Social Influence Flashcards
What is social influence?
The process through which the attitudes, beliefs or behaviours of an individual are changed by the presence or actions of others.
Define conformity.
Giving in to group pressure; adopting the attitudes, beliefs and behaviours of people in a particular group in response to real or imagined pressure.
What was the aim of Asch’s 1951 study?
To see if participants would yield (conform) to majority social influence and give incorrect answers on a task, even when the correct answers were obvious.
What was the sample size of Asch’s study?
123 male American students.
What sampling technique was used in Asch’s study?
Volunteer sampling technique.
Describe the method used in Asch’s study.
Participants sat around a table and were shown two cards: one card showed a standard line, and the other showed three lines of different lengths. They had to call out which line matched the standard line.
What percentage of the time did naive participants give a wrong answer on critical trials?
36.8%.
What percentage of participants did not conform on any trials in Asch’s study?
25%.
What conclusion did Asch draw from his study?
Participants exhibited a ‘distortion of action’ - they knew the right answer but conformed to avoid ridicule.
What is normative social influence?
Conforming to avoid rejection.
Fill in the blank: Asch concluded that participants conformed to avoid _______.
ridicule.
True or False: 75% of participants conformed at least once in Asch’s study.
True.
What were the ‘critical trials’ in Asch’s study?
Trials where confederates gave unanimous wrong answers on 12 out of 18 trials.
What is meant by ‘distortion of action’ in the context of Asch’s findings?
Participants knew what the right answer was but conformed to the majority.
What was the task given to participants in Asch’s study?
To call out which of the three lines (A, B, or C) was the same length as the standard line.
How did Asch’s study demonstrate compliance?
People conformed to the answers given by others around them.
What is a limitation of Asch’s research regarding population validity?
It is low because participants were only American male students, which may not represent female behavior in conformity situations.
Other research suggests that women may be more conformist due to concerns about social relationships (Neto, 1995).
How does Asch’s study demonstrate low ecological validity?
Participants were aware they were in a research study, leading to demand characteristics, and the task of identifying lines was trivial and not reflective of real-life conformity situations.
Fiske (2014) noted that Asch’s groups did not resemble typical groups experienced in daily life.
What is a strength of Asch’s study related to experimental control?
Asch used the experimental method, allowing high control over extraneous variables and establishing cause and effect.
This increases confidence that the independent variable (confederates’ answers) caused the dependent variable (participants’ answers).
What ethical issue is associated with Asch’s research?
Asch deceived participants by not informing them that confederates were not real participants, violating informed consent principles.
Deception was argued to be necessary to prevent demand characteristics from influencing the results.
What historical bias is noted in Asch’s study?
Asch’s research may be historically biased as it was conducted in a specific cultural context and time period, which may not apply to other eras or societies.
For example, Perrin and Spence’s study in the UK showed different results, indicating cultural shifts in conformity.
How does cultural bias affect the findings of Asch’s study?
Cultural differences may influence conformity rates, with studies suggesting that collectivist cultures show higher conformity than individualist cultures.
Smith et al. found that the average conformity rate was higher in collectivist cultures compared to individualist cultures like the US.
What is a limitation of Asch’s study related to historical bias?
Asch’s study may be historically biased due to the specific context of the 1950s in the US, particularly the influence of McCarthyism.
This suggests that conformity findings may not be generalizable to other periods or contexts.
What did Perrin and Spencer (1980) find in their replication of Asch’s experiment?
They found a high level of conformity in only 1 out of 396 trials, indicating lower conformity than Asch’s original findings.
Their study used British engineering and science students, highlighting potential historical biases in Asch’s results.
What were the findings of the study using youths on probation in relation to conformity?
The study found similar levels of conformity to those found by Asch in the 1950s.
This suggests that perceived costs of not conforming can influence conformity levels.
What does the term ‘low temporal validity’ refer to in the context of Asch’s study?
