Social Influence AO3

Question 1

Evaluate the explanations of conformity
( 3 types and NSI, ISI )

Answer 1

+ ISI - Lucas et al asked students to solve difficult or easy maths questions
He found greater conformity to difficult Qs

+ NSI - Aschs experiment supports as he found people would go along with an answer they knew was incorrect, Ps stated this was to avoid disapproval

x - NSI ignores individual different - not everyone’s goal is to be liked

Question 2

Evaluate Asch’s research

Answer 2

x - “ a child of its time “
Took part in a time in history where conformity was high

x - methodological issues
Demand Characteristics - as Ps were aware they are in a study they may have acted differently

x - limited application of findings
All male Ps means less validity

Question 3

Evaluate Zimbardo’s research

Answer 3

x - has ethical issues
- no right to withdraw
- no protection from harm

x - effected by demand characteristics
Banuazizi argued the Ps were play acting and this was backed up by Banuazizi asking students what they thought the outcome was of the experiment and they all predicted the same
Suggests it lacks internal validity

x - Findings lack reliability
Reicher replicated the study in the modern day and found the prisoners took control of the prison and subjected the guards to harassment

Question 4

Evaluate studies on obedience (Milgram)

Answer 4

x - demand characteristics
Orne argued that participants in Milgram study have high shocks because they guessed the shocks weren’t real

x - unrepresentative sample
Only American males took part
HOWEVER
Blass found no differences in gender when replicating the study

+ - Burger replicated the study and found levels of obedience identical to those found by Milgram

Question 5

Evaluate explanations of obedience
(Situational)

Answer 5

X - ignores the effect of internal factors such as disposition or personality
Authoritarian personalities show higher rates of obedience as shown by Adorno

+ - supported by Milgram - Interview after the brief

+ - Supported by Milgram - Location Variation

Question 6

Evaluate agentic state and Legitimacy of Authority (Dispositional)

Answer 6

+ - support from Milgrams study show that people conformed in the agentic state when the figure was present rather than over the phone

+ - support for legitimacy of authority from Milgram
Obedience fell when the authority figure was dressed casually as opposed to smartly

Question 7

Evaluate explanations for obedience
(Personality)

Answer 7

+ Milgram questioned Ps, who went up to 450V, using the F-Scale
He found: these Ps held this personality and held views of the experimenter being more admirable than the learner

x - can’t explain group obedience

x - ignores external causes of obedience
The F-Scale focuses solely on Dispositional factors and ignores situational factors as outlined by Milgram

Question 8

Evaluate resistance to social influence

Answer 8

+ SOCIAL SUPPORT
Asch’s study variation on less unanimous answers

+ SOCIAL SUPPORT
Milgram Found by adding a confederate that refused to give shocks dropped obedience from 65% to 10%

+ LOC
Crowne found that in an Asch type experiment, Internals conform less than externals

x - LOC
Correlational Evidence cannot establish cause and effect and so is not a scientific measure of conformity, may lack validity