Social influence

Question 1

Social influence

Answer 1

A term used to describe how other people can affect our opinions, feelings, and actions.

Question 2

Conformity

Answer 2

A change in our opinions or behaviors to fit in with social norms or as the result of perceived group pressure

Question 3

Why do we conform

Answer 3

There are two reasons:

• Informational
• Normative

Question 4

Informational social influence

Answer 4

The need to be right.

e.g we are in an unfamiliar situation and watch and follow what other people are doing because we assume they have superior knowledge to us

Question 5

Normative social influence

Answer 5

The need to be liked by other.

e.g when we are in social situations, we want to be accepted by other people. we are likely to do or say things that make us popular with other to help us fit in.

Question 6

Social factors affecting conformity

Answer 6

• Group size

We are more likely to adopt the behavior of others when we are in a group with three or more members who are behaving in a similar way.

• Task difficulty

We show higher levels of conformity when attempting to complete a difficult rather than easy task. When we find something difficult we may look to others to guide our decisions

• Anonymity

In public situations we face ridicule when others can hear what we say or see what we do. When we are anonymous, is reduces concern of people disagreeing with us. the first

Question 7

Dispositional factors

Answer 7

Internal personal characteristics which may affect how a person will behave

Question 8

Dispositional factors affecting conformity

Answer 8

• Personality

Some characteristics increase the tendency to conform. Low self-esteem, low status in a group, and low IQ have been associated with high levels of conformity.

• Expertise

Conformity is less likely in situations where we have a high level of expertise because we are confident in our own opinions and knowledge

Question 9

Asch’s conformity study aim

Answer 9

To investigate if people would conform to the opinions of others to give an answer they knew to be wrong

Question 10

Asch’s conformity study design

Answer 10

Lab experiment

Male American college students

Question 11

Asch’s conformity study method

Answer 11

Groups of 7-9 people where shown sets of 4 lines. A standard line and 3 comparison lines. They were asked to state out loud which comparison line was the same length as the standard line. The answer was always clear.
There was only one real participant in each group who was told the aim of the study was to investigate visual judgment. The rest were confederate soldiers that were instructed to give the same incorrect response for 12/18 of the sets of lines.
Each participant answered last.

Question 12

Asch’s conformity study results

Answer 12

Participants conformed to give the incorrect answer 36.8% of the time. 76% of the participants conformed at least once. 24% resisted the urge to conform

Question 13

Asch’s conformity study conclusion

Answer 13

People conform to fir in with a group even when they know they are giving an incorrect judgement

Question 14

Asch’s conformity study evaluation

Answer 14

:) demonstrates the extent to which people conform in social situations.

:) lab experiment so less extraneous variables so easier to establish cause and effect so higher ecological validity

:( carried out in a lab. behavior might not be natural so less ecological validity

:( carried out on Americans. these are individualistic cultures. collectivist cultures have higher levels of conformity. results are less generalizable

Question 15

Obedience

Answer 15

Following the orders of an authority figure

Question 16

Agency

Answer 16

The responsibility we feel for our own actions

Question 17

Agency theory

Answer 17

The idea that a person will obey an authority figure when they believe this authority figure will take responsibility for whatever the person does.

Question 18

Social factors

Answer 18

External events which may affect how a person will behave

Question 19

Autonomous state

Answer 19

We feel responsible for our actions and free to choose how to behave

Question 20

Milgrams theory of obedience

Answer 20

Suggests that we are more likely to obey orders from authority figures when we enter agenetic state. This is when we believe we are acting on behalf of an authority figure so no longer feel responsible for our actions.

Question 21

Eval of agency theory

Answer 21

:) Helps us understand why people have done things that they have e.g Nazi guards in concentration camps who followed orders from their superiors

:( We do not all blindly follow orders, which suggests that some people are less likely to enter the agentic state than others. Milgrams theory focuses on social factors that affect obedience but other psychologists have suggested thats dispositional factors such as personality are more important.

Question 22

Authoritarian personality

Answer 22

An obedient personality type characterized by a believe that authority figures should be obeyed

Question 23

Authority

Answer 23

Some people have higher positions of authority than others. We are brought up to obey these people. We are more likely to obey someone we believe to have legitimate authority, because we trust their expertise.

Uniforms increase obedience

Question 24

Culture

Answer 24

Research has found lower levels of obedience in individualistic cultures, because collectivistic cultures place greater importance on group values.

Question 25

Proximity

Answer 25

When we are in close proximity to an authority figure, it appears we are more likely to obey them.

Milgram’s study found that more participants followed order when the experimenter gave instructions from the same room than over the phone

Question 26

Social factors affecting obedience

Answer 26

• Authority

Some people have higher positions of authority than others. We are brought up to obey these people. We are more likely to obey someone we believe to have legitimate authority, because we trust their expertise.

