Social Influence

Question 1

What are the three types of conformity + definitions?

Answer 1

Compliance - Publicly go along with majority view but privately disagree. Most superficial and temporary.
Indetification - Adopt behaviour of a group because they value the group membership, not agree with everything they believe in. Moderate, as long as group lasts.
Internalisation - Take an expressed view publicly and privately. Deepest level of conformity, permanent change

Question 2

When was Asch’s conformity study and what was it’s aim?

Answer 2

Asch’s conformity study (1951;1956) aimed to investigate whether a majority opinion can influence and minority.

Question 3

Outline the procedure of Asch’s conformity study (1951;1956)

Answer 3

• 123 Male US undergraduates were tested in 18 trials
• Participants were put in groups of 7 and asked to look at 3 different lengthen lines and say which line matches the standard line
• However there was only one real participant in each group, the rest were confederates
• The real participants were always asked second to last
• The confederates gave the wrong answers on 12 of 18 trials
• Asch was investigating to see if the participants would give the wrong answer (same as confederates)

Question 4

What were Asch’s findings on his conformity study?

Answer 4

• Over 12 trials the average conformity rate was 33%
• In the control group they only gave the wrong answer 1% of the time
• 25% of participants never conformed
• 50% conformed on 6 or more of the trials
• 1/20 conformed on all
• Asch interviewed the PT’s and found that they conformed even when they knew it was wrong to avoid dissaproval

Question 5

Describe Asch’s variation study on how the difficulty of the task affects conformity.

Answer 5

• Asch made the differences between the lines smaller.
• In these circumstances conformity increased
• If there is high self efficacy there will be less conformity

Question 6

Describe Aschs variation study into how the size of the majority affects conformity.

Answer 6

• Asch found little conformity in groups of 1 or 2.
• 1 PT and 1 confederates =13%
• 1 PT and 2 confederates =20%
• 1 PT and 3 confederates =33%
  however further increasing the majority after this does not increase conformity. Asch said the optimal group size is 4 as it allows social influence the have an impact.

Question 7

Describe Aschs variation study into unanimity.

Answer 7

• When PTs had the support of others conformity dropped to 5.5%
• When confederates gave a different wrong answer conformity dropped to 9%.
• Breaking the groups unanimous positing led to a conformity reduction.

Question 8

What are the strengths of Asch’s study? (3)

Answer 8

1) It’s reliable, since it’s a lab experiment it can be replicate. It involved clear standardised procedures, such as using 6 or 7 confederates and 18 trials. Meaning the results can be checked for consistency.
2) It has practical applications. Jurors are warned against conformity during their briefing so they don’t feel pressure to give a specific verdict. Therefore the study has practical applications.
3) Since it was a lab experiment there are high levels of internal validity. Allowing Asch to establish cause and effect relationships. Meaning the findings are credible.

Question 9

What are the weaknesses of Asch’s study? (3)

Answer 9

1) Generalisability - the high levels of conformity may be due to the time of the study, modern day replications found lower levels, meaning that the study lacks Temporal Validity.
The PT’s were all male, making it hard to generalise the findings to females as the sample is unrepresentative - It’s Androcentric.
The study was conducted in America, so may not be the same for all cultures and societies. Therefore it is ethnocentric.
2) The lab experiment has low external validity (artificial environment). Therefore the study of the value is reduced.
3) The experiments have ethical dilemmas, the participants were deceived as the didn’t know the true nature of the study, and so informed consent was violated.

Question 10

When was Zimbardo’s prison study and what was its aim?

Answer 10

Zimbardos (1973) simulated prison experiment aimed to see how far people would conform to the roles pf guards and prisoners in simulated prison life. To see whether prison violence was due to the guards and prisoners or the environment.

Question 11

Describe the procedures of Zimbardo’s study.

Answer 11

• The PT’s were chosen via volunteer sampling. They were all male college students. 11 prisoners and 10 guards.
• The prisoners were arrested without warning from their homes and were taken to a prison set out in Stanford.
• The prisoners were stripped, deloused, removed of personal possessions, issued a uniform and a number.
• They were dehumanised, no underwear, covered hair and chain around ankle.
• The guards were dressed in the same unforom, carried a whistle, billy club and wore reflective sunglasses.
• The guards worked 8-hour shifts, 3 at a time and were allowed to do whatever means necessary to keep the order.

