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social influence Flashcards

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1
Q

what is social influence

A

the process by which an individuals attitudes, beliefs or behaviours are modified by the actual, imagined, or implied presence of others
includes conformity obediance and minority influence

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2
Q

what is conformity (majority influence)

A

the tendancy to change our behaviour/beliefs/attitudes in response to the influence of others

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3
Q

what is obediance

A

where an individual complies with a direct order from a figure with percieved authority
individuals respond in a way they wouldnt have done without the order

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4
Q

types of conformity

A

compliance
identification
internalisation

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5
Q

compliance

A

conforms publically with the views/behaviours of others- but privately disagrees

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6
Q

identification

A

adopts the views of a group publically and privately because they identify with the group and feel a sense of membership
may only be temporary- not maintained once left the group

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7
Q

internalisation

A

conversion-true change of private views to match those of the group
new attitudes/behaviuors become part of the individuals value system- not dependent on the presence of the group
the change is long term/more permanent than the other types of conformity

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8
Q

what are the two explanations of conformity

A

normative social influence
informational social influence

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9
Q

normative social influence

A

desire to be liked
desire for the approval of others and to be accepted
often results in compliance only

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10
Q

informational social influence

A

desire to be right
look to others to give us information about how to behave/think
particularly in new or ambiguos situtaions
may result in identification or internalisation

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11
Q

who did research studies into conformity

A

Asch 1951
Sherif 1935

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12
Q

how did sherif investigate conformity

A

autokinetic effect

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13
Q

what is the autokinetic effect

A

where in a completely dark room a stationary pinpoint of light appears to move and the amount it appers to move by depends on the individual

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14
Q

what was the procedure of sherifs study

A

individuals asked on their own how much the light moved and then asked in groups

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15
Q

what were the findings of sherifs study

A

peoples perception of the amount the light moved conformed to a group norm when they were asked together

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16
Q

why was sherifs study criticised

A

task was ambiguous
there was no right answer

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17
Q

what was the aim of aschs study

A

to see if individuals would conform to a majority when presented with an unambigous task (clear right/wrong answer)

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18
Q

method of aschs conformity study

A

recruited 123 male participants
asked them to participate in a visual perception task
one naive geniune p placed in a group of 7-9 others who were all confederates
there was one standard test line andthen three comparison lines of differing lengths shown
ps had to say which comparison line matched the standard line- correct answer always obvious
confederates gave same wrong answer unanimously on 12 of the 18 trials- called critical trials

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19
Q

what were the findings of aschs experiment

A

26% never conformed giving correct answer on all 12 trials
74% conformed to the incorrect answer at least once
participants answered correctly 99% of the time when there was no group pressure
5% of participants conformed on every critical trial

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20
Q

what was found during debriefs of aschs experiment

A

some ps said they didnt want to upset the experimenter and wanted to convey a favourable impression
some ps said they doubted themselves and thought their perceptions were innacurate

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21
Q

what were the conclusions from aschs experiment

A

individuals conform for different reasons:
normative si- to avoid rejection
informational- doubt own judgement

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22
Q

criticisms of aschs conformity study

A

all male participants
lacks ecological validity
possibly unethical, make participants feel uncomfotable/stress/less confident

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23
Q

what variables affect conformity

A

group size
unanimity
task difficulty

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24
Q

how did asch research the effect of group size on conformity

A

manipulated the size of the group of confederates- 1,2,3,4,8,10 and 15

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25
Q

what did asch find from his research into the effect of group size on conformity

A

conformity increased as the number of confederates increased from 1-3 but after group size made no difference
in some conditions group sizes of 15 confederates led to lower levels of conformity- maybe as ps become more suspicious when faced with a larger majority

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26
Q

what did Bond find in relation to the effect of group size on conformity

A

replications supported asch
group size rapidly reached a plateau
meta analysis by Bond (2005)
found conformity was similar with majority sizes of 3,4,5,6, or 7

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27
Q

how does whether the response is given publically or privately affect group size and conformity

A

Bond 2005 found when ps could give their response privately there was a small negative relationship between conformity and group size

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28
Q

what did Asch find about the effect of unanimity on conformity

A

conformity most likely when confederates are unanimous in their answers
asch found one confederate is instructed to disagree with the majority judgement and give the correct answer on every trial conformity decreased from 37% of critical trials down to 5.5%