It indicates that the findings may not inform us about contemporary society’s reasons for conformity.
Asch’s findings were influenced by the socio-political climate of the 1950s.
What is a limitation of Asch’s study related to cultural bias?
Asch’s study may be culturally biased, as findings might not generalize to non-Western cultures.
Cultural differences in conformity rates were noted, with collectivist cultures exhibiting higher conformity.
What were the average conformity rates found by Smith et al (2006) across different cultures?
The average conformity rate was 31.2%, with individualistic cultures at 25% and collectivist cultures at 37%.
This highlights significant cultural differences in conformity behavior.
According to Markus (1991), why might collectivist cultures have higher conformity rates?
Conformity is viewed more favorably and serves as ‘social glue’ that binds communities together.
This contrasts with individualistic cultures, where independence may be more valued.
What does Asch’s study demonstrate regarding independent behavior?
It shows that two-thirds of participants maintained their original judgments despite majority pressure, indicating independent behavior.
This suggests that conformity was not as prevalent as originally thought.
What is the significance of the statement ‘Asch’s study is strong/not strong evidence into NSI/compliance’?
It reflects the ongoing debate about the validity of Asch’s findings in understanding normative social influence.
This indicates that while Asch’s study offers insights, it may not wholly capture the complexities of social influence.
What effect does group size have on conformity according to Asch’s study?
Conformity increased with group size, but only up to a point, leveling off when the majority was greater than three.
This indicates that while larger groups can exert more pressure, the impact diminishes after a certain size.
At what group size did conformity rates level off in Asch’s study?
Conformity rates leveled off when the majority was greater than three.
This suggests that just one or two confederates were enough to influence opinion significantly.
What was the conformity rate when there were three confederates present?
31.8%
This was a minor decrease compared to the 36.8% conformity rate observed in Asch’s original study with six confederates.
In Asch’s original study, how many confederates were used?
6 confederates
This was in a group size consisting of one real participant.
What happens to conformity levels as group size increases?
Conformity levels also increase.
This reflects normative social influence (NSI) where individuals conform to fit in with the group.
When did the conformity rate see a decrease according to Asch’s variations?
4% conformity with 1 confederate present.
This indicates that fewer confederates lead to significantly lower pressure to conform.
True or False: Asch’s study concluded that a majority of more than three confederates is necessary for high conformity rates.
False
The study suggested that a group size of three was nearly as effective as a group size of six in influencing conformity.
What is the significance of the presence of confederates in Asch’s study?
The presence of confederates was enough to sway opinion, demonstrating the sensitivity of individuals to the views of others.
This highlights the strong influence of social pressure on individual decision-making.
What is the definition of unanimity?
The extent to which all the members of the group agree
Other words for unanimity include consensus, accord, agreement, harmony, unity, concord, unison, concurrence, consent, and solidarity.
In Asch’s studies, what was the effect of a unanimous majority on conformity?
Produced the greatest degree of conformity in naïve participants
This occurred when all confederates selected the same comparison line.
What happened when a confederate disagreed with the majority in Asch’s variations?
The genuine participant conformed less often
The rate decreased to less than a quarter of the level it was when the majority was unanimous.
How does the presence of a dissenter affect conformity?
It appeared to free the naïve participant to behave more independently
This was true even when the dissenter disagreed with the genuine participant.
What does the presence of dissent suggest about majority influence?
It suggests that the influence of the majority depends on being unanimous
Non-conformity is more likely when cracks are perceived in the majority’s unanimous view.
What was the conformity percentage in Asch’s original study on critical trials?
36.8%
This percentage reflects the level of conformity when confederates gave the wrong answer on 12 out of 18 trials.
What was the effect on conformity when the majority was non-unanimous with one confederate giving the correct answer?
5.5% conformity (decrease)
This indicates a significant drop in conformity when the group’s unanimity was disrupted.
What was the conformity percentage when one confederate gave a different wrong answer?
