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Pyschology > Social Influence > Flashcards

Social Influence Flashcards

1
Q

What is conformity?

A

A Change in a person;s behaviour or opinion as a result of real or imagined pressure from a person or group

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2
Q

What are the types of conformity?
Kelman 1958

A

Compliance
Identification
Internalisation

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3
Q

What is compliance?

A

Publicly conforming to the behaviour or views of others in a group but privately maintaining one’s own views
(Just going along with it)

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4
Q

What is identification?

A

Adopting the values, attitudes or behaviour of a group both publicly and privately because you value membership with the group
(Wanting to belong)

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5
Q

What is internalisation?

A

A conversion of private views to match the group, the new attitudes become part of your own value system
(Actually agreeing)

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6
Q

What are the explanations for conformity?

A

Deutsch and Gerad
Normative social influence
Informational social influence

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7
Q

What is normative social influence?

A

Agreeing with the majority because we want to be liked and/or do not want to be rejected (leads to compliance)

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8
Q

What is informational social influence?

A

Agreeing with the majority because we believe they know better or are more likely to be right (leads to internalisation)

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9
Q

Jenness 1932
(Beans in a jar)

A

101 psychology students individually estimated how many beans were in a glass bottle and were then split into groups and asked to provide a group estimate
Nearly all participants changed their original answer, males by 256 and females by 382
Participants changes their answers because they believed the group estimate was more likely to be right, thus supporting ISI

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10
Q

Asch 1955

A

123 American men were put in groups of 6-8 and given two cards and asked to identify which line matched x
In each group there was only one genuine participant seated at the end and all confederates gave the same wrong answer
On average the genuine participant conformed 33% of the time and 25% of participants never conformed
Participants changed their answer because they wanted to fit in with the group showing NSI

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11
Q

What is a demand characteristic?

A

Caused by mundane realism and means that participants change their behaviour after becoming aware of the real purpose of the study

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12
Q

Perrin and Spencer 1980

A

They repeated Asch’s study with UK science and engineering students and only 1 participant out of 396 trials conformed (less than 0.3%). This gave Asch’s study the nickname ‘a child of its time’ but times had changed and science and engineering students may have more self efficacy

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13
Q

Morí and Arai (2010)

A

They repeated Asch’s study but with all genuine participants but each wore headsets showing the lines with one having a different answer. It was conducted with 104 Japanese undergrads
The females gave similar results to Asch with 37% conformity however the males was much lower
This partially supports Asch

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14
Q

Variations of Asch’s study - group size

A

The number of confederates were changed
There was very little conformity when the majority consisted of only one confederate, rising to 13% with two, 31.8% with three and further increases up to a majority of 15 before the number of confederates stops affecting conformity showing that the size of the majority is only important to a point

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15
Q

Variations of Asch’s study - unanimity of the majority

A

Asch introduced a confederate who disagreed with the others, sometimes giving the right answer and sometimes giving the wrong answer
Conformity reduced to 5% and 9% when the dissenting confederate gave a wrong answer
This shows that the influence of the majority depends on the group being unanimous

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16
Q

Variations of Asch’s study - difficulty of task

A

Asch made the difference between the lines much more ambiguous and the level of conformity increased
This shows that ISI played a greater role as people were unsure and looked to others for guidance

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17
Q

Zimbardo’s research - aim

A

There had been many prison riots in America and Zimbardo wanted to know why the social role of prison guards created brutal and sadistic behaviour

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18
Q

Zimbardo’s research - procedure

A

Zimbardo’s set up a mock prison in the Stanford university basement and selected 21 emotionally stable male volunteers who were randomly assigned to the role of guard or prisoner. Both groups were encouraged to conform, the guards wore uniforms, shades and were given wooden clubs and the prisoners were identified solely by their number

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19
Q

Zimbardo’s research - findings

A

The guards took on their roles with enthusiasm and treated the prisoners harshly, they constantly harassed, humiliated and degraded the prisoners with some of them seemingly enjoying it
The prisoners began to rebel after only 2 days, ripping their uniforms and swearing at the guards before beginning to show signs of depression and one going on a hunger strike
Zimbardo’s had to end the study after 6 days as opposed to the planned 14

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20
Q

Zimbardo’s research - conclusions

A

Social roles appear to have a strong influence over the behaviour of individuals, the guards became brutal and the prisoners became submissive
The roles were taken on easily by all participants

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21
Q

Ethical issues with Zimbardo’s research

A

Participants felt they couldn’t leave (right to withdraw)
Participants were not protected from harm
They were deceived, participants were not told they would be arrested from their homes
Zimbardo’s dual role as prison warden and researcher

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22
Q

Reicher and Haslam (2006)
BBC prison study

A

Was a televised remodel of the SPE in the UK. The sample consisted of 15 men and conformity was not automatic: the guards authority quickly broke down and the prisoners set up a commune.
These differences may be because it was a different time meaning that culture was different and it was televised

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23
Q

Abu Ghraib (2003-2004)

A

The US military took over an area in Iraq including a prison. They tortured, physically and sexually abused the prisoners and humiliated them. Several soldiers were eventually convicted in 2006 of war crimes.

