Social Influence

Question 1

What are the 3 social influences

Answer 1

1. Conformity (Sherif and Asch)
2. Obedience (Milgram)
3. Minority change

Question 2

Describe Milgram (1963)

Answer 2

• Ordered participants to give electric shocks to other participants when they answered a question incorrectly
• In reality there was no other participant, it was just a recording, nobody was receiving shocks
• Shocks range from 15V to 450V, despite participant believing they were actually shocking someone, 62.5% finished experiment
• When participants were unwilling to continue, experimenter would say ‘You must continue’, most obeyed and did
• Participants heard response from ‘learner’
• E.g. ‘This really hurts’, ‘You can’t hold me here, get me out’, ‘I told you I had heart troubles and it is starting to bother me’
• From 330V onwards heart no response, left teacher to interpret this is their own way
• Milgram sent study to various psychiatrists/psychologists around US and asked them to predict how many participants would continue up to 450V
• Predicted there would be an obedience rate of only 2-5% ; only those with sadistic/psychopathic tendencies would finish

Question 3

Milgram’s variations

Answer 3

Baseline = 62.5%
Gender = 62.5%
Proximity (same room) = 40%
Touch proximity (forced learner’s hand on plate) = 30%
Proximity of experimenter (give instructions over phone) = 20.5%
Proximity of experimenter (gave instructions by note) = 2.5%
Compliance (disobedient confederates = 10%
Compliance (obedient confederates) = 90%
Location (inner city) = 48%

Question 4

What are the explanations of Migram

Answer 4

Abnormal participants; all had sadistic tendencies

• Unlikely as participants volunteered and didn’t know what they were doing beforehand
• Study has been replicated many times with same result

People in general are sadistic
- Unlikely as many showed signs of distress

Question 5

What are the explanations of authority

Answer 5

Agentic state:
- When obeying you see yourself as just carrying out someone else’s wishes which reduces responsibly and guilt

Gradual committment:
- Easier to do something if it starts off small and gradually increases

Legitamate authority figures:
- Conditioned from a young age to obey

Question 6

Describe Asch (1956)

Answer 6

• Put into groups, given unambiguous task, shown a series of lines and asked to say which lane was longest (told it was a study on sight)
• Each group had only one participant, everyone else was a confederate told to give the same incorrect answer to see if real participant would conform and also answer incorrectly
• Rate of conformity = 33%
• Also tested in individual groups as a control, almost no mistakes were made

Question 7

What effects conformity?

Answer 7

Group size:

• Conformity increases as group size does
• Only case from 1-3, further increase makes little difference

Social support:
- Conformity decreases if they gain support and are able to go against majority together

Anonymity:
- Rate of conformity reduced to 12.5% if they could write answers instead of speaking outloud

Unanimity:
- Conformity decreases if one group member gives a different answer to group

Question 8

Describe Sherif’s Autokinetic study (1936)

Answer 8

• Used a well-known physiological phenomenon called the autokinetic effect
• If you are in a pitch black room and only see one pin prick of light you will see the light move, due to your eyes moving
• Asked participants 100 times ‘How much does the light move?’
• Asked on their own, then in groups of 3 and 4
• Individual trials - gave a regular estimate, all different from each other
• Group trials - all estimated same amount
• After the experiment - re-tested at a later date, group judgement still remained; suggests internalised norms

Question 9

What are the reasons for conformity

Answer 9

Normative

• Asch
• Desire of approval and to fit in

Informational

• Sherif
• Desire to be right
• Not sure of answer ourselves so look elsewhere for help

Question 10

Describe minority influence

Answer 10

• Works through snowball effect
• Minorities must have strong, clear arguments
• Minorities must stick to their views
• Must overestimate their support in order to gain support (that way majority think they are the minority and switch)

Question 11

Describe Conversion Theory (Moscovici, 1980)

Answer 11

1. Exposure to majority view
2. Desire to be liked
3. Superficial processing of majority’s portion
4. Public acceptance, private rejection
5. Manifest public influence
6. Exposure to minority view
7. Intrigued and have a desire to understand
8. Deep processing of minority’s position
9. public rejection, private acceptance
10. Latent private influence