9% conformity (decrease)
This reflects a reduction in conformity due to the non-unanimous majority.
Fill in the blank: Breaking the group’s _______ is a major factor in reducing conformity.
unanimity
This is supported by the observation that conformity levels drop significantly when participants have support from a confederate.
What was the conformity percentage when one confederate sometimes gave the right answer and sometimes gave the wrong answer?
25% conformity (decrease)
This indicates that even slight disagreement within the majority can lower conformity levels.
What is Asch’s line judging task?
A psychological experiment designed to study conformity by asking participants to judge line lengths.
How does task difficulty affect conformity according to Asch’s findings?
Conformity increases when the task is more difficult.
What is informational social influence?
The phenomenon where individuals look to others for guidance in ambiguous situations.
What percentage of participants conformed on critical trials in Asch’s original study?
36.8%.
What happens to conformity when the task is made more difficult?
Conformity increases.
Identify two variables that affect conformity.
- Group size
- Task difficulty
What was the effect of having 1 confederate and 1 real participant in Asch’s variations?
Conformity dropped to 4%.
What was the effect of having 3 confederates and 1 real participant in Asch’s variations?
Conformity did not significantly drop (31.8%).
What is the implication of having more than 3 confederates in influencing conformity?
There is no need for a majority of more than 3 to influence the minority.
What does high control in Asch’s research allow for?
Establishing cause and effect relationships.
What is the significance of using a lab experiment in Asch’s study?
It provides high control over extraneous variables.
True or False: The original task in Asch’s study was difficult.
False.
Fill in the blank: The original study had _____ confederates and 1 real participant.
6.
What does the term ‘critical trials’ refer to in Asch’s study?
Trials where participants’ conformity was specifically measured.
What is a strength of Asch’s research regarding internal validity?
Results are not affected by confounding variables.
In what type of situation does informational social influence become more pronounced?
In ambiguous situations.
What is a limitation of Asch’s research regarding population validity?
Asch’s participants were American male students, leading to gender bias and low representation of female behavior in conformity situations.
Other research suggests women may be more conformist due to concerns about social relationships (Neto, 1995).
Why is Asch’s research criticized for low ecological validity?
Participants were aware they were in a study and the task did not reflect real-life conformity situations.
Fiske (2014) noted that Asch’s groups did not resemble everyday groups.
What cultural bias is present in Asch’s research?
Asch’s participants were from an individualist culture (America), which may not represent conformity behaviors in collectivist cultures.
Studies in collectivist cultures, such as China, show higher conformity rates (Bond and Smith, 1996).
What is a strength of Asch’s research related to task difficulty?
There is research support indicating that task difficulty affects conformity.
Lucas et al. (2006) found participants conformed more often when solving harder math problems.
True or False: Asch’s study had high external validity.
False
The findings may be difficult to generalize to other populations or real-life situations.
Fill in the blank: A criticism of Asch’s research is that it is _______ biased.
culturally
This limits the generalizability of the findings across different cultural contexts.
What did Markus (1991) suggest about conformity in collectivist cultures?
Higher conformity rates are viewed more favorably and serve as ‘social glue’ binding communities together.
List two limitations of Asch’s research.
- Low population validity due to gender bias
- Low ecological validity due to artificial task and situation
What was the main task participants performed in Asch’s study?
Making judgments about the length of lines.
What limitation did researchers find regarding individual differences in Asch’s study on conformity?
Conformity is more complex; individual factors like confidence influence conformity
Lucas et al’s study found that participants with high confidence in math conformed less on hard tasks than those with low confidence.
What ethical issue is associated with Asch’s research procedure?
Participants were deceived about the presence of confederates, violating informed consent
Deception may have been necessary to avoid demand characteristics, enhancing the validity of findings.
What historical bias is noted in Asch’s study on conformity?
The study may be historically biased due to the context of 1950s America
Perrin and Spencer’s replication found lower conformity among British engineering and science students.
