Social Influence (P1)

Question 1

Describe how Zimbardo investigated conformity to social roles (4 marks)

Answer 1

-Set up mock prison in the basement of Stanford University
-Observational study- controlled, participant, overt
-Emotionally stable participants were assigned to roles of either prisoner or guard
-Prisoners ‘arrested’, blindfolded, strip searched
-Guards given a night stick, dark glasses and uniform and told to maintain social order
-Prisoners daily routines were heavily regulated by guards working in shifts
-Dehumanisation of prisoners, wearing nylon stocking caps and numbered smocks
-The study was planned to run for two weeks, but was stopped early.

Question 2

Define the agentic state

Answer 2

When individuals obey an order even if they are aware that it is wrong, because they feel that they are an ‘agent’ of the authority figure so feel no responsibility for their actions.

Question 3

Explanations for resistance to social influence

Answer 3

-Social support: When the presence of others disobedient people help to resist the pressure of conforming or obeying.
-Locus of control: Describes a persons perception of their control over behaviours, successes and failure. A person with a high internal locus of control believes they are more responsible for their lives so are more likely to resist.

Question 4

Discuss what psychological research tells us about why people conform (16 marks)

Answer 4

AO1:
-Information Social influence: people want to be right, conform because you think others know better (internalisation)
-Normative social influence: People want to be liked by a group (compliance)- temporary change only to public belief not private (Asch)

AO3:
-Strength: Lucas et al provides research support for ISI
-Strength: Asch provides research support for NSI
-Limitation: Individual differences in NSI: McGhee and Teevan found students who were ‘nAffiliators’ were more likely to conform.

Question 5

Outline research into the effect of situational variables on obedience and discuss what this tells us about why people obey (16 marks)

Answer 5

AO1: Milgram’s variations: Uniform (decreased from 65%-20%)- most influential, location (run down office v Yale), Proximity (different room v same room and forcing learnings hand onto a plate)
AO3:
Strength: Research support for situational variable of obedience by Bickman (NYC) field study
Limitation: Demand characteristics: Orne and Holland believed procedure was contrived and faked and participants were aware of the aims; thus does not tell us much about why people obey.
Limitation: Androcentric research (all male sample)
Limitation: Not cross culturally applicable (only 2 repetitions were done in collectivist cultures.

Question 6

Describe and evaluate the PROCEDURE of Zimbardo’s research into social roles (8 marks)

Answer 6

-ONLY PROCEDURE!
AO1
-Sample of participants; used 21 male student volunteers, randomly allocated, mental health tested to rule out unfit participants
-Outfits: deindividuation: prisoners given numbers and smocks, guards given glasses, stick to beat prisoners with and night cap.
-Time: set to run for 14 days

AO3
-Control of variables: lab study, well controlled via random allocation to minimize individual differences.
-Limitation: Dual role of Zimbardo led to observer bias
-Limitation: Ethical issues: lack of informed consent, lack of protection from harm, psychological disturbance that would be deemed unacceptable due to modern day sample
-Limitation: androcentric due to all male sample