Social influence Flashcards
What are the types of conformity according to Kelman (1958)?
Compliance: Public agreement, private disagreement (temporary).
Identification: Conforming to a group we value (moderate).
Internalisation: Deep conformity, private & public agreement (permanent).
Supporting evidence: ISI/NSI studies (Asch, Jenness). Difficult to distinguish: Compliance vs. internalisation often overlap.
What are the explanations for conformity?
Normative Social Influence (NSI): Desire to fit in, avoid rejection.
Informational Social Influence (ISI): Desire to be right, follow the majority.
Research support: Asch (NSI), Jenness (ISI). Fails to consider individual differences (some resist pressure).
What were the findings of Asch’s study (1951)?
Procedure: 123 males, line-matching task, 6-8 confederates.
Findings: 32% conformed, 75% at least once, 25% never conformed.
Variations: Group size (↑ conformity with 3+ confederates), Unanimity (1 dissenter → ↓ conformity to 5%), Task difficulty (Harder task → ↑ ISI-based conformity).
Lab-controlled variables ensure reliability. Artificial task, lacks ecological validity.
What were the findings of Zimbardo’s Prison Study (1973)?
Procedure: 24 male students randomly assigned as prisoners/guards.
Findings: Guards became abusive, prisoners passive; study stopped at 6 days.
High internal validity (emotionally stable ppts randomly assigned). Ethical issues (protection from harm).
What were the findings of Milgram’s study (1963)?
Procedure: 40 males, ‘teacher’ shocks ‘learner’ (15V-450V).
Findings: 65% went to 450V, all to 300V.
Real-world application (Holocaust, My Lai massacre). Lacks ecological validity (lab setting).
What are the situational variables in Milgram’s obedience study?
Proximity: Closer authority → ↑ obedience; closer learner → ↓ obedience.
Location: Yale (65%) → Run-down office (47.5%).
Uniform: Lab coat (65%) → Ordinary clothes (20%).
Bickman’s field study supports uniform effect. Lack of realism: Some ppts may have suspected fake shocks.
What is the agentic state and legitimacy of authority according to Milgram (1974)?
Agentic State: Acting as an agent of authority → Diffusion of responsibility.
Autonomous State: Free will, personal responsibility.
Legitimacy of Authority: Social hierarchy justifies obedience.
Explains real-life atrocities (e.g., Nazi Germany). Cannot explain all disobedience (individual differences).
What is the authoritarian personality according to Adorno (1950)?
Personality type: Extreme respect for authority, contempt for inferiors. F-Scale used to measure.
Milgram & Elms: Obedient ppts scored higher on F-scale. Correlation ≠ causation (other factors like education).
What is resistance to social influence?
Social Support: Presence of dissenters lowers conformity/obedience.
Asch’s study: Dissenter → ↓ conformity to 5%. Milgram’s variation: 2 disobedient peers → 10% obedience. Locus of Control (Rotter, 1966): Internal: Own control → Resist pressure. External: Fate/luck → More obedient/conforming.
What is minority influence according to Moscovici (1969)?
Consistency: Repeating the same argument increases influence.
Commitment: Demonstrating dedication (augmentation principle).
Flexibility: Willing to compromise.
Moscovici: Consistent minority (8.42% influence) vs. inconsistent (1.25%). Artificial task (colour perception), lacks real-world application.
What are the steps for social change through minority influence?
Draw attention (e.g., civil rights movement).
Consistency.
Deeper processing.
Augmentation principle.
Snowball effect.
Social cryptomnesia.
Historical examples (Rosa Parks, women’s rights). Barriers to change (e.g., stereotypes of feminists).
