Social Influence Essay Knowledge Flashcards
Normative Social Influence (NSI):
What was Aschs study?
Explain how Aschs Study provides research support for NSI
Perrin and Spencer Study
When a person conforms to be accepted and feel like they belong to a group. This type of conformity occurs because it is socially rewarding or to avoid social rejection.
-All but one participant were confederates for a task, asked to call out which line was same length, real particpant answered towards end. Confederates gave incorrect answer. 12 trials ,conformity was 33%
Asch’s study on conformity found that participants changed their answer to avoid disapproval from the group, showing the occurrence of normative social influence (NSI). When the pressure to conform publicly was reduced by writing answers, the conformity rates fell, providing further evidence for NSI.
Perrin and Spencer is a more recent study and they conducted a study similar to Asch’s and found a lower level of conformity(0.25%). This suggests that the results of Asch may not represent conformity and NSI in more recent times.
However mathematical students (different group) expertise in problem solving may affect results.
Informational Social Influence (ISI)
Jennes Study and ISI and evaluate with lack of ecological validity:
when a person conforms because they believe someone else is “right.” ISI is associated with internalization, where a person changes both their public behavior and private beliefs on a long-term basis.
Jenness conducted a study where participants made independent judgments about the number of jelly beans in a jar and then discussed their estimates in a group. Participants’ second private estimate moved closer to the group estimate, showing the role of informational social influence (ISI).
cannot be generalized to real-world settings. Jenness’ study has been criticized for lacking ecological validity, as estimating the number of beans in a jar is a mundane task with no significant social consequences.
Zimbardo Stanford Prison Experiment:
and Replication by Reicher and Haslam:
Evaluate Both
24 Emotionally stable assigned to play role of guard or prisoner randomly
Guards became increasingly abusive, while prisoners became submissive
Prisoners were dehumanised (made to clean toilets with their hands)
Zimbardo’s experiment was criticized for breaking ethical guidelines, particularly regarding protection from harm. Some participants experienced adverse reactions, and the guards reported feelings of anxiety and guilt
Zimbardo’s use of only male participants in the study shows a gender bias making it unclear if females conform similarly.
contradicted Zimbardo’s findings. Participants did not conform to roles
The guards refused to impose authority, and the prisoners challenged the guards’ authority, resulting in a shift of power and a collapse of the prison system.
Individual differences could be a reason
Outline siutational variables affecting obediance:
Location’s Influence on Obedience
Uniform’s Impact on Obedience
Proximity and Obedience
Milgram conducted a variation of his experiment in a rundown building, which decreased the percentage of participants administering the full shock to 47.5%. This highlights the importance of location in creating a prestigious atmosphere that generates respect and obedience.
Milgram demonstrated the power of uniform in a variation where the experimenter was replaced by a confederate in normal clothes. The percentage of participants administering the full shock dropped to 20%. This suggests that uniform adds to the legitimacy of the authority figure.
proximity refers to how close someone or something is. When the teacher and learner were in the same room, obedience levels dropped to 40%. When the instructions were given over the telephone, obedience levels fell further to 20.5%. Proximity affects obedience by the closeness to the authority figure and the consequences of actions.
Define Social Support and outline research (Aschs)
What is a dispositional explanation
Define Locus of Control:
Outline research on Locus of Control (Spector)
Social support is an explanation of resistance to social influence. It suggests that having an ally or support from others can help individuals resist social pressure and maintain independence.
Asch’s (1951) variation showed that when one confederate consistently gave the correct answer, conformity dropped to 5%.
Dispositional explanations focus on internal characteristics within humans that contribute to obedience, such as the authoritarian personality proposed by Adorno.
Locus of control is a dispositional(a persons personal characteristics) explanation of resistance to social influence. Individuals with an high internal locus of control, who believe they have control over their lives and are less concerned with social approval, are more likely to resist social influence.
Spector (1983) found that individuals with a high internal locus of control were less likely to conform, particularly in situations of normative social influence where individuals conform to be accepted
Holland – 37% of internals refused to
continue to maximum shock level
Minority Influence is how a majoritys beliefs are changed through persuasion by consistency, commitment, flexibility which enhance influence.
Evaluate Moscovicis study on this including limitations
: Moscovici (1969) conducted a study on minority influence using a color perception task wiith 172 female participants
two confederates acted as consistent and inconsistent.
The study showed that a consistent minority had a higher influence on the majority compared to an inconsistent minority. the sample was biased with only female participants, limiting generalizability. The focus on female participants also raised concerns of gynocentrism. -lacks mundane realism as the tasks are artificial. The research conditions may not fully represent real-world cases of minority influence
Social Influence processes in social change
Snowball effect:
Augmentation Principle:
SE:
Once the minority viewpoint gets the attention of some majority group members, more and more people begin paying attention, and the minority viewpoint gathers momentum.
AP:
When the majority pays attention to selfless and risky actions taken by the minority group, they are more likely to integrate the group’s opinion into their own viewpoints due to the personal sacrifice made by the minority. e.g hunger strike
Discuss legitimacy of authority as an explanation for obedience
Discuss Agentic State
when a person recognises their own and other’s positions in a social hierarchy
* leading to recognition of the authority figure’s right to issue a demand
* legitimacy is increased by visible symbols of authority, eg uniform
* legitimacy of setting, order, system (environment)
Shown by:
Bushman (1988)
-researcher in uniform received more obediance compared to normal outfit or beggar
-people claimed she appeared to have authority
AO3:
-supports real life obediance
- if people authorise another person to make judgments for them about what is allowed
their moral values are no longer relevant to their actions, so if directed they will engage in immoral actions
-there no matter how destructive actions are legitimacy makes people obey without question.
Agentic State:
when a person acts on behalf of an authority figure/person of higher status
the actor feels no personal responsibility/does not feel guilty for their actions
the opposite of an autonomous state in which people act according to their own principles
