Social Influence

Question 1

The four classic studies of social influence

Answer 1

Sherif – conforming to group norms

Asch – complying in social settings

Milgram – obedience to authority?

Zimbardo – conforming to group roles?

Question 2

Defining Social Influence

Answer 2

“Process whereby attitudes and behaviour are influenced by the real or implied presence of other people” (Hogg and Vaughan 2008: 236)

Question 3

ACCEPTANCE:

Answer 3

Others’ ideas/behaviours taken on board & internalised; become part of self

Question 4

Conformity:

Answer 4

Change own beliefs and/or behaviour; IMPORTANT: influenced enough to change one’s behaviour to match that of others

Question 5

Compliance

Answer 5

Outward change of behaviour;going along with others requests to keep the Peace, for reward, or to avoid punishment

Question 6

Obedience

Answer 6

Merely following another’s commands without internalising associated beliefs/behaviours

Question 7

Informational influence

Answer 7

Influence to accept information from another as evidence about reality (Sherif – cognitive change)

Question 8

Normative influence

Answer 8

Influence to conform with the positive expectation of others (norms) to gain social approval or to avoid social disapproval (Asch – superficial change – compliance)

Question 9

Dual Process Perspective:

Answer 9

Influence due to dependence or for social approval

Question 10

Social Identity Theory:

Answer 10

This ignores group dynamics – could be interpersonal only

Question 11

RII:

Answer 11

People conform because they are group members. They conform to norms not people
Conformity only with ingroup (Hogg and Turner 1987)

Question 12

Reasons for conformity

Answer 12

Did not want to appear foolish

Didn’t want to spoil the results for others so chose not be different

Thought the first responder was visually impaired and didn’t want to embarrass him
Thought everyone else was conforming to first wrong answer

Believed that they were wrong (conversion)

Question 13

Reasons given for resisting

Answer 13

Confident in own judgment, didn’t care what others thought

Believed the majority must have been right, but still said what they saw

Being true to own perceptions

But were still troubled by the experience
Relieved to find they were right

Question 14

Varying Obedience

3 points…

Answer 14

Immediacy (proximity) of ‘Victim’
Victim not seen/heard: 100% shocked to limit
Ps held victim down: 30% shocked to limit

Proximity of authority
Experimenter absent: 20% obedience
Experimenter gave no instructions: 2.5%
1 disobedient peer 10%. 2 obedient peers 92%

Legitimacy of Authority
Uniform 70% Non-uniform 50% (Bushman 1984)
Non University setting 48%

Question 15

Gibson’s analysis

Answer 15

Exp’s responses to Ps resisting obedience viewed as arguments designed to convince and persuade participants to continue
Not orders
Direct orders were ineffective
Gibson (2013)

Question 16

Stanford Prison Study

Answer 16

Power of the situation is sufficient to cause good people to do bad things (The Lucifer effect)

Question 17

Conformity bias

Answer 17

Tendency for social psychology to treat group influence as a one-way process where minorities always conform to majorities

Question 18

Conversion Theory
Majorities:
Minorities:

Answer 18

Majorities: More public (manifest) than private (latent) change
Minorities: More private than public change

Question 19

Manifest = aware, Latent =

Answer 19

unaware

Question 20

Latent (private) influence is the most………..type of social influence

Answer 20

persuasive

Question 21

Social impact theory (Latane 1981)

Influence =

Answer 21

Influence = S x I x N
S= Strength (salience, power, importance, intensity)
I= Immediacy (Closeness)
N= Number of people in group

Question 22

Majority Influence:

Two theories?

Answer 22

Sherif: conformity in ambiguous situations
Asch: compliance in unambiguous situations

Question 23

Obedience to Authority

Who’s studies used to show we comply with authority?

Answer 23

Milgram’s

Question 24

Obedience to group roles

Who’s study has been replicated with v different results ?

Answer 24

Zimbardo’s

Question 25

Exposure to majority view stages…

Answer 25

Desire to be liked and correct

Superficial processing of majority’s position

public acceptance, private rejection

manifest/public influence

Question 26

Exposure to minority view stages….

Answer 26

Intrigue and desire to understand

deep processing of minority’s position

public rejection, private acceptance

latent/private influence