Social Influence

Question 1

What is conformity?

Answer 1

Conformity is when an individual changes their beliefs or behaviour to fit in with those of the group due to group pressure

Question 2

What is internalisation?

Answer 2

Internalisation is when someone changes their public and private views or behaviour to match the group because the group has genuinely changed their mind. This is the deepest level of conformity and leads to long-lasting change.

Question 3

What is compliance?

Answer 3

Compliance is when someone changes their public behaviour or views to match the group, but their private beliefs remain unchanged. It is a superficial and short-term form of conformity.

Question 4

What is identification?

Answer 4

Identification is when someone changes their public views to match the group because they want to be a part of it. The change lasts as long as the individual is in the group.

Question 5

What is informational social influence?

Answer 5

Informational social influence occurs when someone looks to the group for guidance because they are unsure how to behave, often leading to internalisation.

Question 6

What is normative social influence?

Answer 6

Normative social influence happens when someone wants to fit in with the social norms to gain the group’s approval, often leading to compliance.

Question 7

What was the aim of Asch’s 1951 (line) study?

Answer 7

Asch aimed to investigate whether people will conform to the majority even if they know they are wrong.

Question 8

What were the findings of Asch’s 1951 (line) study?

Answer 8

75% of participants conformed to the majority at least once, demonstrating that people will conform even when they know the majority is wrong.

Question 9

What three variables did Asch investigate in his conformity study?

Answer 9

Group size, unanimity, and task difficulty.

Question 10

What was Zimbardo’s aim in his Stanford Prison Experiment?

Answer 10

Zimbardo aimed to investigate conformity to social roles.

Question 11

What were the results of Zimbardo’s Stanford Prison Experiment?

Answer 11

Both guards and prisoners conformed to their roles, with guards becoming increasingly brutal and prisoners becoming submissive, showing how social roles can influence behaviour.

Question 12

What was Milgram’s aim in his obedience experiment?

Answer 12

Milgram aimed to see if people would obey orders, even if those orders required them to harm others.

Question 13

What were the findings of Milgram’s obedience experiment?

Answer 13

65% of participants went to the maximum 450V, showing that people are willing to obey orders from an authoritative figure, even if it means harming someone.

Question 14

What situational variables affect obedience?

Answer 14

Proximity, location, and uniform.

Question 15

What is the agentic state?

Answer 15

The agentic state is when a person does not feel responsible for their actions and feels controlled by someone else (an agent for someone else).

Question 16

What is the autonomous state?

Answer 16

The autonomous state is when people feel responsible for their actions and believe they are in control.

Question 17

What is legitimacy of authority?

Answer 17

Legitimacy of authority refers to the belief that people will obey individuals they perceive as having the right to give orders, often linked with authority symbols like uniforms.

Question 18

What is an authoritarian personality?

Answer 18

An authoritarian personality is characterized by a rigid belief in traditional values, obedience to authority, and a tendency to look down on those perceived as beneath them.

Question 19

What is social support?

Answer 19

Social support is when resistance to social influence is easier because others are also resisting the pressure to conform.

Question 20

What is the difference between an internal and external locus of control?

Answer 20

An internal locus of control is when a person believes they have control over their own life, while an external locus of control is when a person believes their life is controlled by external factors like fate or luck.

Question 21

What is minority influence?

Answer 21

Minority influence occurs when a small group of people changes the attitudes, beliefs, and behaviours of the majority.

Question 22

What are the three factors that enhance minority influence?

Answer 22

Consistency, commitment, and flexibility.

Question 23

What is the snowball effect?

Answer 23

The snowball effect occurs when minority influence gradually gains momentum and converts more people, like a snowball rolling down a hill.

Question 24

What is social cryptomnesia?

Answer 24

Social cryptomnesia is when a change becomes so ingrained in society that people forget there was ever a time when it was different.

Question 25

What role does minority influence play in social change?

Answer 25

Minority influence, through consistency, commitment, and flexibility, can drive social change by shifting social norms and attitudes gradually.

Question 26

What are the levels of conformity (Internalisation, Compliance, and Identification) based on the depth of change?

Answer 26

• Internalisation: Deepest level, permanent, both public and private change.
• Compliance: Superficial change, temporary, public only.
• Identification: Moderate level, public change for as long as the individual identifies with the group.

Question 27

What factors influence the effectiveness of social support in resisting conformity?

Answer 27

• Presence of an ally who also resists conformity.
• Decreases pressure on the individual to conform.
• Provides confidence to make independent choices.

Question 28

What is locus of control in relation to social influence?

Answer 28

• Internal locus of control: Individuals believe they have control over their actions and are less likely to conform or obey.
• External locus of control: Individuals believe their behaviour is controlled by external factors like fate, and are more likely to conform or obey.

Question 29

How does minority influence drive social change?

Answer 29

• Minority influence leads to social change by challenging the majority’s norms and beliefs.
• Consistency, commitment, and flexibility make minority views more persuasive.
• Over time, this influence grows, often resulting in a snowball effect.

Question 30

What is social cryptomnesia in the context of social change?

