Social influence

Question 1

Define social influence

Answer 1

Greenberg, Schmader, Arndt & Landau (2018): “The effects of other people on an individual’s beliefs, attitudes, values, or behaviour” (p.249)
OR
Baron & Byrne (1997): “Efforts by one or more individuals to change the attitudes, beliefs, perceptions or behaviours of one or more others”

Question 2

Define conformity

Answer 2

Individuals change their attitudes or behaviour in order to adhere to existing social norms. Sometimes called majority influence.

Question 3

Define Obedience

Answer 3

One person obeys direct orders from an authority figure to perform some action

Question 4

Define compliance

Answer 4

Involves a direct request from one person to another” Doesn’t necessarily reflect internal change

Question 5

Sherif (1936) used the autokinetic effect to demonstrate what?

Answer 5

Participants estimates are influences over time by peers

Individually, participants used their own
estimates as a “frame of reference”
eventually focusing on a narrow range
In groups, participants used each others
estimates as the frame of reference and
converged on the group mean
When then estimating alone, participants
were still influenced by the group mean.

Question 6

Outline Sherif’s (1936) procedure

Answer 6

Experimental Set-up in a lab
Participants individually tested on estimates on how far the light moved
Participants then tested in manipulated groups of three (2 similar, 1 different).

Question 7

Jacob & Campbell (1961) - generation effects of Autokinesis meaning what?

Answer 7

A cultural belief or norm that transcends the replacement of people - demonstrated the persistency of group norms using the autokinetic effect

Question 8

Outline the procedure by Asch (1952) in the line judgement task

Answer 8

7 subjects sitting in a semi-circle
18 trials – one target line and 3 comparison lines
6 of subjects were stooges
6 neutral trials – stooges gave correct answer
12 experimental trials – stooges gave incorrect answers

Question 9

What was the percentage of errors in the experimental and control groups in Asch’s (1952) line judgement task on 3 more more of the trials?

Answer 9

When the confederates gave the wrong answer, the P’s went along with it 37% of the time so 37% errors (vs. 0.7% in control).

Question 10

How many participants conformed at least once in Ashe’s study?

Answer 10

75%

Question 11

What was the average conformity in Asch’s study?

Answer 11

33%

Question 12

How does group size affect the level of conformity?

Answer 12

With one stooge and one participant conformity= 3%
Two stooges and one participant conformity= 14%
Three stooges and one participant conformity= 32%
Any more (4+) stayed around 32% (plateaus at 4)
Asch (1955)

Question 13

How does unanimity affect the level of conformity?

Answer 13

If the group is not unanimous (all/majority in agreement) conformity decreases with even one dissenter present.

Question 14

How does status affect the level of conformity?

Answer 14

Conformity increases when other members of the group are of a higher social status. When people view the others in the group as more powerful, influential, or knowledgeable than themselves, they are more likely to go along with the group.

Question 15

How does privacy/anonymity affect the level of conformity?

Answer 15

When able to give answers privately, conformity decreases

Question 16

How does ambiguity/lack of clarity affect the level of conformity?

Answer 16

When a task is ambiguous, conformity increases

Question 17

How does self-esteem affect the level of conformity?

Answer 17

Individuals more likely to conform than individuals with high self-esteem

Question 18

Brandstetter et al., (2014) showed that participants conform with human peers but not….

Answer 18

Robot peers

Question 19

Beran et al., (2015) studied online environments finding what?

Answer 19

students are still more likely to conform in an online environment just as they do face-to-face

Question 20

In Milgram’s (1963) experiment, participants were told that they were taking part in research to…

Answer 20

Memory and learning

Question 21

Describe the shock generator used in Milgram’s research

Answer 21

Bank of 30 switches, mock shocks, labels for groups of 3 switches. 15-450v.
Slight shock (1-4) 15-60v
Strong shock (9-12) 135-180v
Intense shock (17-20) 255-300v
XXX (29-30) 435-450v

Question 22

Milgram’s findings

Answer 22

No-one administered less than 300v shock (100% shocked up to 350v)
26 out of 40 (65%) administered 450v shock

Question 23

In a variation of Milgram’s original Obedience experiment, when ‘the learner’ was in the same room as, and visible to, ‘the teacher’ (as opposed to being in a separate room unseen), the percentage of teachers being ‘totally obedient’ and delivering the maximum shock level (450v) was…

Answer 23

40%

Question 24

Meeus & Raaijmakers (1986)
Administrative obedience: Carrying out orders to use psychological-administrative violence. Ordered to make a job applicant nervous and to disturb him/her during the test; consequently, the applicant failed the test and remained unemployed. How many obeyed and how did they feel?

Answer 24

91.7%carried out these orders, although they considered them unfair and did not enjoy doing the task

Question 25

Bickman (1974) - Conducted in New York: confederates asked people to carry out requests such as pick up litter, stand on the other side of a bus stop, lend money for a parking meter.

There were three conditions: the confederate was dressed in a security guard’s uniform, jacket and tie, and a milkman’s outfit.

Who was obeyed most?

Answer 25

People were twice as likely to obey the confederate dressed as a security guard than one dressed in jacket and tie.

Question 26

Hoffling (1966) Conducted a field experiment on obedience in the nurse-physician relationship asking nurses to administer an overdose of medication - how many agreed?

Answer 26

21/22 95.5%

Question 27

Has research been able to replicate Milgram’s findings?

Answer 27

Somewhat - 79% to 450v (Burger, 2009).

Question 28

Miranda et al. (1981) found what obedience rate amongst Spanish students?

Answer 28

90%

Question 29

Cialdini (2001) suggested 6 basic principles of SI which are;

Answer 29

Reciprocity
Commitment / Consistency
Social Proof
Liking
Authority
Scarcity

Question 30

With reference to conformity, when we yield (give in) to others to gain social approval or to avoid social disapproval, this is referred to as what?

Answer 30

Normative influence