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29
Q

for what two reasosns did asch say the presence of a dissenter led to a decrease in conformity

A

the dissenter provides useful information about the correct response and
reduces the need for group social approval

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30
Q

what did aschs research into task difficulty and its effect on conformity find

A

if the task is difficult- comparison lines all similar in length to the standard line then conformity increases

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31
Q

what did Lucas 2006 find about task difficulty and conformity

A

gave students easy and hard maths problems and found greater level of conformity when problems were hard
especially if participants doybted their mathematical abilities

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32
Q

how do individual differences affect conformity

A

conformity high for people who have low self esteem, are concerned about social relationships, have a strong need for social approval and are attracted towardss other group members
conformity lower for those with high levels of self efficacy (confidence in own abilities) and higher for those with low self efficacy

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33
Q

how are aschs and sherifs studies limited by ecological validity

A

laboratory experiments
situation is artificial and tasks are unreal so can results of experiments be generalised to everyday life
lacks ecological validity- extent to which research findings can be generalised to other settings

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34
Q

how can aschs and sherifs research be evaluated in terms of temporal validity

A

experiments conducted in early 1950s USA
high levels of cinformity in aschs research was seen as a reflection of 1950s american society by some
was a time when non conformity was discourafed

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35
Q

what Nicholson 1985 find that showed limitations of the temporal validity of aschs experiment

A

replicated aschs experiment and found lower conformity levels
may be due to changes in american society but also differences in samples

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36
Q

ethical issues in aschs experiment

A

deception as they arent informed about the real aim of the task- were told it was about visual percpetion- means ps didnt really consent
confidence could be affected
embarrasment

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37
Q

how can aschs research be defended in terms of ethics

A

if ps told real aim and procedure there wouldve been a lack of internak validity
debriefed ps after

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38
Q

how does Aschs study show normative social influence

A

the correct answer was obvious- yet indivudals conformed to the wrong answer
confirmed in debriefing interviews they knew they were giving the wrong answer but didnt want to be in minority of group and stand out
indicated compliance and desire to fit in and therefore suggests NSI

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39
Q

how does Sherifs research indicate informational social influence

A

sherifs study was an ambigous task with no obvious right answer
in ambigous situations individuals look to others as a guide- likely to show informational social influence

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40
Q

what did abrams find about normative social influence

A

presence of in group results in higher conformity than outgroup presence
supports nsi- as would have greater desire for acceptance from in group
if it was isl- would be no difference between in group and out group

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41
Q

when are people most likely to conform to normative social influence according to Latane’s social impact theory

A

when group membership is important to us
Perrin and Spencer 1981 found unemployed black youths from a racially tense part of London were more likely to conform to a majority if other black youths when experimenter was white

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42
Q

how can normaive social influence be evaluated- real world application

A

give insight to why isome children begin bullying other children when they are uncomfortable with the behaviour
Garandau and Cillessen 2006 found children who had greater need for social acceptance were the most likely to comply to pressure exerted by a bullying group to victimise another child
by conforming to the actions of the bullying group, these children believed they would be accepted by other group members and so could maintain friendships regardless of how they felt in private about bullying

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43
Q

when are people most likely to conform to informational social influence

A

situational ambiguity
in an emergency we might not have time to think calmly so we look to others for the best course of action
we are more likely to conform if we believe the majority has more expertise or knowledge about the task

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44
Q

what did Allen 1980 suggest about when we are most likely to conform

A

suggested intelligence was a major determining factor of conformity to informational social influence with intelligent individuals being more self confident and less likely to conform

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45
Q

what are social roles

A

the behaviours expected of an individual who occupies a given social position or status

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46
Q

what research investigated conformity to social roles

A

Zimbardos stanford prison study

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47
Q

what hypothesis was zimbardo testing

A

the dispositional (personality) vs situational hypothesis to explain prison behaviour

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48
Q

deindividualisation

A

the process of loosing ones sense of self, often associated with group/mob behaviour

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49
Q

dehumanisation

A

the denial of full humaneness to others- enables aggression and mistreatment of others

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50
Q

aim of zimbardos prison experiment

A

to investigate whether brutality reported among guards in american prisons at the time was due to sadistic personalities of the guards (dispositional hypothesis) or to do with the power structure in the prison environment (situational hypothesis)

