outside factors/ matter of luck are responsible for how they act

(e.g. a bad test result is down to the teacher or textbook)

74
Q

LOC is on a what scale?

A

A continuum

75
Q

What is the LOC continuum?

A

High internal at 1 end
High external at other end
Low internal + low external lie in-between

76
Q

Are internals or externals more likely to resist social pressures?

A

Internals

77
Q

What are the 3 characteristics of a high Internal LOC?

A

-Self-confident
-More achievement-orientated
-Higher intelligence

78
Q

A03 of LOC = research support

A

-Strength

-Internals = less likely to fully obey in Milgram-type procedure (Holland)

-37% internals did not continue (Holland)
-23% externals did not continue (Holland)

79
Q

A03 of LOC = contradictory research

A

-Limitation

-Twenge (et al) analysed data from American LOC studies (40 yr period, 1960-2002)

-Showed people = more resistant BUT more EXTERNAL!! (surprising outcome, should be more resistant = more internal)

80
Q

A03 of LOC = contradictory research

A

-Limitation

-Twenge (et al) analysed data from American LOC studies (40 yr period, 1960-2002)

-Showed people = more resistant BUT more EXTERNAL!! (surprising outcome, should be more resistant = more internal)

81
Q

Define minority influence

A

Leads to conversion (converting minority-majority) & internalisation

82
Q

What are the 3 parts to minority influence (CCF)?

A

-CONSISTENCY (constant reminder of argument)
-COMMITMENT (personal sacrifices made to show passion about argument)
-FLEXABILITY (Showing compromises)

83
Q

How does minority influence (CCF) bring about social change?

A

-Makes majority think more deeply about issue

-Snowball effect = minority view becomes majority influenced

84
Q

What are the 6 parts to social change?

A

-Drawing Attention
-Consistency
-Deeper Processing
-Augmentation Principle
-Snowball effect
-Social cryptomnesia

85
Q

How do we remember the 6 parts to social change?

A

-Dogs And
-Cats
-Do Poos
-At Parks
-Surprisingly Everyone
-Stays Clear

86
Q

Explain the 6 parts to social change?

A

-Drawing Attention: Draw attention to argument/issue

-Consistency: always present SAME argument

-Deeper Processing: getting people to think deeper about argument/issue

-Augmentation Principle: Doing something extreme to draw more attention to issue/argument

-Snowball Effect: Minority-Majority support

-Social Cryptomnesia: Social change comes about but people do not remember how it happened

87
Q

A03 of social change = Research support for NSI

A

-Strength
-NSI = valid explan of social change
-Example: ‘reduce ur energy’ study (Nolan et al), neighbours = reduced energy consump= others more likely to do so

88
Q

A03 of social change = Counterpoint of research support for NSI

A

-Limitation
-NSI = does not always produce change (Foxcroft et al)1

89
Q

A03 of social change = Minority influence explains change

A

-Strength
-Minority thinking inspires divergent, broader, creative thinking (Nemeth, 2009)

90
Q

A03 of social change = Role of deeper processing

A

-Limitation
-Majority views are processed more deeply than minority views = challenges central feature of minority influence (Mackie,1987)

yr 12 psychology revision (5 decks)

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