Social Influence Flashcards

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1
Q

Conformity

A

A change in a person’s behaviour or opinions as a result of real or imagined pressure from a person or group

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2
Q

Internalisation : types of conformity

A

A deep type of conformity where we take on the majority view because we accept it as correct. It leads to a far-reaching and permanent change in behaviour, even when the group is absent

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3
Q

Identification: types of conformity

A

A moderate type of conformity where we act in the same way with the group because we value it and want to be part of it. But we don’t necessarily agree with everything the majority believes

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4
Q

Compliance: types of conformity

A

A superficial and temporary type of conformity where we outwardly go along with the majority view, but privately disagree with it. The change is our behaviour only lasts as long as the group is monitoring us.

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5
Q

Informational social influence (ISI): explanations for conformity

A

An explanation of conformity that says we agree with the opinion of the majority because we believe it is correct. We accept it because we want to be correct. This may lead to internalisation

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6
Q

Normative social influence (NSI): explanations for conformity

A

An explanation of conformity that says we agree with the opinion because we want to be accepted, gain social approval and be liked. This may lead to compliance.

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7
Q

Evaluation for conformity, ISI:Lucas et al (2006)

A

He asked students to give answers to mathematical problems that were easy or more difficult. There was a greater conformity to incorrect answers when questions were difficult. (ISI)

  • people conform in situations where they feel they don’t know the answer
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8
Q

ISI AND NSI work together:Deutsch and Gerard 1955

A

Developed a 2 process theory, arguing that there are 2 main reasons people conform (ISI and NSI)

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9
Q

Unanimity: variables affecting conformity

A

A variable that affects conformity

The extent to which all members of a group agree. When all confederates selected the same comparison line. This produced the greater degree of conformity

Asch found that if one of the confederates dissented and gave the correct, then conformity levels dropped from 32% to 5%

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10
Q

Task difficulty: variables affecting conformity

A

A variable that affects conformity

When it becomes harder to work out the correct answer. Conformity increases because naive participants assume that the majority is more likely to be right.

When Asch made the line judgement task more difficult, conformity levels increased

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11
Q

Evaluation for asch’s study; Perrin and spencer 1980

A

They repeated Asch’s study with engineering students in the uk

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12
Q

Social roles

A

The parts people play as members of various social groups. These are accompanied by expectations we and other of have of what is appropriate behaviour for each role

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13
Q

Evaluation for zimbardo; Banuazizi and mohavedi 1975

A

They argued that participants in zimbardos study were merely play-acting rather than genuinely conforming to a role

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14
Q

Obedience

A

A form of social influence in which an individual follows a direct order. The person issuing the order is usually a figure of authority, who has power to punish when obedient behaviour is not forthcoming

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15
Q

Milgram 1963-obedience study

A

Sought an answer to the question of why the German population had followed the orders of hitler and slaughtered over q0 million Jews, gypsies and members of other social groups in the Holocaust during the Second World War

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16
Q

Evaluation of milgrims study;Orne and Holland 1968

A

They argued that participants in milgrams study behaved the way they did because they didn’t really believe in the set up

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17
Q

Evaluation for milgrim’s study; Gina Perry 2013

A

She listened to tapes of milgrams participants and found that many of them expressed their doubts about the shocks

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18
Q

Zimbardo 2007-conformity to social roles study

A

Suggested how obedience can be used to create social change through the process of gradual commitment. Once a small instruction is obeyed, it becomes more difficult to resist bigger ones.

Aim- to investigate if behaviour in prisons is due to the roles people play

Procedure- Stanford university basement set up as a prison, roles were randomly assigned. All regular occurrences for prisoners e.g arrested at homes, uniforms for guards and inmates

Findings - prisoners rebellious at first, guards acted brutally, study had to be stopped after 6 days instead of the 2 weeks being completed. One prisoner went on a hunger strike, many had to leave because guards became a threat.

Conclusion- behaviour can be explained by conformity to social rules, showing the power of the situation in shaping people’s behaviour.

