Social Influence

Question 1

Define conformity

Answer 1

Changing your beliefs or actions in order to agree with what the majority are doing, be that imaginary or real

Question 2

Shallow conformity

Answer 2

Shallow- compliance: superficial, don’t agree with behaviour but do it to avoid feeling awkward/ confrontation

Question 3

Moderate conformity

Answer 3

Moderate- identification: don’t completely agree, do it because you value the group and want to be part of it

Question 4

Deep conformity

Answer 4

Deep- internalisation: private and public change, becomes part of your private belief system, continue to act in this way even if others disagree

Question 5

ISI

Answer 5

Informational social influence
About wanting to be correct/ need for certainty
You think the group has the better information/ is more likely to be right than you
Comparison with others
Cognitive process
Leads to internalisation

Question 6

NSI

Answer 6

Normative social influence
About wanting do what is normal/ be accepted
You don’t want to appear foolish or be rejected
Power of others to reward or punish
Emotive process
Leads to compliance or internalisation

Question 7

Type of conformity

Answer 7

Compliance/ internalisation/ identification

Question 8

Explanation for conformity

Answer 8

ISI/ NSI

Question 9

Research support ISI

Answer 9

Lucas conducted a study on students
More participants conformed when the question was harder
Shows that people conform when they don’t know the answer
So supports ISI as this is what would be predicted

Question 10

Individual differences NSI

Answer 10

Some research shows NSI does not affect everyone in the same way
People who are less concerned with being liked (nAfilliators) are less likely to be affected

Question 11

Who came up with the idea of the Authoritarian Personality?

Answer 11

Theodor Adorno et al

Question 12

People who scored high on the F-scale

Answer 12

People with authoritarian leanings (those who scored high on the F-scale):
Identified with ‘strong’ people and were scornful of the ‘weak’
Were very conscious of their own and other’s status
Showed excessive respect towards those of higher status
Had fixed and distinctive stereotypes about other groups

Question 13

How is an authoritarian personality formed

Answer 13

Through childhood
Result of harsh parenting
Fear/ anger displaced onto a scapegoat

Question 14

Problem with cause to authoritarian personality

Answer 14

Correlation in study; doesn’t necessarily mean cause and effect

Question 15

Evaluation weakness of F-scale

Answer 15

Susceptible to acquiescence bias- all statements directed in the same way

Question 16

Obedience vs conformity

Answer 16

Obedience:
acting upon an order/ instruction
difference in status from the outset
behaviour is affected by an order from someone of higher authority
order may come from someone who has the power to punish
Conformity:
no explicit requirement to act in a certain way
our peers influence our behaviour
due to the psychological need to be accepted/ be correct

Question 17

Agentic state

Answer 17

We fail to take personal responsibility because we believe we are acting on behalf of an authority figure. We go against our conscience and do what we are told even if it causes us considerable distress (moral strain). People may want to leave the agentic state but can’t due to binding factors (aspects of the situation that allow a person to minimise the damaging effect of their behaviour)

Question 18

Autonomous state

Answer 18

We feel free of other influences and so take personal responsibility for our actions

Question 19

Agentic state

Answer 19

We switch from being autonomous to being an agent because we perceive someone else to be an authority figure entitled to expect obedience

Question 20

Legitimate authority

Answer 20

Some people have positions of authority because they have been entrusted by society with certain powers

Question 21

Agentic state evaluation strength

Answer 21

Research support- Milgram and Blass and Schmitt

Question 22

Agentic state evaluation weakness

Answer 22

Could be due to personality

Doesn’t explain why some people disobey

Question 23

Legitimate authority evaluation strength

Answer 23

Research support- Milgram and Bickmann

Question 24

Legitimate authority evaluation weakness

Answer 24

Cannot explain why some people obey authority more than others- confounding variables

Question 25

Authoritarian personality evaluation strength

Answer 25

Research support- Milgram and Elms

Question 26

Authoritarian personality evaluation weakness

Answer 26

Cannot explain the obedience of large groups of people

Question 27

Social support

Answer 27

Dissenter
Breaks unanimity
Makes it easier to not obey/ conform
Moral support

Question 28

Locus of control

Answer 28

Internal- less likely to conform and obey: if a person takes personal responsibility for their actions and experiences then they are more likely to base their decisions on their own beliefs so resist pressures from others
External- more likely to conform, obey is unclear

Question 29

3 things needed for a successful minority influence

Answer 29

Commitment
Consistency
Flexibility

Question 30

Examples of pressure groups/ minority influences

Answer 30

Amnesty International
Jamie Oliver
The Suffragetes

Question 31

How minority influence can lead to social change

Answer 31

• A minority group has an effective campaign
• People start to listen and adopt the ideas of the minority
• The snowball effect occurs, people change through conformity
• Government feels pressure to act/ hears about and decides to act
• A law is passed and people change through obedience

Question 32

Snowball effect

Answer 32

Private change
Public change
More private and public change
Repeats
Minority becomes majority

Question 33

Social cryptoamnesia

Answer 33

Linked to snowball effect
Hear about something
Don’t remember who from/ whose idea it was first
Conform/ agree