Social Influence

Question 1

What is the agentic shift?

Answer 1

When people obey because they believe that the blame can be shifted onto someone else. We behave in a way we wouldn’t usually.

Question 2

Name the two types of conformity.

Answer 2

Compliance- when you change your views publicly to go along with the group, but your private views remain the same. It is a temporary change in your views.

Internalisation- when you change your views both public ally and privately, normally for the rest of your life.

Question 3

Normative?

Answer 3

The desire to be liked

Question 4

Informational?

Answer 4

The desire to be right

Question 5

Sherif

Answer 5

1935
Showed participants the auto kinetic effect and asked them to answer privately, the distance the dot moved. They were then shown The answers of other people and asked again.
It was found that participants changed their answers to converge to a group norm.

Question 6

What is an autonomous state?

Answer 6

We work in a suitable respectable way which doesn’t cause harm to other, we have control over are actions

Question 7

Zimbardo

Answer 7

1973 Stanford prison experiment
16 male volunteers, 2 groups, guards and prisoners
The prisoners initially rebelled, but the guards reacted violently, removing mattresses, drills at midnight.

Question 8

Evaluating the Zimbardo experiment.

Answer 8

Zimbardo said that this experiment showed that bad situations weren’t always because of bad people. Instead he argued that good people do bad things when put in a bad situation.

Like bad cider being made by a bad barrel rather than bad apples

Question 9

Ethical issues with Zimbardos study.

Answer 9

Prisoners became tense, stressed and sleep deprived, one prisoner went on a hunger strike.
When a prisoner asked if he could leave, he was told to sleep on it and make a final decision the next day. Zimbardo should have allowed him immediately.

Prisoners were also arrested a day early.

Question 10

Asch

Answer 10

1951 conformity on an unambiguous task.
Line study
50 participants, male college students (USA) 6 confederates
Participant either sat last or second last. The actors answered the wrong questions aloud.
32% overall conformity
75% conformed at least once

Question 11

Extensions of Asch’s research

Answer 11

A non ambiguous majority-conformity went down to 5%
When the size of the majority was altered-conformity dropped to 3%
when a partner was gained-conformity dropped to 5%
Had a partner who deserted halfway through- went up to 50%
When the task became more difficult- went up to 25%
When participants could answer in private-went down to 5%

Question 12

Reicher and Haslam (BBC)

Answer 12

2006 BBC prison study
15 male volunteers responded to an advert. 5 guards 10 prisoners. They had daily tests to measure levels of depression, compliance with rules and stress.
The guards failed to form a united group and identify with there role. At first the prisoners behaved because they new one would be promoted, as soon as one was they formed a tightly knitted group and rebelled.

Question 13

Moscovici et al

Answer 13

1969 minority influence
192 women groups of 6, 2 were confederates. Asked to judge the colours of slides. 36 slides all were blue. Control group (no confederates) called the slides green 0.25% of the time. Consistent group- 8.4%. Inconsistent- 1.25%. 32% of participants called the slides green.

Question 14

What does social psychology look at?

Answer 14

How people affect each other
Social behaviour, occurs when two or more people interact. People interact differently depending on the situation.
Social psychology also looks at how we think about other people.
Also social psychologists study why people conform and why they obey authority figures.

Question 15

What is obedience to authority?

Answer 15

Following orders from a legitimate authority figure.

Question 16

Milgram

Answer 16

Study of obedience 1963
15-450volts 
65% continued to 450volts all participants continued to 300volts.
800 volunteers 
Used to explain holocaust.

Question 17

Extensions to Milgrims study

Answer 17

Location moved to run down office = 48% administered maximum shock.
Experimenter gives order over the phone = 21%
Another teacher refuses to give shocks = 10%

Question 18

Bickman

Answer 18

The power of uniforms 1974
Milkman, civilian, guard (New York)
Told people to pick up litter or provide change for a parking meter.
People obeyed the guard most and the civilian the least.

Question 19

Shute

Answer 19

Locus of control and resisting conformity 1975
Questionnaire, then conformity task about drug laws with people who were very liberal or conservative.
Found people with internal LOC less likely to conform.

Question 20

Blass

Answer 20

Locus of control and resisting obedience 1991
Blass analysed data from a replication of Milgrims study, finding a link between those who disobeyed and an internal LOC.

Question 21

Rotter (locus of control)

Answer 21

1996
Internal LOC- result of own behaviour, they believe that they can control situations and succeed in difficult situations.
External LOC- believes that what happens to them is largely due to luck/fate, external factors. More pessimistic approach.

Question 22

Hofling et al

Answer 22

Obedient nurses 1966
An unknown doctor rang a hospital late at night and informed nurses to administer a large injection of an unknown dug. To a patient as they were running late.
21/22 nurses went to deliver the drug.

Question 23

Rank and Jacobson

Answer 23

Not so obedient nurses 1977
Believed that the howling study was deliberately set up for obedience, because they rung late a night. Repeated the study during a busy day shift found 2/18 obeyed.
Time for discussion theory.