Social Influence AO1

Question 1

Define Conformity

Answer 1

A type of social influence involving a change in behaviour or attitudes in response to the influence of others or social pressure. This pressure can be physical (involve physical presence of others) or imagined (pressure of social norms).

Question 2

Define Compliance

Answer 2

A temporary and superficial type of conformity that involves outwardly going along with the majority opinion while secretly disagreeing with it.

Question 3

Define Identification

Answer 3

A moderate type of conformity that involves acting the same as the rest of the group because we want to fit in, while not necessarily agreeing with everything in the group.

Question 4

Define Internalisation

Answer 4

A deep type of conformity that involves taking on the majority opinion because we believe it is correct. We do this both in public and private.

Question 5

Define NSI

Answer 5

The desire to be liked. When we follow social norms so we can have social approval instead of rejection. It is emotional and common in situations where you fear rejection, with people we know and with peer pressure.

Question 6

Define ISI

Answer 6

The desire to be right. When you believe the opinion of a group because you believe they are right and you also want to be right. It’s cognitive and is common in situations with new people and in times where quick decisions are needed.

Question 7

Describe Asch’s study

Answer 7

• Investigate how social pressure from a majority group can affect a person to conform.
• Naive ppt put in room with 7 confederates.
• Line judgement task - ppt had to say answer out loud.
• Confederates gave wrong answer in 12/18 trials
• 32% of ppts in each trial conformed on average, 75% of ppts conformed at least once.

Question 8

Describe variables in Asch study and how it affected conformity

Answer 8

Group Size: - 31.8% conformed with 3 confederates.
- Only need 3 in majority for conformity

Unanimity of the Majority: - Prescense of confederate who disagreed with the others decreased conformity by 25% when the majority was unanimous.

Task Difficulty - Conformity increased with greater difficulty, ISI plays greater role due to greater ambiguity.

Question 9

Describe Zimbardo’s study

Answer 9

• Investigate whether people will conform to new social roles.
• All male uni student who were volunteers and psychologically tested beforehand.
• Ppts randomly allocated roles of either guard or prisoner.
• Prisoners unexpectedly arrested at their homes and given uniforms/prisoner numbers.
• Guards worked in shifts and could go home.
• Exp called off after 6 days due to prisoners suffering breakdown and going on hunger strikes.
• Ppts quickly slipped into their roles.

Question 10

Define obedience

Answer 10

A form of social influence in which an individual follows a direct order. The person issuing the order is usually a figure of authority, who has the power to punish when obedient behaviour is not forthcoming.

Question 11

Describe Milgram’s Study

Answer 11

• Investigate whether people would commit atrocities if required to do so by an authority figure.
• 40 male uni students between ages of 20 and 50.
• Ppt and confederate allocated roles of teacher and learner in fixed draw.
• Teacher sees learner have electrodes attached to him and put in other room.
• Teacher put in room with electric shock generator (15v - 450v)
• Teacher reads out word pairs, no/incorrect answer results in increasing electric shocks.
• Experimenter gives teacher 4 prods if they show disobedience, exp stops if all 4 prods have been used.
• All ppts went up to 300v, 65% went up to 450v.

Question 12

Describe situational variables affecting obedience

Answer 12

Proximity - Experimenter gave order on phone, obedience decreased to 20.5%
Location - Location changed to run down office building, obedience decreased to 47.5%
Uniform - Experimenter dressed like normal person, obedience decreased to 20%.

Question 13

Define agentic state

Answer 13

When an individual relinquishes their personal autonomous state and responsibility to submit to obedience. This shift from autonomy to agency is known as the agentic shift. The individual carries out the order of the authority figure, acting as their agent.

Question 14

Define gradual commitment

Answer 14

Obeying in small steps, you get “locked in” to obedience which means it gets harder to disobey.

Question 15

Define Legitimacy of Authority

Answer 15

The perceived right of an authority figure to have power and control over others. We are more likely to obey people who have a higher position or status of social power in a social hierarchy as they are seen as being able to punish/give consequences. It is taught and installed in children and is very dependent on circumstances or context.

Question 16

Define Dispositional Explanation of obedience.

Answer 16

Authoritarian personality is a distinct personality pattern characterised by strict adherence to conventional values and a belief in absolute or submission to authority. They are hostile to those of inferior status. They see the world as black and white. They originate from strict authoritarian parenting style that are installed in young children

Question 17

Describe Adorno’s research

Answer 17

• Used F-Scale to measure components of authoritarian personalities.
• 2000 middle class white americans
• Those who score highly were raised by strict parents with authoritarian parenting styles.
• Found that authoritarianism correlated with prejudice against minority groups.

Question 18

Define Social Support

Answer 18

The presence of disobeying/non-conforming people can encourage others to do the same. These people act as models who show social influence is possible. If the person disobeying/not conforming stops, the naive individual will likely begin to obey/conform again.

Question 19

Define Locus of Control

Answer 19

The sense we each have about what directs events in our lives. Can be internal or external. People with internal LOC more likely to resist social influence and be self-confident, achievement-oriented, intelligent and have less need for social approval.

Question 20

Define Minority Influence

Answer 20

A form of social influence whereby a minority group persuade others to adopt their beliefs and behaviours. This can lead to internalisation.

Question 21

Define Consistency

Answer 21

Most common and important behaviour for minority influence. Consistency in minority view increase amount of interest from other people. Makes people rethink their own views as they believe they may have a point if they keep repeating it.

Question 22

Define Commitment

Answer 22

Minorities engage in extreme activities to draw attention to their views. These activities are at some risk to the minority to demonstrate commitment to their cause. This is called the Augmentation Principle.

Question 23

Define Flexibility

Answer 23

Minorities need to be willing to adopt their viewpoint and accept reasonable and valid counter-arguements.

Question 24

Describe Moscovici’s Research

Answer 24

• Investigate how consistency can affect the opinions of a larger group.
• All female ppts given eye test to check for colour blindness.
• 4 ppts placed with 2 confederates and were shown 36 blue shaded slides.
• Ppts randomly allocated to 1 of 2 groups.
• Group A had consistent confederates while Group B had confederates answer green 24/36 times.
• Ppts answered green 8.42% of the time in consistent group, ppts answered green 1.25% of the time in inconsistent group.

Question 25

Define Social Change

Answer 25

When a society adopts a new belief or way of believing that then becomes widely accepted as the norm.

Question 26

Define Conflict

Answer 26

Creating a conflict between the majority belief and the minority belief to make the majority think.

Question 27

Define Augmentation

Answer 27

When the minority are willing to suffer for their views.

Question 28

Define Snowball Effect

Answer 28

When a small effect spreads until a tipping point occurs leading to wide scale social change.

Question 29

Define Social Cryptoamnesia

Answer 29

Memory that change has occurred but we don’t remember how it happened.