What did Perrin and Spencer’s replication study reveal about conformity?
Only one out of 396 trials showed unanimous wrong answers, indicating lower conformity
They found similar conformity levels in a study with youths on probation, suggesting context influences conformity.
Fill in the blank: Asch’s findings may not be generalizable outside of _______ America.
1950s
True or False: Asch’s study concluded individual factors do not affect conformity.
False
What societal context influenced conformity levels during the 1950s in the US?
McCarthyism, a strong anti-communist period
People were scared to go against the majority, increasing conformity.
What is a key conclusion about the validity of Asch’s theory?
Asch’s theory may lack validity due to not considering individual differences
Individual-level factors can interact with situational variables like task difficulty.
What limitation did researchers find regarding individual differences in Asch’s study on conformity?
Conformity is more complex; individual factors like confidence influence conformity
Lucas et al’s study found that participants with high confidence in math conformed less on hard tasks than those with low confidence.
What ethical issue is associated with Asch’s research procedure?
Participants were deceived about the presence of confederates, violating informed consent
Deception may have been necessary to avoid demand characteristics, enhancing the validity of findings.
What historical bias is noted in Asch’s study on conformity?
The study may be historically biased due to the context of 1950s America
Perrin and Spencer’s replication found lower conformity among British engineering and science students.
What did Perrin and Spencer’s replication study reveal about conformity?
Only one out of 396 trials showed unanimous wrong answers, indicating lower conformity
They found similar conformity levels in a study with youths on probation, suggesting context influences conformity.
Fill in the blank: Asch’s findings may not be generalizable outside of _______ America.
1950s
True or False: Asch’s study concluded individual factors do not affect conformity.
False
What societal context influenced conformity levels during the 1950s in the US?
McCarthyism, a strong anti-communist period
People were scared to go against the majority, increasing conformity.
What is a key conclusion about the validity of Asch’s theory?
Asch’s theory may lack validity due to not considering individual differences
Individual-level factors can interact with situational variables like task difficulty.
What are the three ways in which people conform to the opinion of the majority according to Herbert Kelman?
Internalisation, Compliance, Identification
Define Internalisation in the context of conformity.
Genuinely accepting the group norm, resulting in a private and public change of opinions/behaviour that is likely to be permanent.
What is an example of Internalisation?
A student becoming a vegetarian while sharing a flat with vegetarians at university and continuing to be a vegetarian for life.
Define Compliance in the context of conformity.
Changing one’s own opinions/behaviour to fit in with the group without privately changing personal opinions/behaviour.
What happens to behaviour when group pressure stops in Compliance?
The particular opinion/behaviour stops.
What is an example of Compliance?
Laughing at a joke that others find funny while privately not finding it funny.
Define Identification in the context of conformity.
Conforming to the opinions/behaviour of a group because there is something about that group that is valued.
What does Identification combine from both Compliance and Internalisation?
It involves accepting the attitudes and behaviours as right (internalisation) to be accepted by the group (compliance).
What is an example of Identification?
A high school student starting to smoke because their friends do, but may stop when they go to a different college.
True or False: Internalisation results in permanent change in behaviour.
True.
True or False: Compliance leads to permanent change in personal beliefs.
False.
Fill in the blank: _______ is when individuals conform to the opinions/behaviour of a group because they value that group.
Identification
Fill in the blank: In ________, individuals change their opinions/behaviour to fit in with the group but do not privately agree.
Compliance
What are the two main reasons why people conform according to Deutsch & Gerard (1955)?
The desire to be right (ISI) and the need to be liked (NSI)
ISI stands for Informational Social Influence and NSI stands for Normative Social Influence.
What motivates individuals in Informational Social Influence (ISI)?
The need to be right in order to look competent.
What motivates individuals in Normative Social Influence (NSI)?
The desire to be accepted.
What is the outcome of Normative Social Influence (NSI)?
Compliance, where individuals change their behavior/opinions publicly but not privately.
