Social Influence

Question 1

Agentic State

Answer 1

Explanation for obedience. Individual carried out orders and acts as agent for authority figures

Question 2

Compliance

Answer 2

Lowest level of conformity. Change public behaviour but not private. Short term change.

Question 3

Conformity

Answer 3

Changes behaviour or beliefs due to perceived pressure

Question 4

Identification

Answer 4

Middle level of conformity. Changes public and private behaviour only in front of group they’re identifying with.

Question 5

Internalisation

Answer 5

Deepest level of conformity. Changes private and public beliefs. Long term change.

Question 6

Legitimacy of authority

Answer 6

Explanation for obedience. We are more likely to obey a person who has a higher position in social hierarchy.

Question 7

Informational social influence

Answer 7

Person conforms because they believe that someone is right

Question 8

Normative social influence

Answer 8

Person conforms in order to be accepted by a group. Avoid rejection.

Question 9

3 situational factors for obedience

Answer 9

Proximity, location and uniform

Question 10

Explanation for conformity evaluation

Answer 10

+ NSI: conformity dropped to 12.5% when pps could privately write answers
+ ISI: pp relied on others answers more when task was harder
- dispositional factors: high internal locus of control less likely to conform
- difficult to differentiate NSI from ISI

Question 11

Asch 4 evaluation points

Answer 11

+ NSI: conformity dropped to 12.5% when pps could privately write answers
+ ISI: pp relied on others answers more when task was harder
- dispositional factors: high internal locus of control less likely to conform
- difficult to differentiate NSI from ISI

Question 12

Zimbardo conformity to social roles evaluation

Answer 12

+ set up was well controlled. Selected psychologically stable, non criminal pps. Roles were randomly allocated: so results were due to so social roles not personality
+ practical application to improve effect of roles in prison e.g increased training
- only 1/3 of guards behaved hostile, social roles have limited influence
- experimenter bias: Zimbardo was lead investigator and had role in prison: doubts about validity