Social Influence Flashcards

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1
Q

Types of conformity

A
  • Compliance
  • Internalisation
  • Identification
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2
Q

Compliance

A

Individual goes along with the majority view and behaves the same in order to be liked by the group. Individual doesnt change their underlying view and may behave diff when they arent with the group

pretending

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3
Q

Internalisation

A

Individual truly believes in the views of the majority at a deep level. Will accept majority views both publicly and privately.

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4
Q

Identification

A

Individual might accept the infleuce from the majority because they want to be associated with that group. They are adopting the attitudes and views of the group because they feel its right and true but they do it to be liked by the group

forcing to

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5
Q

Explanations for conformity

A
  • Normative social influence (NSI)
  • Information social influence (ISI)
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6
Q

Normative social influence

A
  • We need social approval and fear rejection
  • Conforms because they want to be accepted by majority of the group
  • Because they want to be liked by the group
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7
Q

Informational social influence

A
  • All humans need to feel confident their perceptions/beliefs are correct
  • Happens when somn accepts info from others as evidence about reality
  • More likely when situation is ambiguous or where others are experts
  • Comply in behaviour and changes their behaviour
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8
Q

Social factors that affect conformity

A
  • Group size
  • Task Difficulty
  • Anonymity
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9
Q

What does group size refer to?

A

More likely to conform if group majority is large. Group of conforming people in the group needs to be more than 3 people

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10
Q

What does task difficulty refer to?

A

We look to others to guide our decisions when completing challenging rasks or making hard decisions because we lack confidence in our own judgment (eg of ISI)

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11
Q

What does anonymity refer to?

A

In public, there is a chance of people ridiculing us if they disagree with our opinion, therefore we are more likely to express them if we are anonymous
Reduces concern with other people agreeing with us and we don’t need to worry
* Anonymity lowers chance of conformity - not completely tho because it reduces NSI

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12
Q

What are dispositional factors that affect conformity?

A
  • Personality
  • Expertise
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13
Q

What does personality refer to?

A

If you have a low IQ, low status in a group or low self esteem you are more likely to conform to group pressure - cuz these traits linked to insecurity in social situations and look to others for guidance on how to bahave to be liked or because they may know more

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14
Q

What does expertise refer to?

A

Conformity less likely when we have more confidence in our own abilities/opinions. Explains why older ppl less likely to conform than younger, cuz as we get older, we feel more certain about our knowledge and feel less pressure to conform

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15
Q

Aim of Asch’s Line experiment

A

To see how far ppl would conform in a group even if they knew an answer was wrong

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16
Q

Method for Asch’s Line experiment

A
  1. Asch tested ptcps using a “line matching” task where ptcps had to guess which line was closest in size to a standard line - answer was obvious
  2. Confederates chose wrong answer
  3. Real participlnt was always the last to answers so they could hear other ppls responses
  4. Observed whether real ptcp also chose wrong answer to fit in
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17
Q

What percent did the real ptcps conform? Why did they conform?

A
  • 36.8%
  • Due to NSI because ptcps wanted to fit in the group to be accepted
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18
Q

What did Asch conclude?

A

Ppl conform to fit in with a group even when they know he group are giving incorrect judgment

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19
Q

DV
IV
of Aschs Line Experiment

A
  • DV = How often real ptcps conform
  • Responses of confederates (actors)
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20
Q

Strength of Aschs Study

A
  • Laboratory experiment = high control over extranous variables that coul’ve impacted the outcome of the findings. Important cuz it means he could confidently conclude that ppl conform due to group pressure even when answer is wrong - shows us a cause and effect r/s for NSI
  • Standardised procedures in laboratory setting - others able to replicate to check for reliablility
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21
Q

Weaknesses of Asch’s conformity study

A
  • Lab setting = lacks ecological validity - environment unnatural and atificial = diff behavious = so results may not reflect how conformity could occue in everday settings
  • Task itself is a contrived task, lacks personal significance and real life application, results may not predict how ppl respond to real life situations
  • Culturally biased - all american (individualistic cultures), collectivist countries have higher rates of conformity as they place greater value to the whole group > individual = findings cant generalise to all countries as culture is a factor that affects conformity levels
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22
Q

What is obedience?

