Social Influence

Question 1

What are two limitations of conformity (Asch)?

Answer 1

• Artificial situation and task- trivial and not a ‘real’ group so not generalisable
• Limited application of findings- more conformity in women (Neto) and collectivist cultures (Bond and Smith)

Question 2

What is one strength of conformity (Asch)?

Answer 2

Research support- more conformity on harder maths problems (Lucas et al)

Question 3

What is the counterpoint to research support for conformity (Asch)?

Answer 3

Conformity is complex (confidence), combination of individual factors as well as situational

Question 4

What are two strengths of types and explanations of conformity?

Answer 4

• Research support for NSI- when no normative group pressure (wrote answers), conformity down to 12.5% (Asch)
• Research support for ISI- hard maths problems, more conformity (Lucas et al)

Question 5

What is the counterpoint to research support for ISI for types and explanations of conformity?

Answer 5

ISI and NSI hard to separate, a dissenter may reduce power of NSI or ISI

Question 6

What is one limitation of types and explanations of conformity?

Answer 6

Individual differences in NSI- nAffiliators more conformist (McGhee and Teevan)

Question 7

What is one strength of conformity to social roles (Zimbardo)?

Answer 7

Control of variables (eg. allocation of roles)- increased internal validity

Question 8

What are two limitations of conformity to social roles (Zimbardo)?

Answer 8

• Lack of realism- participants play-acted stereotypes (Banuazizi and Movahedi)
• Exaggerates the power of roles (rather than personality)- only 1/3 of guards were brutal (Fromm)

Question 9

What is the counterpoint to lack of realism for conformity to social roles (Zimbardo)?

Answer 9

Prisoners thought the prison was real to them, eg. 90% of conversations were about prison

Question 10

What is one strength of obedience (Milgram)?

Answer 10

Research support- French reality TV show, 80% went to 460V (Beauvois et al)

Question 11

What are two limitations of obedience (Milgram)?

Answer 11

• Low internal validity- participants guessed shocks were fake (Orne and Holland), tapes with participants who said they didn’t believe (Perry)
• Alternative interpretation of findings- participants did not obey when ordered in prod 4, gave shocks because identified with the science (Haslam et al)

Question 12

What is the counterpoint of low internal validity for obedience (Milgram)?

Answer 12

Obedience may be genuine, participants gave real shocks to a puppy (Sheridan and King)

Question 13

What are two strengths of situational variables for obedience?

Answer 13

• Research support- uniform conveys authority/increases obedience (Bickman)
• Cross-cultural replications- Dutch participants ordered to say stressful things, decreased proximity led to decreased obedience (Meeus and Raaijmakers)

Question 14

What is the counterpoint of cross-cultural replications for situational variables for obedience?

Answer 14

Replications mostly in other Western countries (Smith and Bond)

Question 15

What is one limitation of situational variables for obedience?

Answer 15

Low internal validity- variations were especially contrived, participants knew procedure was fake (Orne and Holland)

Question 16

What is one strength of the agentic state?

Answer 16

Research support- Milgram’s resistant participants continued shocks when experimenter took responsibility

Question 17

What is one limitation of the agentic state?

Answer 17

A limited explanation- eg. most nurses didn’t obey doctor’s authority (Rank and Jacobson)

Question 18

What is one strength of legitimacy of authority?

Answer 18

Explains cultural differences in attitudes to legitimacy, eg. Australian women 16% obedient (Kilham and Mann), Germans 85% (Mantell)

Question 19

What is one limitation of legitimacy of authority?

Answer 19

Cannot explain all (dis)obedience- eg. nurses accepted legitimate authority but still disobeyed (Rank and Jacobson)

Question 20

What is one strength of the dispositional explanation for obedience?

Answer 20

Research support- obedient participants had high F scores (Elms and Milgram)

Question 21

What is the counterpoint of research support for the dispositional explanation for obedience?

Answer 21

Obedient participants not authoritarian in some ways, complex

Question 22

What are two limitations of the dispositional explanation for obedience?

Answer 22

• Limited explanation- can’t explain obedience across a whole culture (social identity theory is better)
• Political bias- related to right-wing authoritarianism (Christie and Jahoda)

Question 23

What are two strengths of social support?

Answer 23

• Real-world research support- having a buddy helped teens resist smoking pressure (Albrecht et al)
• Research support for dissenting peers- participants less obedient to oil company with group support (Gamson et al)

Question 24

What is one strength of locus of control?

Answer 24

Research support- internals less likely to fully obey in Milgram-type procedure (Holland)

Question 25

What is one limitation of locus of control?

Answer 25

Contradictory research- people now more independent but also more external (Twenge et al)

Question 26

What are two strengths of minority influence?

Answer 26

• Research support for consistency- consistent minorities are influential (Moscovici et al, Wood et al meta-analysis)
• Research support for deeper processing- participants exposed to minority view resisted conflicting view more than those who heard a majority view (Martin et al)

Question 27

What is the counterpoint for research support for deeper processing for minority influence?

Answer 27

Minority/majority situations more complicated in real world, eg. majorities have status not just more numbers

Question 28

What is one limitation of minority influence?

Answer 28

Artificial tasks- unlike real world (eg. jury decisions), so studies lack external validity

Question 29

What are two strengths of social change?

Answer 29

• Research support for NSI- reduced people’s energy use (Nolan et al)
• Minority influence explains change- stimulates divergent thinking (Nemeth)

Question 30

What is the counterpoint to research support for NSI for social change?

Answer 30

Student drinking behaviour didn’t change due to NSI (Foxcroft et al)

Question 31

What is one limitation for social change?

Answer 31

Role of deeper processing- majority not minority influence makes people think more deeply (Mackie)