Social Influence Flashcards
Compliance definition
When an individual changes their behaviour of request from another person
the motivation behind this often involves a superficial or temporary change, driven by social pressure, authority, or the desire to avoid conflict or gain approval.
What is identification and the motivation behind it
A person changes their public behaviours and private beliefs only while in presence of the group they are identifying with
the motivation behind this is a desire for affection or approval rather than a deep approval in belief in the values or behaviours
What is internalisation and the motivation behind it
The highest level of conformity
Individuals accept and integrate the beliefs and values of behaviours of a group or society as their own, deeply incorporating them into their self concept and worldwide view
Motivation
This occurs when a person genuinely beliefs in the values and beliefs and sees them as part of their identity. It’s a deep lasting form of influence
Informative Social Influence (ISI)
A type of social influence that involves an individual conforming to a larger group because they believe they are a source of the correct information
Normative Social Influence (NSI)
A type of social influence that leads to individuals conforming into a group to fit and avoid being left out
Asch’s line experiment to observe conformity (PROCEDURE)
Procedure
- 123 American men tested
- IV = Response of the confederates, DV = Participants response to the same question
- P’s saw two white cards: line X (standard line) on the left and lines A B C on the right (comparison lines)
- On each trial participants had to say out loud which comparison line matches the standards lines
- Participants tested in groups of 6 to 8
- Naive Ps always seated 2nd from last
- Confederates gave the wrong (scripted) answers each time
- Naive P didn’t know confederates were fake Ps
Asch’s line experiment to observe conformity (AIM)
Aim: To investigate whether participants would conform and give the incorrect answer in situations where the correct answers are clear
Asch’s line experiment to observe conformity (RESULTS)
On average, Naive participants agreed with confederates’ incorrect answers 37% of the time
- 25% of participants never gave a wrong answer (never conformed)
Asch’s line experiment to observe conformity (CONCLUSION)
People are willing to ignore reality and give an incorrect answer in order to confirm with the rest of the group
Variables affecting conformity
- Group size
- Unanimity
- Task difficulty
What is group size. And what affect does it have on conformity
Group size refers to the number of individuals in a group or social setting. It is an important factor in influencing conformity, which is the act of changing one’s behavior or beliefs to align with a group.
The larger the group size against a one person. The more likely that person will conform
What is unanimity and how does it affect conformity
Unanimity refers to the state in which all members of a group are in complete agreement on a particular issue or decision.
Unanimity creates strong pressure for an individual to conform with a group
Minority influence definition
A form of social influence where a minority (smaller group or one person) tries to change others views, beliefs or attitudes
Minority influence csn eventually lead to internalisation. Public behaviours are changed or adapted and private beliefs are accepted
3 main processes in Minority Influence
- Consistency
- Commitment
- Flexibility
Consistency in minority influence
Over time the consistent message from the minority csn influence the views of the majority
Consistency can come in 2 forms
1. Synchronic - All saying the same things (everyone in minority)
2. Diachronic - saying the message for a long time
What does synchronic mean [minority influence]
The minority are all saying the same message
(Consistency is what makes other people rethink their ideas - minority influence(
What does diachronic mean [minority influence]
Saying the same message for a long time
(Consistency is what makes people change their mind)
What does commitment mean [minority influence]
How far the minority group are willing to go to draw attention to their views
- Engaging in extreme activities
- Important the extreme activities have some risk to minority -> demonstrates commitment
Aim of Moscovichi’s APRC 1969 [minority influence]
To investigate the influence of a consistent vs inconsistent minority
Procedure of Moscovichis experiment (1969)
Hint: Think about conditions of groups/group size, aim, results and Procedure
Hint: Green/Blue slides
- Laboratory experiment
- 122 women split into groups of 6 asked to judged colour of 36 slides
- ## All slides were blue but the intensity of slides differedConditions
1. Consistent minority
Groups: 4x real participants x 2 confederates
Confederates answered green for all 36 slides
- Inconsistent majority
Groups: Same as consistent majority
4x Real participants, 2x confederates
Confederates answered green for 24/36 of slides and 12/36 for blue - Control Group
These group of participants had no experimental treatment/manipulation
Results and conclusion from Moscovichi’s APRC (1969)
Results:
True participants agreed with consistent confederates green vote 8.42% of the time
Agreement fell to 1.25% with an inconsistent majority
Control groups got it wrong only 0.25% of the time
Conclusion:
Consistent minority influence can affect the majority, but the influence is weaker when minority is inconsistent
Factors that Milgram variated in his shock experiment
Proximity (How close the teacher is to the learner): The closer you place a teacher to a learner Fewer shocks will happen
Uniform: The lab coat the experimentors wore was a symbol of authority to naive participants
Change of location: Changing the Location from a prestige university (Yale Uni in America) to a run down office
Milgram testing proximity in his experiment + percentages
Teacher and Learner in same room: Obedience rates = as low as 40%
Touch proximity (forcing hands on button): Obedience rates = as low as 30%
Remote instruction (over phone): Obedience rates = as low as 20.5%
what is the internal locus of control
Internal locus of control -> the idea that outcomes are result of your own actions
what is the external locus of control
outcomes are controlled by external factors
Obedience as a Situational explanation
Behaviour is influenced by the characteristics of other people around you
Who was the teacher in Milgram’s Shock experiments
The naive participant. They truly believed that they were providing shocks towards the learner
Who was the learner in Milgram’s Shock experiments
A confederate. They were not receiving electrical shocks from the Teacher
Milgram and his Proximity Variables.