• Culture

Research has found lower levels of obedience in individualistic cultures, because collectivistic cultures place greater importance on group values.

• Proximity

When we are in close proximity to an authority figure, it appears we are more likely to obey them.

Milgram’s study found that more participants followed order when the experimenter gave instructions from the same room than over the phone

Question 27

Dispositional factors affecting obedience

Answer 27

Being confident or articulate

Question 28

Adornos theory of the Authoritarian Personality

Answer 28

More obedient people

He found that they had grown up with strict parents and felt angry towards their parents but could not do anything and as a result grew up more submissive and obedient towards authority figures

Question 29

Eval of Adornos theory

Answer 29

:( Only found correlation between personality type and obedience. this means he could not prove that the authoritarian personality causes high levels of obedience. reduces the internal validity

:( people with lower educational levels have been found to be more obedient than those who are educated. suggests that dispositional factors also play an important role in obedience

Question 29

Prosocial behaviour

Answer 29

actions that benefit other people or society

Question 29

Bystander intervention

Answer 29

When a person who witnesses a person in need offers help

Question 29

Bystander behaviour

Answer 29

The way that someone responds when they witness someone else in need of help

Question 29

Bystander apathy

Answer 29

Doing nothing when someone is in need of help

Question 29

Social factors affecting bystander behavior

Answer 29

• The presence of others
  We are more likely to help others when we are alone than when other people are present. we dont want to look foolish if they are not in trouble. if we are alone we assume full responsibility
• The cost of helping
  We weigh up the cost and rewards of helping a person in need. Sometimes we may decide it is too costly to intervene

Question 30

The presence of others

Answer 30

We are more likely to help others when we are alone than when other people are present.

It is hard to determine whether or not a situation is in fact an emergency. we do not want to look foolish.

We have to assume full responsibility when we are alone. when others are present, there is diffusion of responsibility.

Question 31

The cost of helping

Answer 31

We weigh up the cost and rewards of helping a person in need. Sometimes we may decide it is too costly to intervene:
We may get hurt,
inconvenienced,
lose money.

Question 32

Dispositional factors affecting bystander behaviour

Answer 32

Similarity to victim
When there are similarities between the bystander and the person in need, the bystander is more likely to offer help. Personal characteristics make it easier to empathize with them because we can put ourself in their shoes.
Expertise
Bystanders are more likely to offer help when they believe they have the skills required to help someone in a specific situation. e.g if a swimmer is in trouble how can we help if we cannot swim ourselves.

Question 33

Piliavins subway study aim

Answer 33

To investigate whether the appearance of a victim would influence helping behaviour

Question 34

Piliavins subway study design

Answer 34

Field experiment where there was little control of possible extraneous variables. Male and female passengers who travelled on the 8th avenue subway.

Question 35

Piliavins subway study method

Answer 35

An actor pretended to collapse in a train carriage. His appearance was altered. in 38 trials he appeared to be drunk. In 65 trials he appeared to be sober and carried a walking stick. Observers recorded how often and how quickly the victim was helped

Question 36

Piliavins subway study results

Answer 36

When the victim carried a walking a stick he received help within 70 seconds and 95 percent of the time. When he appeared to be drunk he received help within 70 seconds 50 % of the time

Question 37

Piliavins subway study conclusion

Answer 37

A persons appearance will affect whether or not they receive help and how quickly this help is given

Question 38

Piliavins subway study Evaluation

Answer 38

:) Carried out in a natural setting. Behaviour displayed is more accurate to real life, so the study has a higher ecological validity.

:(

Question 39

Antisocial behavior

Answer 39

When people do not act in socially acceptable ways or consider the rights of others

Question 40

Collective behaviour

Answer 40

The way in which people act when they are part of a group

Question 41

Social factors affecting collective behavior

Answer 41

Social loafing

We assume that people work better as part of a team than when they work alone. however this is not always the case. individuals put less effort into complete into a task as part of a group than when they are alone. diffusion of responsibility.

Deinviduation

We lose our sense of individuality in group situations because we feel anonymous. We are less able to monitor our own behavior and judge whether actions are right or wrong because we behave as a crown rather than individuals

Culture

Social loafing does not seem to occur in collectivist cultures like China because people are prepared to work just as hard for the good of the whole group even when they do not need to.

Question 42

Dispositional factors affecting collective behaviour

Answer 42

Personality

Some people have internal locus of control. This means they believe that they can control the things that happen to them. These people take greater responsibility for their own behavior so they are less likely to conform to the behavior of those around them.

Morality

Whether people behave in a pro or antisocial way depends on an individuals morality. This is their sense of what is right and what is wrong.