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51
Q

precoedure of the stanford prison experiment

A

male ps recruited through newspaper advertisements
psychological tests used to select those who appeared most stable with no voilent or antisocial tendancies
from 75 volunteers, 24 well adjusted healthy male students were selected
study was a two week role play simulation study of prison life in a mock prison
participants observed by hidden cameras
randomly allocated to guard or prisoner role
prisoners ‘‘arrested’’ at homes without warning, charged, read their rights, searched, handcuffed and taken to police station
stripped, deloused and given prison number
confined to cells apart from meals, work and toilet privelages
guards whore military style khaki uniforms reflector sunglasses, carried wooden batons
guards on duty 24 hours a day working 8 hour shifts
instructed to keep prisoners under conrtol but no physical aggression permitted

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52
Q

what were the findings of prisoners from the zimbardo experiment

A

prisoners rebelled against guards after two days, guards quelled rebellion using fire extinguishers
after this prisoners became submissive and subdued
some prisoners had to be released early due to extreme reactions (severe emotional disturbance, rage, disorganised thinking, acute anxiety and depression)
eg one prisoner had ro be released after less than 36 hours

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53
Q

zimbardo experiment findings of the guards

A

use of force, harrassment and aggression by guards increased steadily
guards conformed to percieved roles with zeal, harrassing the prisoners so much the study had to be discontinued after 6 days
individual differences in guards behaviour
1/3 became tyrannical in arbitrary use of power
some were ‘good guards’ who didnt degrade or harrass prisoners

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54
Q

conclusions of the stanford prison experiment

A

behaviour observed was due to situational variabes rather than individuals personalities (disposition) with participants conforming to expected forms of behaviour for the roles of prisoner and guard, demonstrating conformity by identification
some findings could be explained as a result of deindividuation as some features of experiment eg uniforms, reflector sunglasses would encourage deindividuation by increasing feelings of anonymity and aggression

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55
Q

how can stanford prison experiment be evaluated by the fact conformity to roles isnt automatic

A

zimbardo assumed the guards drift into sadistic behaviour was an utomatic consequence of them conforming to their role
however there were individual differences between guards- some guards became tyrannical whilst others didnt
individual differences are inconsistent with an entirely situational explanation for guards behaviour and suggest conformity to roles isnt automatic with participants choosing how to respond to the situation rather than blindly conforming to their social role

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56
Q

what did Banuazizi and Movahedi 1975 say about demand charachteristics and participant reactivity in the stanford prison experiment

A

argued behaviour of zimbardos guards and prisoners wasnt due to the ‘prisoner environment’ but was a response to the powerful demand charachteristics in the experimental situation
this can result in participant effects/reactivity where ps change their behaviour as a result of these percieved expectations
the mock prison was v different from a real prison
ps knew they hadnt committed a crime and were free to leave
led to researchers suggestibf the artifical setting resulted in ps demonstrating participant reactivity with prisoners and guards play acting

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57
Q

what are demand charachteristics

A

those aspects of a study that lead ps to guess what the experimenters expect of them or how they want them to behave

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58
Q

what is obedience

A

the type of social influence where an individual complies witj a direct order from a figure with percieved authority
it is implied that the person receiving the order responds in a way they wouldnt have done without the order

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59
Q

who did research into obediance

A

milgram

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60
Q

what was the aim of milgrams experiment

A

to find out whether ordinary americans would obey an unjust order from an authority figure to inflict pain on another person
milgram wanted to discover what factors in a situation led people to obey

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61
Q

precedure for milgrams experiment

A

40 male volunteers selected and each paid $4.50
ps told the study concerned the role of punishment in learning (not told real aim of testing obediance to authority)
roles of experimenter teacher and learner
geniune p was always the teacher
confederate was the learner
teacher decieved into thinking they were giving electric shocks when none were actually administered
teacher had to administer a shock evrry time learner made a mistake
p watched confederate being strapped to a chair with electrode attached to their arm
shocks given started at 15v and rose in 15v to 450v
if p hesitated the researcher encouraged him to continue
experiment continued until teacher refused to continue or until 450v were reached 4 times
p then debriefed

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62
Q

findings of milgrams experiment

A

65% of participants went on giving shocks up to and including 450V
all ps gave shocks up to 300v
only 12.5% of ps stopped at 300v

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63
Q

what did milgram find in interviews following his experiment

A

74% of participants learned something of personal importance as a result of being in the study
84% of participants said they were glad to have participated
only 1 person regretted taking part

