Social Influence

Question 1

Types and explanations of conformity- evaluation

Answer 1

—research support for ISI
Lucas et al, maths problems

—research support for NSI
Ash
Ash repeated study- 12.5%

—Further research has supported the suggestion of ISI explanation regarded to conform
sherif research

— sherif research can be criticized to an extent that it doesn’t demonstrate conformity

—individual difference not considered

Question 2

Ash’s sample and percentage findings

Answer 2

123 American male undergraduate

Findings
- naive ps gave wrong answer 36.8% of the time
Overall 25% did not conform in any of the trials
So 75% confirmed at least once

Group size
31.8

Question 3

Ash’s evaluation

Answer 3

—conducted in a lab experiment

— ethical issues

— counter evidence
Perrin and Spencer (1980)

— lack external validity

— low population validity due to sampling issues

Question 4

Conformity to social roles- zimbardo
Value

Answer 4

Control over variables

Lack of realism

Lack population validity

Ethical issues- lack of fully informed consent

Question 5

Milgrams - sample and finding percentage

Answer 5

40 male participants

12.5% stopped at 300 volts
65% continued to the highest level of 450 volts

In follow up questionnaire , 84% reported felt glad they have participated

Question 6

Milgram research on obedience

Answer 6

Good external validity
Holding et al

Debriefing
84% felt glad to participate, 74% felt they learned something

Ethical issues
Baumrind - she saw deception as a betrayal of trust

Criticized for being andocentric

Question 7

Situational variables- percentages

Answer 7

Proximity
65% to 40%. ( in same room)
40% to 30% ( touch proximity)
30% to 20.5% ( remove instruction condition)

Location
65 to 47.5%

Uniform
65 to 20%

Question 8

Situational variables - evaluation

Answer 8

Control of variables in Milgram variation

Lack of internal validity
Orne and Holland- ps worked out procedure was fake

Finding from his variation have been replicated in other cultures
Miranda- found that obedience rate of over 90% among Spanish students

However most replication have taken place in western developed countries

Research support
Birkman , in New York, had 3 confederate dressed in different outfits

Question 9

Obedience : social psychological factors -evaluation

Answer 9

Research support
Blass and Schmitt- shown a film of Milgram study-student -responsible- learner- blamed experimenter> p’s,responsibility,LA- expert authority-recognize- LA-cause of obedience

Research evidence to show behavior of nazis cannot be explained in terms of authority and genetic shift
Mandel- incident-police- no- direct order- shoot- choice- other duties-BUT- obeyed to shoot civilians- against AS, no LA figure involved = AS= don’t apply = situation

Agentic shift cannot explain why some ps in Milgram study did not obey
Theory= ALL= obeyed
HOWEVEr=Only 65% continued to 450 volts= influence, LA, not lead, obeying, acting for them,= cannot explain obedience = long period of time

Doesn’t explain Hofling study=
AS explanation= nurses should have = experience= level of anxiety = similar= Milgram= as they understood role in destructive process =but no- limitation- don’t account- comprehensive
However does show legitimate authority = hofling = higher power hierarchy = bigger influence= following=hospital rules

Question 10

Explanations of obedience

Answer 10

• social psychological factors( genetic state, legitimate authority)

-dispositional explanations ( authoritarian personality)

• situational variables

Question 11

Obedience: dispositional explanation

Answer 11

• research support
  Milgram , elms, interview, small sample, fully obedient p’s, scored highly on the f scale, link, AP and obedience, HOWEVER, merely correlation, impossible, draw conclusion, AP causes Obedient, 3rd factor

-research- against-
Suggested- ps- obeyed- ALL- harsh parenting= AP
However, Milgram, ask, upbringing, many obedient p’s, good relationships with parent- other explanations

Methodological issue, f scale,
- suggested by Green-stein,scale, items, worded, same direction, possible, high score( by responding the same way using the scale provided)
Acquiescence bias- tendency-agree-
Also social desirability= finding lack validity

Not supported-Milgram-dispositional factors-obedience-not very strong, believed- situational factors- weight- his study- changed location- proximity- uniform- more effect- personality trait
Better explanation- obedience

Question 12

Resistance to social influence

Answer 12

LOC
Research support- link
Holland-repetated- Milgram- P’s- e/i -37% internal -highest shock level- 23% external-
- internals- greater resistance- validity- explanation- confidence- resistance

Contradictory research- don’t support link-
Twenge- analyse data- America LOC- 40 year period- people more resistant- more external over time span- challenges link- possible- result- changing society

Question 13

Minority influence

Answer 13

Research support- Moscovici
- demonstrates- role of consistency-minority influence-majority more likely— consistent- pay attention- serious- minority- powerful influence

Moscovici
Issue- artificial task- identifying color of slide- methodology- mundane realism- reflct scenarios- minority group- real life- lacks ecological validity

Moscovici - criticized
Deceiving p’s- color perception test- Moscovici- fully gain informed consent- unethical- deceive ps- HOWEVEr- aware- demand characteristics- acted differently

• gynocentric- sample- female ps- only- female response- minority influence- assessed- weakness- generalized- men- respond differently to minority— lacks population validly

-support for consistency
Wood et al- meta analysis- 100 similar studies- minorities- consistent- most influential- suggest- consistency - major factor- minority influence