Question 12

Outline the findings of Zimbardo’s prison study.

Answer 12

• Within hours the guards were harassing the prisoners in a sadistic manner, and others joined in.
• The prisoners were dependent on the guards and submissive. They also told tales on each other.
• Only 10% of prisoners conversations were about life outside.
• Prisoners rioted, the guards responded by stripping them and putting in solitary confinement.
• The study was cut short after 6 days and 5 prisoners were released early.

Question 13

What were the weaknesses of Zimbardo’s study? (3)

Answer 13

1) Generalisability - study used 21 male students from America, which does not represent all in society. It is androcentric and ethnocentric.
2) The prison environment could not be totally replicated and so the study lacks aspects of realism. Particular aspects were absent e.g. racism, beatings, involuntary homosexuality, and max sentence = 2 weeks. Therefore results cannot be easily replicated to check for consistency.
3) Ethical dilemmas - The prisoners were deceived as they did not know that they were going to be arrested, and the 11 prisoners may have experienced some phycological harm.

Question 14

What are the strengths of Zimbardo’s study? (3)

Answer 14

1) Practical applications - the knowledge from the study has helped society. We can suggest that prison troubles and aggression are largely a result of prison conditions.
2) Validity - the study did have some mundane realism. Zimbardo went to the extreme to make the study realistic and as true to life e.g. arrested prisoners. And there is evidence that the PT’s reacted as if it was real, 90% of conversations were about prison life. Therefore the study has some levels of credibility.
3) The only deception was to do with the arrest of the prisoners. The PT’s were not told because final approval from the police was given until minutes before.

Question 15

What is the Dual Process Dependency Model? (explanations of conformity)

Answer 15

It’s a two-part model put forward by Deutsch and Gerard (1955) explaining why people conform. The model distinguishes between Normative Social Influence and Informational Social Influence.

Question 16

Describe what Informational Social Influence is. (ISI)

Answer 16

• It’s the need to know what’s right. We conform because we want to be right, and look to others for the information.
• If the situation is ambiguous, or if others are experts, then we go along with them as the have ‘superior knowledge’.
• In this case, it matters who the majority are, we tend to be influenced by those that we admire and respect.
• ISI can lead to Internalisation.

Question 17

Describe what Normative Social Influence is. (NSI)

Answer 17

• Conformity occurs because of a need to be accepted, and be a part of a group.
• If or when we conform to the majority we will be rewarded with approval and reinforcement.
• NSI can lead to compliance. A person may change their behaviours to be a part of a group, but not change their opinions and attitudes.

Question 18

What are the strengths of the Dual Process Model of Conformity? (3)

Answer 18

1) There is evidence of NSI, people conform to a majority group opinion even if they disagree.
Asch’s study - 123 male students testing conformity using a line judgment task. 75% conformed on at least 1 trial. When asked why, they said they knew it was wrong but didn’t want to stand out - wanted to be accepted by the group.
2) There is evidence of ISI, Asch’s study into conformity demonstrated at last a 36% conformity level, some PT’s claimed it was because they truly doubted their own judgements i.e. they had a desire to be correct.
3) The Dual Process Model has practical applications. Being aware that we are capable of conforming can help us e.g. jurors are informed about the dangers of ISI and NSI during a briefing.

Question 19

What are the weaknesses of the Dual Process Model of Conformity? (2)

Answer 19

1) The explanation is reductionist. It does not consider dispositional factors that can contribute to conformity. E.g. having ELOC’s are particularly conformist. Therefore this theory is incomplete.
2) The evidence supporting this may not be valid because of their methodological weaknesses. Asch’s research using a line judgement test does not reflect real life, therefore it has low ecological validity. So this theory does not have convincing support.

Question 20

Define Obedience and what it involves.

Answer 20

Obedience means following the orders from someone of a high authority. When we obey an order we do as we are told.
It involves:
-A direct requirement to change behaviour.
-People of different social standings (authority figures)
-The direct exercise of power, people in charge have the power to ensure directions are followed.