64
Q

conclusions from milgrams study

A

people will obey an authority fugure even when the order would result in harming someone else
they dont demonstrate unquestioning obedience though- they are in a state of conflict- despite this they obey anyway
indicates we have a strange tendancy to obey authority figures even when it is against our better judgement

65
Q

criticisms of milgrams study

A

issues with deception- dont have informed consent
issues with temporal and cultural validity
some people had a seizure as a conseuqnece of the stress-ethical issues, harm to participants

66
Q

what are the two ways in which obediance can be evaluated

A

validity
ethics

67
Q

how can milgrams study lack internal validity

A

suggested a lack of experimental realism and presence of demand charachteristics anf argued participants couldnt have believed in the investigation- as experiment was carried out at a prestigous uni so participants couldnt have believed they were giving real shocks- would assume the uni wouldnt allow them to harm participants, therefore ps were just demonstrating demand charachteristics

68
Q

how can milgraams research be defended and indicate there is internal validity

A

ps didnt obey unqustioningly- they were conflicted
ps experienced high levels of stress- would suggest they believed they were giving real shocks

69
Q

arguments suggesting a lack of external validity in milgrams study

A

lab study
artificial setting- not asked to administer electric shocks every day (lacks mundane realism)
yale university- may not be able to generalise to other settings

70
Q

arguments suggesting there is external validity in milgrams study

A

replication in alternative setting (run down office) still produced obedience
field experiments eg hofling still demonstrated high levels of obediance to authority
natural settings where harm could be inflicted

71
Q

how was deecption an issue in milgrams research and what is the defence for it

A

deception- werent told the real aim of the experiment, meant they didnt have informed consent
if they told them the aim then this may have caused ps to act a certain way

72
Q

what are ethical issues in milgrams research and how can they be defended

A

participants experienced high levels of stress such as tremble, sweat, stutter, biting their lips- argues there was ‘informed consent’- couldnt properly be informed of this and the long term effects could be detramental
loss of self esteem-willingness to deliver electric shocks to helpless fellow participants- participants were debriefed after- make sure they were unharmed and understood

73
Q

what situational variables affect obediance

A

proximity
location
uniform

74
Q

how did milgram investigate effect of proximity on obediance

A

milgrams variations
teacher-learner proximity
original experiment- teacher and learner in separate rooms amd couldnt see each other
increased orximity in two variations
1- teacher and learner in same room 46cm apart
2- teacher had to place learners hand on shock plate
increasing proximity also serves to remove ‘‘buffers’’

75
Q

what did milgram find the effects were of proximity on obedience

A

milgrams original study had the buffer of the teacher and learner being in seperate rooms- leading to a very high level of obediance
100% went up to 300v
65% went up to 450v
increased proximity and and removal of buffers led to lower levels of obedience of those going up to 450v
40%- teacher and learner in the same room (high proximity)
30%- teacher forces hand on the shock plate (high proximity)

76
Q

what did milgram find was the affect of location on obediance

A

milgram carried out a replication of his original study in a run down office
obediance rates up to 450v
original study-65%
run down office-48%
drop in obediance occured because of:
perception of legitimate authority
milgram- in the lab setting the experimenter would seem to have legitimate authority- but in the run down office the legitimate authority may be questioned

77
Q

who investigated the effect of uniform on obediance

A

bickman 1974
field experiment

78
Q

what did bickman find about the effect of uniform on obedience

A

bickmans study of obedience found higher rates of obedience to an individual in a guards uniform compared to other types of dress
eg the experimenter asked participants to lend money to someone
obediance rates when experimenter was dressed in:
ordinary clothes-49%
guards uniform-92%
this occurs because the uniform communicates legitimate authority- a factor associated with encouraging obedience

79
Q

what is legitimate authority

A

the perception of the authority figure as being ‘legitimate’ increases obedience

80
Q

what are non dispositional explanations of obedience

A

situational variables-proximity,location and uniform
legitimate authority
agentic state

81
Q

agentic state explanation of obedience

A

milgram argued one explanation for high level of obedience to authority was explanation of participants operating in the agentic state he argued individuals operate at two levels in social situations

82
Q

what did milgram say the two levels are in social situations that individuals operate at

A

autonomous state
agentic state

83
Q

autonomous state

A

where individual is aware of the consequences of their actions and choose voluntarily tobehave in particular ways, accpeting responsibility for their behaviour

