Social Influence Flashcards
What is conformity?
A type of social influence involving a change in our behaviour or our attitudes in response to the influence of others or social pressure. This pressure can be real or imagined.
What are social norms?
A certain situation that is seen as correct or normal or a behaviour in a social group
Give one REASON why we conform
Normative social influence- when we conform to fit in with the group because we wish to gain the approval of others and don’t want to appear foolish.
Give another REASON why we conform
Informational social influence- when we conform because we are unsure of the situation and are uncertain about how to behave or think, we look to others with more information for guidance in order to be right.
Give one TYPE of conformity
Compliance- when someone conforms publicly but inside doesn’t agree with it. Most superficial type of conformity. e.g bullying
Give another TYPE of conformity
Internalisation- when someone conforms publicly and privately because it is consistent with their own values/ deepest type
Give the last TYPE of conformity
Identification- an individual conforms inside and out to fit into a group- often temporary e.g to get new friends
Which explanation and type of conformity is backed by the research study by Asch?
Normative- compliance/ identification- Asch
Which explanation and type of conformity is backed by the research study by Sherif?
Informational- Internalisation- Sherif
Discuss Soloman Asch’s(1951) research into conformity
aim
A- To investigate the extent to which social pressure from a majority group could affect a person to conform
Discuss Soloman Asch’s(1951) research into conformity
procedure
P- Lab experiment
Used line judgement task
Put one participant with seven confederates who had pre-planned answers
Had to state outloud which line was closest to the target line
Out of 18 trials the confederates gave 12 wrong answers
Discuss Soloman Asch’s(1951) research into conformity
Results and conclusion
Results-
Measured the number if times each participant conformed to view
32%- conformed to incorrect majority
75%- conformed on at least one trial
conclusion-
Did not want to be ridiculed- normative
Believed the group’s answer- informational
Discuss Sherif’s (1935) research into conformity
aim
To demonstrate that people conform to group norms when they are put in an ambiguous situation
Discuss Sherif’s (1935) research into conformity
procedure
P-
Lab experiment
Used auto kinetic effect
Participants were individually tested their estimates on how far the light moved varied considerably (e.g 20cm-80cm)
Groups of 3
Put 2 people who had similar estimates with someone who didn’t/ had to say outloud what they thought it was
Discuss Sherif’s (1935) research into conformity
Results and conclusion
F-
Over the trials groups converged to a common estimate
conformed to view of the other two
Conformed to group agreement
C-
Ambiguous sitation- a person will look to others who know more for guidance
Lack appropriate information/ observing others can provide this information
EVALUATION
Sherrif and Asch
-Lacked ecological/population validity In a lab Participants were strangers results might be different- not valid \+Reliable- both conformed - Deception Necessary as they would not conform Gave debrief \+ extraneous variables were controlled to make sure conformity is because of group presence
What other factors effect conformity according to Asch?
give explanation
Group size- conformity increases as group increases
with three confederates it increased to 30%
Unamity of the majority- Breaking the unconformity can be major factor in reducing conformity levels / another person who gave same person confromirty dropped to 3.5%
Difficulty of task
Discuss Zimbardo’s (1974) research into conforming to social roles
(Aim)
To see whether people will conform to new social roles
Discuss Zimbardo’s (1974) research into conforming to social roles
(Procedures )
All male middle class students from Stanford university
Volunteered and randomly allocated into two groups:
the prison guards and the prisoners (were there to be a week)
were arrested unexpectedly and taken to university/ referred to by number not name
Discuss Zimbardo’s (1974) research into conforming to social roles
(Results)
Called off after 6 days
Guards had become too brutal
2 prisoners had a nervous breakdown/ one went on hunger strike
Prisoners became apathetic
Discuss Zimbardo’s (1974) research into conforming to social roles
(Conclusion
3 points )
Conformed to social roles. Each role requires different behaviours.
If you are given a new role you change your behaviour to suit it
Deindividuation- a state when you become so immersed In the social norms of the group that you lose your sense of identity and personal responsibility- did not feel what happened was down to them personally- it was group norm
EVALUATION
Zimabrdo et al
2 strengths
+
managed to maintain some degree of control and validity/ tightly controlled with random roles
Study still had ecological validity- arrested from house
+
The data was qualitative like observation interviews and questionnaires
EVALUATION
Zimabrdo et al
2 weaknesses
- unrepresentative- lacks population validity
cant generalise
-
ecological validity
not totally accurate- wasn’t forced homosexuality/ racism and beatings
sentence was only to be 2 weeks / not a meaningful comparison
Give 4 ethical issues related to Zimbardo’s study
Deception- they were not told they would be arrested/ wanted it to be realistic and a surprise
Informed consent- not told what part they would be until last minute / debrief at the end
Protection from harm- guards could have done anything/ nobody will have been able to stop them/ did not prevent physical/ psychological harm- he did abandon the study
Right to withdraw- they could not have withdrawn be used they were in prison
Give a definition of obedience
A type of a social whereby somebody acts in response to a direct order from a figure with perceived authority. The person receiving the order it made to respond in a way that they would not otherwise have done without authority
Give 5 differences between conformity and obedience
No one directly tells the other person what to do- C
There is a direct request to change our behaviour- O
It is usually a group one people- usually one person
Could be friends/peers- has authority
Usually doing the same thing- does not always act in the same way as us
Give 3 real life examples of the dangers of obedience
The mai lai massacre- 1968 Vietnam war
Lieutntrnnt Calley- ordered them to shoot innocent civilians
Abu Ghraib- Physical, psychological and sexual abuse in the -Abu Ghraib prison by prisoners who were following orders
The holocaust
Discuss Milgram’s study into obedience
Aim
To test out the ‘Germans are different’ theory- a character defect that made them likely to obey
Discuss Milgram’s study into obedience
Procedure
P- there were 500 participants split into two
Half were teachers/ half were learners
Learners were confederates- had electrodes on their arms
Of learner got an answer wrong they were electricuted
Discuss Milgram’s study into obedience
(Findings)
(Conclusion)
F- All participants shocked up to 300 volts and 65% of them went up to 450- dangerous voltage
315- silence
C- majority of people obey even when it hurts another person
EVALUATION
Milgram study
- Ethical issues such as deception
Not too real implications of the study
+deception was necessary in order for it to work - Lacks ecological validity
Not in a natural environment
30% of participants knew that sounds were fake
Identify and explain three situational factors which canaffect obedience
Proximity- When teacher and leaner were in the same room obedience levels fell to 40%, this is because they could see the ‘pain’ that the leaner was in
Location- in the laboratory it gave them confidence in the integrity of the people/ fell to 48% when the study took part in the random run down office/
uniform- 72% beggR Busniess executive 48%
What is the disposition explanation for obedience?
