Social Influence

Question 1

What are the types of conformity?

Answer 1

Compliance, identification, internalisation

Question 2

What is compliance?

Answer 2

Compliance is the lowest level of conformity. Here a person changes their public behaviour but not their private beliefs.

Question 3

What is identification?

Answer 3

Identification is when a person changes their public and private beliefs, but only while they are in the presence of the group they are identifying with. This is usually a short-term change.

Question 4

What is internalisation?

Answer 4

Internalisation is when a person changes both their public and their private beliefs. This is usually a long-term change.

Question 5

What are the explanations for conformity?

Answer 5

Normative social influence and Informational social influence

Question 6

What is Normative social influence?

Answer 6

Normative Social Influence is where a person conforms in order to be accepted and belong to a group ( to be liked).

Question 7

What is Informational social influence?

Answer 7

Informational Social Influence is where a person conforms to gain knowledge, or because they believe that someone else is‘right’.

Question 8

What are the variables affecting conformity?

Answer 8

Group size, unanimity and task difficulties.

Question 9

Who conducted research into conformity?

Answer 9

Asch (1951)

Question 10

What was the procedure in Asch’s research?

Answer 10

Lab experiment with 50 american males took part in a line judgement task, a line of 7 confederates with participant at the end. 3 lines were shown and participants say which is longest. 18 trials and confederates gave wrong answer on 12.

Question 11

What were the findings of Asch’s research?

Answer 11

On average, the real participants conformed to the incorrect answers on 32% of the critical trials. 74% of the participants conformed on at least one critical trial and 26% of the participants never conformed. Asch also used a control group, in which one real participant completed the same experiment without any confederates. He found that less than 1% of the participants gave an incorrect answer.

Question 12

Two limitations of Asch’s research.

Answer 12

P- mundane realism
E- unusual situation
E- artifical nature
I- low validity

P- inconsistent findings
E- Perrin and spencer
E- differs from Asch
I- low reliability

Question 13

One strengths of Asch’s research

Answer 13

P- high control
E- control extraneous variables
E- IV effect DV
I- reliability

Question 14

How does group size affect conformity?

Answer 14

Conformity rises to 33% with 3 confederates but flatlines as it remains at 31% with 16 confederates

Question 15

How does unanimity affect conformity?

Answer 15

One confederate supporting the participant, conformity dropped to 5.5%

Question 16

How does task difficult affect conformity?

Answer 16

The harder the task the higher the conformity due to being more susceptible to ISI

Question 17

Two strengths of explanations for conformity.

Answer 17

P- supports NSI
E- 75% original, 12.5% private
E- lower rates
I- increase credibility

P- supports ISI
E- task difficulty
E- higher rates
I- increased credibility

Question 18

Two strengths of explanations for conformity.

Answer 18

P- supports NSI
E- 75% original, 12.5% private
E- lower rates
I- increase credibility

P- supports ISI
E- task difficulty
E- higher rates
I- increased credibility

Question 19

Two limitations of explanations for conformity.

Answer 19

P- reductionist
E- ignores factors
E- situation or personal
I- reduced credibility

P- two types
E- real life situation
E- mix of both

Question 20

Who researched conformity to social roles.

Answer 20

Zimbardo