84
Q

agentic state

A

where the individual see themselves as an agent (or subordinate) of another and carries out their orders without accepting personal responsibility for their actions
they see the person giving orders as responsibile not themselves

85
Q

agentic shift

A

the switch from operating as an autonomous individual to acting as an agent for another person usually an authority figure
agentic shift is therefore more likely when there is the perception of legitimate authority

86
Q

how does milgrams experiment provide evidence to support the agentic state

A

many ps had serious reservations about continuing and asked experimenter who would take full responsibility

87
Q

what did Dambrum and Vatine 2010 find that supports the agetntic state

A

found ps who gave the most electric shocks in the milgram situation tended to hold the experimenter and victim responsible rather than themselves
ps who gave the fewest shocks accepted personal responsibility and didnt hold the experimenter and victim responsible

88
Q

what are dispositional explanations of obedience

A

authoritarian personality

89
Q

dispositional explanations

A

explanations that emphasise behaviour as being caused by an individuals own personal charachteristics rather than situational influences within the environment

90
Q

characteristics of an authoritarian personality

A

rigid conventional beliefs and values
strict adherance to social rules and hierarchies
submissive to authority figures
politically conservative/right wing

91
Q

what is the authoritarian personality

A

adorno argued some people have an authoritarian personality which makes them more likely to be obedient and prejudiced
their adherence to social rules and conventions and their submissiveness to authority makes them more likely to be obedient to an authority figure

92
Q

what did adorno develop to measure different components making up the authoritarian personality

A

the F scale
sample statements- indicate whether you agree/disagree
eg ‘obedience and respect for authority are the most important virtues children should learn’
agreeing with these statements indicates an authoritarian personality

93
Q

how did altemeyer later refine the concept of the authoritarian personality

A

identifying a cluster of three original personality variables and referred to thos as right wing authoritarianism

94
Q

what three variables did altemyer identify

A

conventionalism
authoritarian agression
authoritarian submission

95
Q

conventionalism

A

an adherence to conventional norms and values

96
Q

authoritarian aggression

A

aggressive feelings toward people who violate these normsu

97
Q

athoritarian submission

A

uncritical submissiveness to authority

98
Q

why are individuals with an authoritarian personality obedient

A

adorno argued the authoritarian personality developed as a result of an individuals upbringing
he found individuals with an authoritarian personality had been raised by parents with an authoritarian personality style
ie strict harsh uprbinging- including use of physical punishment with a string emphasis on obedience

99
Q

resistance to social influence

A

refers to resisting pressures to conform (non conformity) and resisting pressures to obey (disobedience)

100
Q

what is anti conformity or counter conformity

A

when the individual acts in opposition to group norms
behaviour is group dependent as individuals actions are determined by those of the group as individual does opposite to the others in the group
involves a consistent movement away from social conformity

101
Q

how is resistance to social influence different to anti conformity

A

resistance to social influence and therefore true independent behaviour is when the individual is not influenced by the actions or decisions of others
it involves a lack of consistebt movement either towards or away from social expectancy

102
Q

research demonstrating resistance to pressures to conform

A

research demonstratng conformity can be used to illustrate resistance to conformity
eg asch- not everyone conformed and those that did conform didnt conform all the time

103
Q

research demonstrating resistance to pressures to obey

A

research that has demonstrated obedience demonstrates resistance to obedience eg milgrams variations

104
Q

situational factors in resistance to social influence

A

social support

105
Q

social support

A

makes it easier to ignore orders or break rules as a group
so social support can help resist the pressure to conform
can increase the individuals confidence that their position/viewpoint is correct
can also present an alternative way to respond to a situation

106
Q

evidence from asch for social support

A

the presence of a dissenter- more likely to resist group pressure to conform
conformity levels dropped from 37% of critical trials to 5.5% when recieved social support from an ally
breaks the unanimity as presence of a dissenter was equally effective in reducing conformity when giving a correct or different incorrect response
breaking the unanimity indicates there are alternative, legitimate ways of thinking/responding

107
Q

what evidence did milgram find to support social support

A

resisting pressure to obey
milgram rebel peers: disobedient models
teacher paired with two other teachers- were confederates
at 150v the first confederate refused to continue
at 210v second confederate refused to continue
found complete obedience- those going up to 450v lowered from 65% in the original study to 10%