Evaluation- prisoners and guards were randomly assigned roles meaning zimbardo had more control over internal validity
However, one guard said he acted like a character from a film- not conformity
Ethical issues, psychological + physical harm

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19
Q

The snowball effect and cryptomnesia

A

The fifth and sixth stages of social ch age. People have a memory that change has occurred but they don’t remember how it happened

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20
Q

The augmentation principle

A

The fourth stage of social change. The idea that we should assign greater weight to a particular cause of behaviour if there are other causes present that normally would produce the opposite outcome

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21
Q

Deeper processing

A

The third stage of social change

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22
Q

Drawing attention and consistency

A

The first and second stages of social change

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23
Q

Social change

A

This occurs when whole societies, rather than just individuals adopt new attitudes, beliefs and ways of doing things

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24
Q

Social influence

A

The process by which individuals and groups ch age each other’s attitudes and behaviours. This includes conformity, obedience and minority influence

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25
Q

Snowball effect

A

The more people who change their views to match the minority, the quicker the rate of conversion

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26
Q

Diachronic consistency

A

The minority have been saying the same thing for a long time

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27
Q

Synchronic consistency

A

The minority are all saying the same thing

28
Q

Flexibility

A

Relentless consistency could be counter-productive if it is seen by the majority as unbending and unreasonable. Therefore minority influence is more effective if the minority show flexibility by accepting the possibility of compromise

29
Q

Commitment

A

Minority influence is more powerful if the minority demonstrate dedication to their position. This is effective because it shows the minority is not acting out of self interest

30
Q

Consistency

A

Minority influence is most effective if the minority keeps the same beliefs, both over time and between all the individuals that form the minority. It’s effective because it draws attention to the minority view

31
Q

Minority influence

A

A form of social influence in which a minority of people persuade others to adopt their beliefs, attitudes or behaviours. Leads to internalisation or conversion in which private attitudes are changed as well as public behaviours

32
Q

External locus of control

A

The belief that it is mainly a matter of luck or other forces d Thais responsible for what happens to you

33
Q

Internal locus of control

A

The belief that you are mostly responsible for what happens to you

34
Q

Locus of control

A

Refers to the sense we each have about what directs events in our life

35
Q

Resistance to social influence

A

Refers to the ability of people to withstand the social pressure to conform to the majority or to obey authority. This ability to withstand social pressure is influenced by both situational and disposition as factors

36
Q

Social support

A

The presence of people who resist social pressures to conform or obey can help others do the same. These people act as models to show others resistance to social influence is possible

37
Q

McGhee and Teevan 1967

A

They found that students high in need of affiliation were more likely to conform
- the desire to be liked underlies conformity

38
Q

Individual differences in ISI

A
  • ISI does not affect everyone’s behaviour in the same way
    For example, Asch 1955 found that students were less conformist 28% than other participants 37%.
39
Q

Individual differences in NSI

A

-some research shoes that NSI does not affect everyone’s behaviour in the same way. For example people who are less concerned with being liked are less affect by NSI than those who care more about being liked. These are called nAffiliators. McGhee and Teevan 1967 found that students high in need of affiliation were more likely to conform

40
Q

Asch’s research- 1951- variables affecting conformity

A

Aim- to see if people will conform to the majority, even if the answer is obvious

Procedure- 123 American males, only 1 true participent, chose a line A, B,C

Findings- 36.8% were conforming, 75% conformed at least once

Conclusion- people will conform to a majority, even if majority is wrong. Afterwards, many stated they conformed to fit in

Evaluation- the task was insignificant and not a reflection of real life conformity
- as there was no real consequences of disagreeing, so can’t be applied to real life
- only American men were tested (lacks population validity)
- results may be specific to 1950s era

41
Q

Group size: variables affecting conformity

A

A variable that influences conformity

Asch found that if he increased the size of the majority, conformity levels increased. With 2 confederates conformity occurred on 12.8% of trials, rising to 32% for trials with 3 confederates