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24
Q

Milgram 1963 - procedure

A

As a Jew Milgram wanted to assess obedience levels after the holocaust
40 American men aged 20-50 years old volunteered to take part in a paid study they were told about memory. Upon arriving each participant, the teacher was introduced to a confederate (the leaner) and another confederate (the experimenter). The leaner was put in a separate room and had to remember pairs of words. When they made an error the teacher had to give an electric shock ranging from 15V to 450V. When they reached 300V the learner began to bang on the wall before going quiet.

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25
Q

Milgram’s research - findings

A

Every participant delivered shocks up to 300V, 12.5% stopped at 300V but 65% continued to 450V
Many of the participants showed signs of tension, stress and anxiousness with 3 having seizures
Participants were debriefed and 84% said they were glad they participated

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26
Q

Milgram’s research - conclusion

A

Milgram concluded that ‘German’ people were not different as these American men were just as willing to obey orders when causing harm

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27
Q

Milgram’s research - evaluation

A

It is reliable
There may be demand characteristic
Participants were deceived and made to feel they couldn’t withdraw
Lacks mundane realism
Low internal validity
Low external validity

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28
Q

Variations of Milgram’s research - proximity

A

When the teacher and learner were in the same room the obedience rate dropped from 65% to 40%
In the touch proximity variation the teacher had to put the learner’s hand on a shock plate and obedience reduced to 30%
Decreased proximity allows the teacher to psychologically distance themselves from the learner

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29
Q

Variations of Milgram’s research - remote instruction

A

The experimenter left the room and gave instructions over the phone and obedience reduced to 20.5% and the teacher often pretended to give the shock

30
Q

Variations of Milgram’s research - location

A

Milgram conducted the experiment in a run-down office block instead of the prestigious Yale university and obedience fell to 47.5%
The prestigious university gave the study more authority and legitimacy making participants more obedient however the obedience rate is still quite high because of the scientific nature of the procedure

31
Q

Variations of Milgram’s research - uniform

A

The experimenter was called away and their role was taken on by an ordinary person in everyday clothing and obedience dropped to 20%
Uniforms encourage obedience as they are a symbol of authority, someone in uniform is entitled to expect authority

32
Q

What is agentic state?

A

A mental state where we feel no personal responsibility for our behaviour because we believe ourselves to be acting for an authority figure
This frees us from the demands of our conscience and allows us to obey a destructive authoruty figure

33
Q

What are binding factors?

A

Aspects of a situation which allow a person to ignore or minimise the damaging effects of their behaviour
They ‘bind’ them to obey an authority figure

34
Q

What is a gradual commitment?

A

If there was only one level of voltage in Milgram’s research instead of a scale would participants have committed?

35
Q

What is contractual obligation?

A

Milgram’s participants had to breach the commitment they made to the experimenter

36
Q

What is the autonomous state?

A

Having control of and acting to one’s own wishes, being personally responsible for our own actions

37
Q

What is the agentic shift?

A

Shifting responsibility of one’s actions onto someone else (an authority figure)

38
Q

What is legitimacy of authority?

A

An explanation for obedience which suggests that we are more likely to obey people who we perceive to have authority over us
This authority is justified (legitimate) by the individual’s position of power in a social hierarchy
Problems arise when legitimate authority becomes destructive

39
Q

Airlink flight 5719 disaster

A

The captain of the plane flew inappropriately and gave incorrect instructions but was not challenged by the co-pilot (a new probationary employee)
Further investigation showed that the pilot often flew with mechanical issues and violated company policy but was never challenged by co-pilots

40
Q

My Lab massacre

A

In 1968 during the Vietnam war 504 civilians were killed by American soldiers
Women were gang raped and people were shot and killed, they blew up buildings and killed all the animals

41
Q

What are dispositional explanations?

A

Any explanation of behaviour that highlights the importance of the individual’s personality

42
Q

The F scale

A

The Californian F scale was used to measure the different components that made up the authoritarian personality

43
Q

What is the authoritarian personality?

A

A dispositional explanation of obedience

44
Q

Characteristics of the authoritarian personality

A

It was first identified by Adorno et al (1950)
It refers to a person who had extreme respect for authority and is especially likely to be obedient to those who hold power over them

45
Q

What is resistance to social influence?