108
Q

situational explanations of resistance to social influence

A

social support
- presence of dissenter
- disobedient models

109
Q

dispositional explanations of resistance to social influence

A

locus of control

110
Q

dispositional factors

A

personal factors

111
Q

locus of control

A

refers to individual differences in peoples beliefs and expectations about what controls events in their lives
it relates to a persons perception of the extent of personal control they have over their own behaviour events and future

112
Q

internal locus of control

A

people with an internal locus of control believe that what happens to them is largely a consequence of internal factors their own ability, effort and personal decisions- they can therefore control events in their life

113
Q

external locus of control

A

people with an external locus of control tend to believe that what happens to them is controlled by external factors such as the actions of others, luck or fate
they have a sense that things ‘‘just happen to them’’ and and largely uncontrollable
they tend to approach things with more passive and fatalistic attitude, taking less responsibility for their actions

114
Q

how does research evidence from Avtgis support locus of control

A

carried out a meta analysis of studies considering locus of control and conformity and found those who scored higher on external locus of control were more easily persuaded and likely to conform than those with a low score
the average correlation was 0.37 which is statistically significant
supports theory that internal locus of control leads to resisting

115
Q

what evidence did Spector 1983 find about locus of control

A

measured locus of control and predisposition to normative and informational social influence in 157 undergrad students
found a correlation between locus of control and predisosition to normative social influence
those with external locus of control more likely to show normative si than those with internal locus of control
no correlation between locus of control and informational si
partial support-depends on nature of si
external locus- more likely to have desire to be liked, less likely to resist si

116
Q

what is minority influence

A

where people reject the established norm of the majority group members and gradually move towards the position of the minority- changing their attitudes and behaviour in line with the minority group members
it involves conversion and results in the internalisation of the views of the minority

117
Q

why does minority influence occur

A

being exposed to a viewpoint different to our own causes cognitive conflict
this causes us to think more deeply about an issue and reappraise our perspective

118
Q

what does conversion to the minority viewpoint require

A

consistency
commitment
flexibility

119
Q

consistency

A

stability in the expressed position over time and agreement between different members of the minority

120
Q

commitment

A

degree of dedication to a particular cause- suggests, confidence and courage in the face of a hostile majority
we may illustrate commitment when our dedication to a cause is at some cost or inconveniance to the individual q

121
Q
A
122
Q

flexibility

A

a willingness to compromise when expressing a position
flexibility is more effective at changing majority opinion than rigidity of arguments

123
Q

who did a key study into minority influence

A

moscovici
calling a blue slide green

124
Q

what was the procedure of moscovicis study

A

two conditions- a consistent minority and an inconsistent minority
consistent minority had 4 real ps and 2 confederates- called a blue slide green on every trial
inconsistent condition- 4 real ps and 2 confederates called a blue slide green on 2/3 of the trials
control group- 6 real ps

125
Q

what were the findings of moscovicis study

A

consistent minority-persuaded majority to say green on 8% of the trials
inconsistent minority- persuaded majority to say green on less than 2% of the trials

126
Q

conclusions of moscovicis study

A

supported role of consistency in minority influence- as a consistent minority was more effective than an inconsistent one
initial influence of a minority may be more at a private level than a public level

127
Q

strengths of moscovicis study

A

laboratory experiment- high level of control over variables- enabling researcher to establish cause and effect
standardised procedure allows replication

128
Q

limitations of moscovicis study

A

artificial trivial task-lack of mundane realism and ecological validity
8% of trials is quite low success rate- so not strong support for the role of consistency

129
Q

who researched the role of flexibility in minority influence

A

nemeth and brilmayer

130
Q

how did nemeth and brilmayer investigate the role of flexibility

A

simulated jury situation- discussed amount of compensation to be awarded in a ski lift accident

131
Q

what were the findings of nemeth and brilmayers study

A

rigid minority- no effect on other group members
flexible minority (willingness to compromise)- did influence the majority
timings of compromise important- compromising late more influential
late compromise shows commitment and flexibility
early compromise shows less commitment and percieved as ‘caving to the majority’

132
Q

evaluation of nemeth and brilmayers study

A

less artificial task compared to moscovici
has greater mundane realism and ecological validity
questions moscovici- questions whether consistency necessarily results in minority influence (certainly rigid consistency was found not to be persuasive)