42
Q

Agentic state: explanations for obedience

A

Explanations for obedience:
The individual perceives themselves as an agent of the authority figure and is willing to carry out their commands, even if it goes against their own moral code

43
Q

Legitimacy of authority: explanations for obedience

A

Explanations for obedience:
The perceived right of an authority figure to have power and control over others

44
Q

Evaluation of milligrams study: Sheridan and king 1972

A

SUGGESTED that participants would’ve acted the same way with real shocks-when instructed to give real shocks to puppies, participants obeyed, 100 % of women and 54% of men

45
Q

Evaluation of Milgrams study; Hofling et al 1966

A

Studied nurses on a hospital ward. Nurses were told over phone to give an overdose to patients, 21/22 obeyed, supporting Milgrams findings that people are obedience, strengthens the external validity

46
Q

Evaluation of Milgrim’s study; le jeu de la mort

A

It is a replication of milgrims study. 80% delivered 450v and behaviour was almost identical to milgrims participants, demonstrating that his findings were not just a one off

47
Q

Evaluation for zimbardo’s study; reicher and Haslam 2011

A

They replicated his study for tV, their findings were inconsistent with zimbardos study, prisoners were disobedient and guards lacked authority

48
Q

Situational variables for obedience; proximity

A

The physical closeness or distance of an authority figure to the person

49
Q

Situational variables for obedience; location

A

The place where the order is issued

50
Q

Situational variables for obedience; uniform

A

People in positions of authority have an outfit symbolic to their authority

51
Q

When there was a change of location to an abandoned office what did the levels of obedience from to?

A

Form 65% to 45%

52
Q

Milgrim; When the teacher and the learner was in the same room what did obedience levels drop to?

A

65% to 40%

53
Q

Milgrim; when the teacher forced the learner’s hand onto a plate what did obedience levels drop to?

A

65% to 30%

54
Q

Milgrim; when the experimenter gave orders by phone what did obedience levels drop to?

A

65% to 25%

55
Q

Milgrim; when the experimenter was played by a member of the public what did obedience levels drop to?

A

65% to 20%

56
Q

What did Milgrim control in his study?

A

He systematically altered one variable at a time (i.e. proximity) to see the effect on obedience. This was kept the same in other replications

57
Q

Name a person who criticises milgrims study

A

David Mandel- says it is offensive to suggest that nazis were simply obeying orders. Milgrims study is an excuse for evil behaviours.

58
Q

Mandel 1998

A

Carried out a content analysis of secondary data. He analysed the diaries and reports of a polish raised police force who were responsible for cleaning out Jewish ghettos, taking Jewish people into the woods and executing them

59
Q

State the 3 ways Mandel’s research countered milgrim’s

A

Proximity to victim- even when close to the people they had to kill, they stilled carried out the executions

Proximity to authority figure- the senior officers gave orders and then went away, officers stilled carried out their orders

Presence of allies- there were some who declined doing it and the rest knew this yet carried on

Increasing teacher discretion- as they were not being supervised they had the chance to let some people escape, but they didn’t

60
Q

Why was mandel’s research more valid than milgrim’s

A

His were on real life events

61
Q

Autonomous state

A

When you act independently on your own, with your own free will and take on the responsibility of your own actions

62
Q

Agentic state

A

When you carry out what someone else instructs you to do so you take no blame for your actions.

63
Q

Milgrim’s binding factors (3)

A

Sequential nature of the action; the idea that disobedience causes them to admit that everything they had done was wrong

Situational obligeance; they had made the commitment and so feel the need to see it through to the end

Anxiety; the idea when you think about disobedience, you start to feel anxious, naturally, you shy from that feeling

64
Q

Sequential nature of the action

A

The idea that disobedience causes them to admit that everything they had done was wrong

65
Q

Situational obligeance

A

That had made the commitment and now feel the need to see it through to the end

66
Q

Authoritarian personality

A

When you believe you should obey or completely submit to authority figures