Give an example of Normative Social Influence (NSI).
Laughing at a friend’s joke that you don’t find funny, in order to be accepted by the group.
What is the process individuals undergo during Informational Social Influence (ISI) in uncertain situations?
They look to see what others are doing and copy it.
What is the result of Informational Social Influence (ISI)?
Internalisation, leading to a change in both public and private attitudes and behaviors.
Provide an example of Informational Social Influence (ISI).
Copying other students’ behavior when starting a new college because ‘they know what to do.’
What is a key difference between Informational Social Influence (ISI) and Normative Social Influence (NSI)?
ISI is motivated by the need to be right, while NSI is motivated by the need to be accepted.
What type of change is more likely to occur due to Informational Social Influence (ISI)?
Internalisation.
What type of change is more likely to occur due to Normative Social Influence (NSI)?
Compliance.
Fill in the blank: The individual in Informational Social Influence (ISI) uses others with seemingly more information to identify the _______.
correct behavior in an ambiguous situation.
Fill in the blank: The individual in Normative Social Influence (NSI) uses others to identify behavior that leads to _______.
group acceptance.
What are the two main reasons why people conform according to Deutsch & Gerard (1955)?
The desire to be right (ISI) and the need to be liked (NSI)
ISI stands for Informational Social Influence and NSI stands for Normative Social Influence.
What motivates individuals in Informational Social Influence (ISI)?
The need to be right in order to look competent.
What motivates individuals in Normative Social Influence (NSI)?
The desire to be accepted.
What is the outcome of Normative Social Influence (NSI)?
Compliance, where individuals change their behavior/opinions publicly but not privately.
Give an example of Normative Social Influence (NSI).
Laughing at a friend’s joke that you don’t find funny, in order to be accepted by the group.
What is the process individuals undergo during Informational Social Influence (ISI) in uncertain situations?
They look to see what others are doing and copy it.
What is the result of Informational Social Influence (ISI)?
Internalisation, leading to a change in both public and private attitudes and behaviors.
Provide an example of Informational Social Influence (ISI).
Copying other students’ behavior when starting a new college because ‘they know what to do.’
What is a key difference between Informational Social Influence (ISI) and Normative Social Influence (NSI)?
ISI is motivated by the need to be right, while NSI is motivated by the need to be accepted.
What type of change is more likely to occur due to Informational Social Influence (ISI)?
Internalisation.
What type of change is more likely to occur due to Normative Social Influence (NSI)?
Compliance.
Fill in the blank: The individual in Informational Social Influence (ISI) uses others with seemingly more information to identify the _______.
correct behavior in an ambiguous situation.
Fill in the blank: The individual in Normative Social Influence (NSI) uses others to identify behavior that leads to _______.
group acceptance.
What is the primary motivation for Kyrome’s behavior in the scenario?
Kyrome is showing informational social influence because he wants to avoid making mistakes
This desire to be correct indicates that Kyrome is conforming to others’ actions to ensure he is right.
What type of social influence does Olivia demonstrate by pretending to be interested in conversations?
Olivia is showing normative social influence because she has the desire to be accepted
This indicates that Olivia conforms to fit in with the group despite her true feelings.
What was the main finding from Asch’s study regarding normative social influence?
When participants wrote their answers down, conformity reduced from 36.8% to 12.5%
This suggests that private responses reduce the pressure to conform for acceptance.
What does Asch’s study suggest about the reasons for conformity?
Some individuals conform publicly to avoid disapproval even when they privately disagree
This indicates the validity of normative social influence.
What did Lucas et al’s research reveal about informational social influence?
Participants conformed more often to incorrect answers when math problems were difficult
This demonstrates that ambiguity increases reliance on others’ answers.
What does the ambiguity of a situation lead individuals to do according to Lucas et al’s findings?
Individuals rely on the answers they are given to avoid being wrong
This supports the concept of internalisation in informational social influence.