133
Q

why is minority influence thought to be valuable

A

‘opens the mind’- to consider alternative opinions and may lead people to think more deeply about their decisions

134
Q

what is social change

A

when a society as a whole adopts a new belief or way of behaving which then becomes widely accepted as the norm

135
Q

what can social change involve

A

social progress
social revolution

136
Q

eg of social progress

A

introduction of anti discriminatory laws and practices

137
Q

eg of social revolution

A

removal of a tyrannical regime, breakdown of a communist state

138
Q

role of social influence in social change

A

role of minority influence
role of majority influence- normative social influence
role of obedience and disobedience

139
Q

role of minority influence in producing social change

A

history shows lots of examples where social change has begun with a deviant minority
eg civil rights movement

140
Q

examples of social change

A

gender equality- womens right to vote- suffragette movement, equal pay, sex discrimination act- womens rights movement
removal of apartheid in south africa
racial segregation ended, anti discrimination laws and practices- civil rights movement

141
Q

how does a minority influence produce a social change

A

creating attention
cognitive conflict
consistency
augmentation
snowball effect
dissociation model

142
Q

how does creating attention help produce social change

A

deviant minorities draw attention to issues that may otherwise have been ignored by the majority eg through protests
eg the suffragettes used educational, political and militant tactics to draw attention to their cause

143
Q

how does cognitive conflict help produce a social change

A

the minority creates conflict between what the majority group members currently believe and the position advocated by the minority
we are motivated to reduce this conflict
this leads the majority to think more deeply about the issues

144
Q

how does consistency help produce a social change

A

minorities are more influential in bringing about social change when they express arguments consistently - both over time (intra individual consistency) and with others (inter-individual consistency)
eg the suffragettes maintained their position over a number of years and remained consistent in their arguments

145
Q

how does commitment and the augmentation principle help produce a social change

A

if a minority is seen to be willing to suffer for their views they are seen as more committed and therefore taken more seriously by others
through suffering- their impact is increased/ augmented
eg suffragettes risked imprisonment or death- hunger strike

146
Q

how does the snowball effect help produce social change

A

minority influence initially has a small effect but this then spreads more widely as more and more people consider the issues being promoted until it reaches a ‘tipping point’ - leading to wide scale social change
eg acceptance of the suffragettes position was gradual

147
Q

how does the dissociation model help to produce social change

A

'’social forgetting’’ (social cryptoamnesia)
the majority dont like to associate themselves with a deviant minority
as a result minority groups tend to influence the majority over a longer period of time than in majority influence
over time the minority ideas become assimilated into the majority viewpoint- but the content and the original source become dissociated
eg coming to accept equal rights for men and women- but no longer associating this viewpoint with a feminine perspective

148
Q

social change and majority influence

A

happens through normative social influence

149
Q

who researched social change and majority influence

A

nolan et al- conserving energy
goldstein et al- ‘‘towel reusage’’

150
Q

what did nolan et al find out about majority influence and social change

A

placed door hangers on the doors of san diego residents once a week for a month
carried one of four messages- one stated that the majority of the nieghbours regularly tried to conserve energy (information they had learned from a prior survey) (group norm condition)
control group-door hanger simply encouraged energy conservation (but no rationale for this)
only the group norm condition led to significant decreases in residents energy consumption

151
Q

what did goldstein find about majority influence in producing social change

A

attempting to change hotel guest behaviour by encouraging them to reuse their towels
compared the impact of 4 door hangers including these three examples:
help save the environment
help save resources for future generations
join your fellow citizens in helping to save the environment- followed by information that the majority of hotel guests did reuse their towels when asked (group norm condition)
the final ‘‘group norm’’ message increased towel reuse by an average of 34%

152
Q

what was the conclusion of goldsteins study

A

demonstrated that when individuals were told other hotel guests reused towels they were likely to reuse their towels demonstrating normative social influence

153
Q

social change and obedience

A

obedience- obeying laws that reinforce social change eg smoking ban, drink driving laws

154
Q

social change and disobedience

A

disobedient models
milgram variation- 3 teachers (2 disobedient teacher confederates)
can explain civil disobedience- Rosentrasse protest
presence of others willing to resist creates confidence to stand up to powerful authority
civil disobedience can produce civil change
eg rosa parks- civil rights movement

155
Q
A

a level psychology (5 decks)

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