A

Following orders of an authority figure

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23
Q

What is agency?

A

the responsibility we feel for our own actions

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24
Q

What is the agency theory?

A

idea that smn will obey an authority figure when they believe authority figure will take responsibility for what they’re being told to do

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25
Q

What is Milgram’s Agency Theory?

A
  • Situation without an authority figure = we are in an **Autonomous state **= natural state when we behave and react to our own wishes and feel responsible for them
  • When we obey an authority figure, we are in an Agentic state, we dont take responsibiility for what they’re asking us to do, take orders blindly
  • Shift from automous state –> agentic state is called the agentic shift
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26
Q

Milgrams Obedicence study 1963 - Electric Shock, what did Milgram want to explore

A

Whether ordinary ppl would obey a person in authority even when required to injure an innocent person

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27
Q

Method of Milgrams Electric Shock study

A
  • Experimenter in lab coat - confederate
  • Volunteer - assigned as teacher
  • Student - confederate
  • Teacher asks student question, if wrong, then experimenter tells teacher to give electric shock
  • Study was rigged so volunteer would always get the role of a teacher
  • 15 v - 450 v
  • Student didnt get shocked like the teacher thought, instead they had a tape recorder to play various repsonses, bangiing
  • Experimenter prompts if teacher is hesitant
28
Q

Results of Electric shock study

A

65% continued all the way to 450v
All reached at least 300v with only 12.5% stopping there once learner first objected

29
Q

conclusion of electric shock study

A
  • crimes against humanity may be the outsome of situational factors rather than dispositional factors
  • ordinary ppl can obey to do evil like evil ppl
30
Q

Strengths of Milgrams agency theory

A
  • Electric shock study supports, 65% were prepared to give electric shock when authority figure told them to
31
Q

Weakness of Milgrams agency theory

A
  • Lab setting - unrealisatic and give electric shocks ecological validity, doesnt show obedience in real world
  • Not everyone blindly follows orders - some ppl less likely to enter agentic state, he focusses on social factors that affect obedicne but others argued that dispositional factors are more important to see obedicence
32
Q

3 social factors in milgrams agency theory that affect obedience

A
  • culture
  • proximity
  • authority
33
Q

How does culture affect obedience

A
  • collectivist countries (east) - obey more authority figures
  • Individualist cultures are less likely - they hold independence and freedom of choice more importantly
34
Q

How does proximity affect obedience

A
  • Close to authority figure = more likely to obey
  • we can see reaction of persn
  • easier to disobey when we are distanced from the consequences of our actions
  • Milgrams study - experimenter in same room
35
Q

How does authority affect obedience?

A
  • more likely to obey authority in uniform
  • when we are young we are taught to obey parents, teachers and police officers
  • accept it naturally what society accepts for us
  • we assume they are experts and we think they are superior to us
36
Q

Authoritarian personality

A

obedient personality type, characterised by a belief that authority figures should be obeyed

37
Q

Adorno’s theory of obedience

A
  • dispositional factors affect whether we are obedient
  • some ppl form personalities that make them obedient due to their childood experiences
38
Q

Adorno’s F scale 1950 study aim

A

to find out if there is an r/s between a persons personality type and their beleifs about obedience and authority due to their childhood

39
Q

Adorno’s F scale 1950 study method

A
  • 200 white male, middle class american students completed F scale questionnaire of 30 questions
40
Q

Adorno’s F scale 1950 results

A
  • positive rs between authoritarian personalities and obedience towards authority figures
  • found out that those with harsher upbringings were the most obedient
41
Q

Conclusion for Adornos F scale study

A

ppl with harsh upbringing grew up to have an authoritarian persoanlity and be more obedient

42
Q

Development of the authoritarian personality

A
  • A very disciplined upbringing - parents harsh, show littl affection, severe punishments
  • Unconscious hostility - consciously have v high opinion of parents, unconsciously feel v aggressive towards them
  • Displacement - hostility moved on to safer targets, weaker and unable to hurt them
  • Submissive to high status and dismissive of inferiors - prejudice views, discriminatory behaviour
43
Q