Question 21

What is blind obedience/destructive obedience?

Answer 21

When we are ordered to do something immoral we tend to obey, even if it causes us moral strain - we will regret it later.

Question 22

When was Milgram’s study into obedience to authority and what was its aim?

Answer 22

Milgram’s study into obedience to authority was in 1965, It aimed to see if participants would obey the order of authority figure even when there were fatal consequences. Although the participants though the aim was about the effects of punishment on memory.l

Question 23

Outline the method of Milgrams Study.

Answer 23

• 40 Males, aged between 20 and 50, all with different occupations, they were fro New Haven and were paid $4.50 to take part.
• Each participant was introduced to another (actually a confederate) at the beginning of the trial.
• They each had to decide their role, learner or teacher (confederate always learner).
• Another confederate played an experimenter in a grey lab coat.
• The learner went into one room, and the teacher in another. The learner was put in an electric shock chair’ and the teacher had the electric generator.
• The teacher read a list of word pairs to the learner, once learnt the teacher tested the learner by having them choose the paired word from a list of four.
• The teacher was told to give the learner an electric shock if they got it wrong (the confederate wasn’t actually strapped in). There were 30 switches, from 15 volts to 450 volts.
• The confederate gave the wrong answer on purpose.
• Anytime the teacher refused to give the shock, the experimenter in the lab coat gave them one of four prompts.
  1) Please continue
  2) The experiment requires you to continue.
  3) It is essential that you continue.
  4) You have no other choice but to continue.

Question 24

What were the results of Milgrams study?

Answer 24

Participants looked uncomfortable and under strain. they were sweaty, had seizures, nervous laughter and wanted to leave.
100% gave 300 volts
65% gave maximum of 450 volts.

Question 25

What were the strengths of Milgrams study? (3)

Answer 25

1) The study is a lab experiment and so can be easily replicated. It involved standardised procedures, which would enable the findings to be questioned and tested for consistency.
2) The study has practical applications. The findings enable psychologists to be better equipped to explain atrocities such as the holocaust.
3) The PT’s were fully debriefed after the experiment. They were not physically harmed and could have left at any time.

Question 26

What are the weaknesses of Milgrams study? (4)

Answer 26

1) The results cannot be generalised. Only used males = androcentric. Only took place in America = ethnocentric and has not been replicated since = lacks temporal validity. Therefore it cannot be applied to all of society.
2) As it was a lab experiment it has low ecological validity. We must be careful when generalising the findings to real life. The task was also artificial and unrealistic.
3) Orne an Holland (1968) argue that the experiment is not a test of obedience and they PT’s were just going along with it.

Question 27

Outline Milgrams variations of the study. (5)

Answer 27

1) Loss of uniform - experimenter appeared as an ordinary member of the public. Level of obedience dropped to 20%.
2) Shift of setting - Experiment moved from Yale University to a run down office block. Level of obedience dropped to 48%
3) Close proximity - Learner and teacher in the same room - Obedience dropped to 40%
4) Touch proximity - Teacher had to force learner had onto electric plate - Obedience dropped to 30%.
5) Absent experimenter - experimenter gave instructions by telephone - Obedience dropped to 20%

Question 28

What is the autonomous state?

Answer 28

• When we are aware of consequences and responsibilities and think we as our own individual, and are guided by our own conscience
• We feel in control and accept responsibility for our actions.

Question 29

What is the agentic state?

Answer 29

• We give up our free will and no longer see ourselves as acting independently, but as agents for someone else
• we surrender our conscience and become and instrument for authority

Question 30

How does the agentic state bring about moral strain?

Answer 30

-As we go against our conscience and do something we know to be wrong - we will feel uncomfortable and distressed

Question 31

How do individuals cope with Moral Strain?

Answer 31

• Employ psychological defence mechanisms to reduce individual anxieties
• Use repression and denial

Question 32

How does the Legitimacy of Authority explain obedience?