A

A person’s ability to withstand the social pressure to conform to the majority or to obey authority
This is influenced by dispositional and situational factors

46
Q

What is social support?

A

The presence of people who resist pressures to conform or obey can help others to do the same, these people act as models to show others that it is possible to resist social influence
It breaks the unanimity of the majority

47
Q

What is a dissenter?

A

They reduce the unanimity of the majority and demonstrate that disobedience is possible

48
Q

The Rosen Strasse protest

A

Non-violent protests in Berlin 1943 where the wives and relatives of 1800 Jewish men who were to be sent to camps refused to move when threatened by nazi soldiers and the prisoners were eventually released

49
Q

What is a locus of control?

A

A person’s perception of personal control over their own behaviour

50
Q

What is an internal locus of control?

A

The belief that we can control events in our life
Everything that happens to us is a consequence of our own ability and effort

51
Q

What is an external locus of control?

A

Whatever happens to us is determined by external factors, such as the influence of others or luck
Things are out of our control

52
Q

Why are people with an internal LOC more likely to resist social influence?

A

They take personal responsibility for their actions so are more likely to base their decisions on their own beliefs
They tend to be more self confident and have less need for social approval meaning they are more likely to trust their own beliefs
They are achievement orientated and so are more likely to become leaders than followers

53
Q

Strengths of Milgram’s study

A

High internal validity
Bickman’s study (field study - high ecological validity)
The study has been replicated in other cultures suggesting high external validity

54
Q

Bickman’s study

A

Three confederates dressed in
A jacket and tie
A milkman’s outfit
A security guards uniform
And asked passers-by to perform tasks and people were twice as likely to obey the security guard than the man in the jacket and tie supporting Milgram’s study

55
Q

Weaknesses of Milgram’s study

A

May have demand characteristic therefore lacks internal validity
Replications took place in western countries meaning findings may not be generalisable

56
Q

What is minority influence?

A

A type of social influence which results in a change of views amongst the majority of member within a group

57
Q

What needs to happen for minority influence to take place?

A

Consistency
Commitment
Flexibility

58
Q

How does the majority influence the minority?

A

Power of the majority is to establish the norms
Leads to complaince

59
Q

How does the minority influence the majority?

A

Consistent minority challenges beliefs leading to reappraisal
Leads to conversion

60
Q

What are the two types of consistency?

A

Synchronic and diachronic

61
Q

What is synchronic consistency?

A

Consistency between its members

62
Q

What is diachronic consistency?

A

Consistency over time

63
Q

Advantages of social change

A

It is based on psychological evidence

Charlan Nemeth - social change is due to the type of thinking that minorities inspire which encourages more creative solutions

Jessica Nolan - hung messages on front doors saying that residents were trying to reduce energy usage and people reduced their energy usage
When the message asked to reduce energy usage with no reference to other people led to less energy reduction

64
Q

Disadvantages of social change

A

David Foxcroft - social norms approach was used to reduce alcohol consumption, there was only a small reduction in alcohol consumption and no effect on frequency

Diane Mackie - majority influence creates deeper processing if you don’t share their views because we like to believe people think the same way as us
If we find out the majority thinks different to us we are forced to listen to their reasoning
This means the central element of the minority influence is challenged

65
Q

When does social change occur?

A

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

66
Q

How does social change come about?

A

Drawing attention
Cognitive conflict
Consistency of position
The augmentation principle
The snowball effect
Social cryptoamnesia

67
Q

What is cognitive conflict?

A

People who previously accepted the norm think about the issue more deeply

68
Q

What it the augmentation principle?

A

The tendency to attach greater importance to a potential cause of behaviour

69
Q

What is social cryptoamnesia?

A

People have memory that the change has occurred but don’t remember how it happened

70
Q

Moscovici- procedure

A

Each group contained 4 naive participants and two confederates. They were shown a series of blue slides that varied in intensity and were asked to judge the colour. In the ‘consistent’ condition the confederates repeatedly called them green. On the inconsistent trial the confederates said green on 2/3 of the trials and blue on the other 1/3. There was also a control condition with 6 naive participants and the slides were called blue throughout

71
Q

Moscovici - findings

A

The consistent minority influenced the naive participants to say green on over 8% of the trials
The inconsistent minority exerted very little influence (1.25%)

After the main study was over the participants were asked to individually sort coloured discs into blue and green. Individuals who were in the consistent and inconsistent conditions set their thresholds at different points
Those in the consistent condition judges more of the chips to be green especially those who hadn’t gone along with the majority suggesting that the initial influence was on a more private level

Pyschology (12 decks)

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