Strengths of adornos theory

A
  • f scale questionnaire - ppl who scored highly are believed to have authoritarian personalities and thus more obedient and there is some research evidence to support this theory.
44
Q

Weaknesses of adornos theory

A
  • only found a correlation between personality type and obedience, not prove that the authoritarian personality actually caused higher levels of obedience., some of the most obedient ptcps in milgrams study did not experience the authoritarian upbringing Adorno predicted
  • Theory is incomplete - ppl with lower educational levels = more obedient than highly educated, suggests other dispositional factors like intelligence affect obedience. theory doesnt consider individual differences, personality isnt enough
45
Q

prosocial behaviour

A

acting in a way thats beneficial to others

46
Q

bystander behaviour

A

ppl who witness events like emergencies where other ppl need assistance

47
Q

bystander intervention

A

ppl offer to help in a situation

48
Q

bystander apathy

A

when ppl choose not to help in situations

49
Q

Social factors affecting bystander behaviour

A
  • Presence of others - more likely to help when they are alone compared to when others are present
  • Cost of helping - ppl weigh up potential costs and rewards before taking action, could injure themselves, risky, too much time/money
50
Q

Dispositional factors affecting bystander behaviour

A

* similarity to victim- bystander and victim = similar, bystander more likely to help, easier to empathise, more likely to relate and put ourselves in their position
* Expertise - bystanders more likely to help if they have the skills or expertise to help based on situation

51
Q

Aim of piliavins subway study + type of experiment

A

investigate whther the appearance of a vistim would influence helping behaviour
field experiemnt

52
Q

Method of piliavins study

A
  • Actor pretended to collapse in train carriage with his appearance altered
  • in 38 of the trials, his appearance was altered to be smth who was drunk, smelt of alchol, holding alcohol
  • in 65 trials, he appeared sober and carried a walking stick
  • researcher recorded how often and quickly victim was helped
53
Q

results of piliavins

A

actor with walking stick = within 70s, 85% of the time
drunk = within 70s = 50%

54
Q

conclusion of piliavins

A

A person’s appearance will affect whether or not they receive help and how quickly this help is given.

55
Q

Strength of piliavins study

A
  • helps us understand why some victims are less likely to receive help compared to others due to the cost of helping.
  • demonstrated how vulnerable members of society such as children, pregnant women or senior citizens were more likely to receive help because bystanders perceive them to be deserving of help and present less risk of harm.
  • conducted in a natrual setting, demand characteristics eliminarted, high ecological validity, explain real life situations
56
Q

Limitations of pivilians study

A
  • culturally biased, (america) - individualist culture, cant be generalised to explain all bystander behaviour across diff cultures
  • Piliavin’s study may not reliably predict bystander behaviour outside of cities or towns. - ppl in rural areas more helpful
57
Q

collective behaviour

A

way ppl act when in a group/ actions that happen when ppl in a group

58
Q

antisocial crowd behaviour

A

when ppl dont act in a socially acceptable way or consider rights of others

59
Q

Social factors that affect crows and collective behaviour

A
  • social loafing
  • deindividuation
  • culture
60
Q

Dispositional factors that affect crows and collective behaviour

A
  • Personality - interal and external locus of control
  • morality
61
Q

Social loafing

A
  • put in less efford in a group setting
  • in groups, there is a “diffusion of responsibility”
  • can be reduced: in smaller groups, competition with other group, if task is important
62
Q

Deindividuation

A
  • ppl lose sense of individuality
  • occurs in crowds, ppl feel anonymous and harder to identify individuals
  • dont feel responsibilty for what they do, lose sense of morals and values
  • if crowd = violent, you are more likely to follow it
63
Q

Culture

A
  • social loafing doesnt happen in collectivist countries, taught to work just as hard in a group
  • difficult to assume collective haviour will be same in all cultures
64
Q

What is internal and external locus of control ?

A

Rotter believed that:
* internal - individuals who believe they’re in control of own actions due to their own efforts and behaviour
* external - outside factors control their behaviour, out of ocntrol

research says ppl with internal locus of control are less likely to follow crowd behaviour

65
Q

Morality

A
  • smn sense of right and wrong
    *