Answer 32

• Societal structures promote legitimate authority figures. Hierarchical nature of many societies seem to sanction and legitimise authority figures
• We are socialised to recognised legitimate authority figures. From a young age we are socialised to obey authority.
• Institutions and uniforms underline legitimate authority. See milgrams variations

Question 33

What are the strengths of the agentic state and legitimacy of authority? (3)

Answer 33

1) Theory has support from Milgram. He conducted research which showed that 65% of PTS were willing to deliver fatal shocks to people, however many where under moral strain.
2) Naturalistic support for legitimacy of authority. Bickmans 1974 field research, confederate security guard =76% picked up litter Pedestrian =30%
3) Theory has good practical applications, so can help us with explaining Nazi Germany as the authority pushed soldiers into the agentic state.

Question 34

What are the weaknesses of the agentic state and legitimacy of authority? (2)

Answer 34

1) It does not consider individual differences in obedience, and why some do not follow orders. Milgram ignored the 35% of PT’s that didn’t go to 450 volts, so therefore this theory is incomplete.
2) The theory is reductionist, it does not consider other explanations e.g. dispositional factors. Baree claimed that those with an authoritarian personality are considered more obedient.

Question 35

Define an authoritarian personality (dispositional explanation)

Answer 35

• The individual has the tendency to be rigid, dogmatic, absolute in beliefs and resistant to novelty and changes.
• They are obedient to authority and submissive to those regarded superior.
• They are cynical against out-group members and those regarded as inferior.

Question 36

Describe the four characteristics of an authoritarian personality.

Answer 36

1) Might is right - different ideologies from out-group members can harm society. The perception of threat leads to aggression.
2) Upbringing - If they are raised by rigid and dogmatic parents who punish from small things, and are absolute in their ideologies about society, then they will learn from an early childhood that they must obey those in power.
3) Personality traits - Intolerance of ambiguity, rigid beliefs, hostility towards minorities, respect for authority figures.
4) The F scale - Developed by Adorno to measure Fascism, 30 questions measuring dimensions of personality.

Question 37

What are the strengths of an Authoritarian personality as an explanation of Obedience? (2)

Answer 37

1) it has experimental support -Milgram 1970, found that those who scored high on the f scale gave stronger shocks when ordered to do so.
2) Easier to measure than other theories - useful scientific way of measuring personalities. F scale produces quantitative data.

Question 38

What are the weaknesses of an Authoritarian personality as an explanation of Obedience? (2)

Answer 38

1) Developed from a single American sample of people, meaning it is ethnocentric and cannot be generalised across cultures.
2) The theory is reductionist, some aspects of the environment may cause us to be more obedient.

Question 39

Define what resisting social influence is.

Answer 39

-The rejection of social influence to behave in accordance with ones internal attitudes, regardless of whether they align with the majority.

Question 40

Explain why people are more likely to resist conformity when given social support in Asch’s variation. (Situational factors)

Answer 40

• When people are given social support it breaks the unanimous position of the group.
• When another confederate gave the same answer (right) conformity dropped to 5.5%
• When they gave a different wrong answer it dropped to 9%.
• Felt less pressure to conform.

Question 41

Explain the findings in Milgram variation with the ‘disobedient stooge’ (Situational factors)

Answer 41

• 40 Pt’s were in the condition.
• 1 of the fake Pt’s refused to give shocks over 150v, and another at 210v.
• Only 15% of pt’s continued to 450v

Question 42

Explain the strengths of Situational factors in resisting social influence. (1)

Answer 42

-There is supporting evidence to illustrate that resisting social influence is definitely influenced by situation factors.

Question 43

What are the weaknesses of Situational factors in resisting social influence.? (3)

Answer 43

1) The studies have low ecological validity as they were done in lab environments, and may not be generalised to real life examples.
2) The explanation is reductionist - some studies show situational factors affecting resisting social influence, but some people still obey.
3) The situational explanation may be incomplete - a more comprehensive explanation may suggest that in certain situations some people with certain characteristics may be more likely to resist.

Question 44

How can an ILOC affect resisting social conformity? (dispositional factors)

Answer 44

• ILOCs are active seekers of info that is useful to them, and so are less reliant on others.
• They are more achievement orientated, and so are more likely to be leaders not followers.
• High ILOCs are more likely to resist social coercion from others.