(What were the results of moving the teacher away from the learner)
Teacher and Learner in the same room: Obedience rates = 40%
Touch proximity: Obedience rates = 30%
Remote instruction: Obedience rates = 20%
Two Process Theory definition
Deutsch and Gerald’s explanation for conformity. Either ISI or NSI
What is social support
The presence of people who resist pressures to conform or or obey can help others to do the same
These people act as models to show others that resistance to influence is possible
What is task difficulty and how does it affect conformity
Task difficulty refers to the level of challenge or difficulty it is to complete a task or make a decision. Task difficulty can affect how individuals conform to a group
- Higher Task Difficulty Increases Conformity:
When a task is difficult or uncertain, individuals are more likely to look to others for guidance and reassurance. This is because they may feel unsure about their own abilities to perform the task correctly or make the right judgment.
Uncertainty increases the reliance of the groups opinion which leads to a greater chance of conformity - Easier Tasks Lead to Less Conformity:
When tasks are simple or straightforward, people are more confident in their own abilities and judgments, making them less likely to conform to others. If someone already feels sure about the correct solution or behavior, they are less likely to be influenced by the group.
Who are the key Psychologists involved with Social Influence. Briefly explain what they did
- Adorno et al: Authoritarian Personality -> Origins of AP Characteristics of AP, F Scale
Zimbardo: Prison experiment, Association to roles
Moscovichi: Minority Influence, Blue/Green Slides, Synchronic/ Diachronic, Effects of Consistent and Inconsistent Minority
Milgram: Obedience, Shock Experiments. Variables affecting Conformity: Proximity, Location,
Asch: Line Experiment, CONFORMITY, Variables of conformity: Task difficulty, Unanimity, Group size + Manipulation of variables
What is the Authoritarian Personality (AP)
- Forms in childhood as result of harsh parenting
- Overly straight parenting can result in a child being socialised to unquestiongly obey authority
Parenting style of the AP
- Setting impossibly high standards
- Expectatione of absolute loyalty
- Conditional love: based on how the child behaves e.g I will love you if
Criticisms of the parenting style (AP)
Creates resentment & hostility towards in the child to the parent
Child cannot express these feelings directly towards the parents because fear of punishment
This fear is displaced onto other people that they perceive as weaker than others (scapegoating)
Scapegoating -> Hatred towards people considered to be socially inferior or who belong to other social groups -> typically minority groups
Characteristics of the AP
- Extreme respect & submission to the authority
- View society as weaker than it was once. Belief of a need for a strong leader to restore society
- Blind Obedience
- Rigid moral standards -> Something is either right or wrong with no grey areas
What is the F Scale (Facism Scale)
Adorno et al in 1950 developed this Scale to measure how strongly people express Authoritarian traits
Adorno Authoritarian Personality Experiment
AIM AND PROCEDURE
Aim: To understand the psychological origins of fascism and intolerance
Procedure:
Adorno measured a sample of 2000 participants and asked if they agreed or disagreed with statements on a 6 point likert scale
This helped researchers determine their attitudes towards religious and ethnic minorities, their views on politics and economics and moral values
Around 100 participants were interviewed in depth
Included a range of most & least prejudiced from the scales
What is deindividuation
a complex process in which a series of social conditions leads to changes of the perception of the self
Adorno Authoritarian Personality Experiment
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION
People who scored highly on the F-scale (authoritarian leanings):
Identified with ‘strong’ people and generally showed contempt (the feeling that a person or a thing is worthless or beneath consideration) to the ‘weak’.
Very conscious of ‘status’ (their own and others)
Showed extreme respect, submission and servility (an excessive willingness to serve) to those of higher status.
Zimbardo’s prison experiment
AIM AND PROCEDURE
Aim: To see if people would conform to the social role of the guard/prisoner
Procedure:
Sample of 21 men then assigned them randomly to different roles
Advised to conform to those roles
Prisoners arrested at their homes. Uniformed and were identified by their number on uniform rather than name
Zimbardo’s prison experiment
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION
Within days the prisoners rebelled, but this was quickly crushed by the guards, who then grew increasingly abusive towards the prisoners. The guards dehumanised the prisoners, waking them during the night and forcing them to clean toilets with their bare hands; the prisoners became increasingly submissive, identifying further with their subordinate role.
Five of the prisoners were released from the experiment early -> result of mental and psychological tramua
Experiment was terminated after just six days although it was meant to last for 2 weeks
CONCLUSION
Social behaviours appear to have a strong influence on individual behaviour. Guards became brutal and prisoners became submissive
Zimbardo AO3 PEEL: GENERALISABILITY
Hint: Bias, Uni students
Weakness -> His sample was biased
His research only included 21 american male uni students
Suggests that findings of the Stanford Prison Experiment tell us little about conformity to social roles in actual prisons
As result the SPE has been widely criticised for its lack of ethics, raising questions about whether knowledge
Zimbardo AO3 PEEL: RELIABILITY
Hint: Variables
Strength -> Had control over key variables in his experiment
Selected 21 emotionally stable male participants, roles assigned using independent groups design
Control over key variables helped minimise the influence of individual differences
Study is more reliable because the controlled variables and standardised procedures make it easier to replicate and test if the same results would occur again.