Answer 30

Social cryptomnesia is when a change becomes so deeply embedded in society that people forget the process or time when it was different, even though the change is now part of the social norm.

Question 31

What role does commitment play in minority influence?

Answer 31

Commitment refers to the degree of investment shown by the minority in their cause. This increases the majority’s perception of the minority’s legitimacy, making them more likely to consider their views.

Question 32

How does flexibility impact minority influence?

Answer 32

Flexibility allows the minority to adapt their views in response to the majority, showing openness to dialogue. This helps to avoid being perceived as rigid or dogmatic, making the minority more persuasive.

Question 33

What are real-world examples of minority influence leading to social change?

Answer 33

Examples include movements like the Civil Rights Movement and LGBTQ+ rights, Suffragettes, where a minority group successfully changed the views of the majority over time.

Question 34

What does obedience mean in the context of social influence?

Answer 34

Obedience refers to following direct orders or commands from an authority figure, often involving behaviour change due to perceived authority.

Question 35

What is the role of an authority figure in obedience?

Answer 35

An authority figure provides a sense of legitimacy and power, making individuals more likely to obey even when they are asked to carry out harmful actions.

Question 36

What is the Agentic state and its role in obedience?

Answer 36

The Agentic state occurs when individuals feel they are acting on behalf of an authority figure and thus do not feel responsible for their actions.
This makes them more likely to obey destructive orders without guilt.

Question 37

How does proximity affect obedience in Milgram’s experiment?

Answer 37

When the learner was in the same room as the teacher, obedience dropped to 20%, indicating that physical proximity reduces the psychological distance between the actions and their consequences.

Question 38

What is the impact of uniform on obedience?

Answer 38

A uniform gives an authoritative appearance, increasing the likelihood of obedience as people are more likely to obey those who they perceive as legitimate authority figures.

Question 39

How does location affect obedience in Milgram’s study?

Answer 39

When the experiment was moved from the prestigious Yale University to a run-down office building, obedience dropped to 47.5%, suggesting that a legitimate environment increases obedience.

Question 40

What was Asch’s procedure?

Answer 40

‘vision test’ using a line judgement task. 123 male Americans, 1 naïve participant in a room of 7 confederates. each participant stated which comparison line (ABC) was most like target line - answer always obvious, real participant answered last. at the start the confederates answered correctly then started to provide incorrect answers, 18 trials in total, they gave incorrect answers in 12 called critical trials

Question 41

What were Asch’s findings in his baseline procedure?

Answer 41

Over 12 critical trials, 75% conformed at least once

Question 42

What were the conclusions of each of Asch’s variables?

Answer 42

Group size – had a higher number of confederates – more conformity
Unanimity – getting a confederate to give same answer as participant – decreased conformity
Task Difficulty – making the correct answer less obvious by making the line length more similar – increased conformity

Question 43

What is the two-process theory?

Answer 43

suggests there are 2 main reasons why people conform, based on 2 central human needs: the need to be right and the need to be liked?

Question 44

What was the Stanford prison experiment?

Answer 44

Volunteer participants were randomly assigned to prisoner and guard, they were arrested and transported to a makeshift prison which was in the basement of Stanford university. They had to wear a uniform, prisoners were given numbers to replace names and guards were given sunglasses so their eyes couldn’t be seen. Guards were told they could do whatever necessary to keep order within the prison bar physically assault.

Question 45

What role did uniforms play in Zimbardo’s study?

Answer 45

de-individualise the participants making them more likely to conform.
guards had mirrored glasses so the prisoners couldn’t see their eyes
prisons were identified with numbers to de-humanise them

Question 46

What were Zimbardo’s findings?

Answer 46

eventually they all conformed to their roles, the guards acted increasingly brutally. Prisoners fell into their roles, one went on hunger strike and was confined to the ‘hole’. By the end both guards and prisons were fully conformed to their roles

Question 47

What was Milgram’s baseline procedure?

Answer 47

40 American males recruited through a newspaper advert, told the study was on how punishment affects learning. Participant was assigned the role of teacher through a rigged draw whilst the confederate was given the role of learner. Learner had to answer word pairing questions (in separate rooms), if they gave the wrong answer the teacher would have to give a shock. Electric shocks increased in intensity form 15-450V, in reality no shocks were administered and 4 prompts were used to encourage the participant to continue ‘the study requires you to continue’.

Question 48

What was Milgram’s baseline findings?

Answer 48

65% participants went to the maximum 450V. None stopped before 300V. many showed signs of anxiety

Question 49

What was the role of proximity in Milgram’s study?

Answer 49

seeing the person you’re harming
40% went to 450V; decrease in obedience
greater the distance between the teacher and experimenter, the lower levels of obedience
the smaller the distance between the teacher and learner, the less likely people will obey

Question 50

What was the role of location in Milgram’s study?

Answer 50

less prestigious environment/less trusted
47.5% went to 450V; decrease in obedience
the less official the location, the less likely people will obey

Question 51

What was the role of uniform in Milgram’s study?

Answer 51

uniform was less prestigious
20% went to 250V; decrease in obedience
the less official the uniform the lower the obedience