What is a limitation of distinguishing between ISI and NSI in studies?
It is unclear which process is responsible for conformity
Both processes may operate together, complicating the understanding of conformity.
What effect does having a dissenting participant have on conformity according to Asch’s findings?
Conformity is reduced when there is one other dissenting participant
The dissenter may provide social support or an alternative source of information.
True or False: Normative social influence is primarily about the desire to be correct.
False
Normative social influence is primarily about the desire to be accepted by the group.
Fill in the blank: Participants conformed more often when the math problems were ______.
[difficult]
This indicates that in challenging situations, individuals are more likely to rely on others for correct answers.
What is a limitation of normative social influence (NSI)?
NSI does not predict conformity in every case due to individual differences.
Some individuals, known as nAffiliators, have a strong need for affiliation and are more likely to conform.
Who are nAffiliators?
Individuals greatly concerned with being liked and having a strong need for affiliation.
nAffiliators desire to relate to others, influencing their likelihood of conformity.
What did McGhee and Teevan (1967) find regarding nAffiliators?
Students who were Affiliators were more likely to conform.
This finding highlights individual differences in conformity related to social influence.
How does the type of task moderate the impact of informational social influence (ISI)?
Features of the task can affect majority influence, with clear physical criteria for some judgments and none for others.
For example, factual questions can be validated objectively, while subjective judgments rely on social consensus.
What is a limitation of ISI as an explanation for conformity?
ISI is limited as it does not account for varying influences based on the nature of the task.
Research suggests majorities exert greater influence on social rather than physical reality.
What is a strength of ISI and internalisation?
Both are supported by research, such as Sherif’s study.
Sherif’s findings demonstrate that individuals look to others for information in ambiguous situations.
What did Sherif’s study involve?
Participants estimated the movement of a light in isolation and then in a group, leading to changed estimations aligned with the group norm.
This illustrates the process of internalisation where individuals maintain the group norm even alone.
What does Sherif’s study support about ISI?
It shows that people conform to others for information when they are uncertain.
This is particularly evident in ambiguous situations.
What is an example of a social role?
A role that may include being caring.
Social roles dictate appropriate behaviors in various settings.
How do social roles influence behavior?
They define what is considered appropriate behavior in different situations.
For instance, roles can vary between settings like home, work, or social gatherings.
What did Lucas et al (2006) study regarding conformity?
They found greater conformity to incorrect answers on difficult math problems, especially among students with poor math ability.
This study suggests that task difficulty can impact conformity levels.
True or False: ISI can fully explain conformity in all situations.
False.
ISI is limited by the type of task and individual differences.
What are social roles?
Social roles are ‘parts’ people play as members of various social groups such as parent, child, nurse, passenger, etc.
What influences behavior according to social roles?
Expectations of what is appropriate for the role influence behavior.
How do social roles lead to conformity?
Social roles can cause conformity because our perception of how we should act can change our behavior.
What is the relationship between social roles and identification?
Conformity to social roles involves identification, leading to both private and public acceptance of behaviors and attitudes.
Are behaviors associated with social roles permanent?
No, behaviors are not permanent; individuals adopt different social roles for different situations.
What is de-individuation?
De-individuation is a state in which individuals have lower self-awareness and a weaker sense of personal responsibility for their actions.
How does wearing a uniform influence conformity?
Wearing a uniform can lead to de-individuation and higher rates of conformity due to relative anonymity.
Who conducted the famous prison experiment?
Zimbardo conducted the famous prison experiment.
What was the purpose of Zimbardo’s prison experiment?
To investigate the causes of conflict between prisoners and guards in navy prisons.
What is an example of a social role?
Being a student is an example of a social role.
Fill in the blank: Conformity to social roles involves _______.
identification
True or False: Social roles are static and do not change based on the situation.
False
What can strong expectations in social roles lead to?
Conformity
What is a key factor that may increase conformity in social roles?
Strong expectations and specific identities associated with those roles.