The explanation of behaviour that is influenced by the individual’s personality
What is the authoritarian personality?
A personality type who is very obedient to those who have power over them E
Extreme respect for authority
Dismissive to those who are inferior
Is measured by the F Sacle
Discuss the Adorno research into the authoritarian personality (Aim)
A- to investigate the causes of anti semitism
Discuss the Adorno research into the authoritarian personality
P-
Participants were 2,000 white American middle classes
In a study which looked at their unconscious attitudes towards racial groups
F Scale was used, e.g obedience and respect for authority are the most important virtues
Discuss the Adorno research into the authoritarian personality
Findings
Those who scored high on the F scale were characterised as showing excessive respect and obedient to those of higher stratus. Had distinctive stereotypes about other groups.
Positive correlation between authoritarian and prejudice
Discuss the Adorno research into the authoritarian personality
Conclusion
Adorno concluded that people with an authoritarian person,aptly are more likely to be obedient to authority.
Everything is right or wrong. Have conventional attitudes towards sex, race and gender.
EVALUATION
Adorno Authortarian
-
Link between obedience and personality is merely a correlation not a cause
Correlation between predudjufe and authority
Does not follow that one causes the other
-
The sample was in the research study was bias.
The F-Scale measures the tendency towards an extreme form of right-wing ideology, politically biased/ cant be used across the political spectrum
-Cannot be generalised to whole population
lacks population validity- same class
-
Metholoigcal problems
ticking the same line of boxes down one side of the page
What is social change?
Social change is when a society adopts a new belief or way of believing that then becomes widely accepted as the norm through the influence of the minority
Discuss the research by Moscovici on the role of the minority of social change
(Aim)
To investigate the process of innovation by looking at how a consistent minority affect the opinions of a larger group, possibly creating doubt and leading them to question and alter their views
Discuss the research by Moscovici on the role of the minority of social change
(Procedure)
All female group- given eye test to check they were not colour blind.
Grouped into a group of 4 participants and two confederates.
36 slides- different shades of blue, there were two groups:
First group- confederatesa
Discuss the research by Moscovici on the role of the minority of social change
(Findings)
In the consistent group 8.42% of trials resulted in P’s answering green (agreeing with the minority)
32% of the P’s agreed at once
Inconsistent group- 1.25% of trials resulted in P’s answering green
C- minorities can change the opinion of the majority, particularly if they are consistent
Give 3 behavioural characteristics that the minority have to influence the majority
Consistency- being resiliant, a clear view, not contradicting themselves
Commitment- taking risks, never giving up, putting time in
Flexibility- being more understandable, more considerate and taking other views into account
What is the snowball effect? (Van Avermaet 1996)
When a minority view gains some support the view becomes more and more popular until the minority becomes the majority
What is social cryptoamnesia? (Perez 1995)
Ideas are taken in by the minority until it is the norm
How did the suffragette movement use the behavioural characteristics?
Consistency- went on for half a century Flexibility- agreed to postpone their campaigning to help with the war effort Commitment- committed for 60 years Went to prison Snowball effect- spread across countries
How did the black American civil rights movement use the behavioural characteristics?
Consistency- did not stop the boycott until it was changed after 381 days
Flexibility- taxi drivers lowered their pay,went so it was the same as the bus
Commitment- R.P was arrested for the cause
Snowball effect- leaflets
Learning theory
What is operant conditioning?
Learning by reinforcement
What are the two types of reinforcement?
Positive- when a behaviour results in the addition of something pleasant/
Negative reinforcement- when behaviour results in the subtraction of something unpleasant/ doing homework to avoid detention
Describe classical conditioning (using the three stages)
Before conditioning:
Unconditioned stimulus (Food) ->unconditioned response (happy baby)
During conditioning:
Mother (neutral stimulus)-> Food (unconditioned stimulus) -> unconditioned response (happy baby)
After conditioning:
Conditioned stimulus (Mother)-> conditioned response (Happy baby)
