Social Influence Flashcards
Conformity
A change in a person’s behaviour or opinions as a result of real or imagined pressure from a person or group
Internalisation : types of conformity
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
Identification: types of conformity
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
Compliance: types of conformity
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.
Informational social influence (ISI): explanations for conformity
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
Normative social influence (NSI): explanations for conformity
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.
Evaluation for conformity, ISI:Lucas et al (2006)
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
ISI AND NSI work together:Deutsch and Gerard 1955
Developed a 2 process theory, arguing that there are 2 main reasons people conform (ISI and NSI)
Unanimity: variables affecting conformity
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%
Task difficulty: variables affecting conformity
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
Evaluation for asch’s study; Perrin and spencer 1980
They repeated Asch’s study with engineering students in the uk
Social roles
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
Evaluation for zimbardo; Banuazizi and mohavedi 1975
They argued that participants in zimbardos study were merely play-acting rather than genuinely conforming to a role
Obedience
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
Milgram 1963-obedience study
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
Evaluation of milgrims study;Orne and Holland 1968
They argued that participants in milgrams study behaved the way they did because they didn’t really believe in the set up
Evaluation for milgrim’s study; Gina Perry 2013
She listened to tapes of milgrams participants and found that many of them expressed their doubts about the shocks
Zimbardo 2007-conformity to social roles study
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
The snowball effect and cryptomnesia
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
The augmentation principle
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
Deeper processing
The third stage of social change
Drawing attention and consistency
The first and second stages of social change
Social change
This occurs when whole societies, rather than just individuals adopt new attitudes, beliefs and ways of doing things
Social influence
The process by which individuals and groups ch age each other’s attitudes and behaviours. This includes conformity, obedience and minority influence
Snowball effect
The more people who change their views to match the minority, the quicker the rate of conversion
Diachronic consistency
The minority have been saying the same thing for a long time
