Social Influence - Paper 1 Flashcards
What are the 3 types of CONFORMITY?
Compliance, identification, internalisation
What is COMPLIANCE?
Weakest from of conformity.
Changing behaviour to be accepted
Publicly not privately
Give an example of compliance
E.g. when you say you like a band to your friends but don’t listen to them at home
What is IDENTIFICATION?
Intermediate level
Temporary change
Both publicly and privately
Strong as involved private change
Give an example of identification
E.g. soldiers may adopt certain behaviours but lose it when they return home
What is INTERNALISATION?
Deepest level
Permanent change
Take on new attitudes
Give an example of internalisation
E.g sometimes people start going to church and beliefs change to become Christians
What are the 3 variables that affect conformity?
Size
Unanimity
Task difficulty
What is the AGENTIC STATE?
Putting responsibility of our actions on someone else
What is the AUTONOMOUS STATE?
When we take responsibility for our own actions
What are BINDING FACTORS?
Aspects of a situation allow a person to ignore their damaging effect of their behaviour
What is LEGITIMATE AUTHORITY?
We are more likely to obey when we believe an authority is legitimate
What are the two explanations for obedience?
Agentic state and legitimate authority
What are the traits of someone with an authoritarian personality?
Hostile
Fairly rigid in beliefs
Traditional
What are the characteristics of INTERNAL LoC?
Independent
Active seek info
Less likely to conform / obey
Don’t rely on external options
What are the characteristics of EXTERNAL LoC?
Less independent
Rely on others for info
More likely to conform / obey
Rely on external opinions
Who studied conformity?
Asch (1951)
How did Asch study conformity?
Line study:
123 us males
3 lines
Match with comparison
What were the results of Asch’s study?
74% at least once a
26% never
5% every time
What was the conclusion of Asch’s study?
Compliance = normative social influence
Who studied conformity (2)?
Sherif
How did Sherif study conformity?
Auto-kinetic effect:
Estimates alone
With group - 3
Alone
What were the results of Sheriffs study?
Alone = stable
Group = more alike
Alone = more like group
What was the conclusion of Sherif’s study?
Internalisation = informational influence
Who studies conformity to social roles?
ZIMBARDO - Stanford prison experiment
How did Zimbado study conformity to social roles?
converted basement
Prisoners arrested in own home
No physical contact
£15 per day
What were the results of Zimbado’s study?
Prisoners and guards quick to take on roles
- treated poorly
What is obedience
Within hierarchy
Emphasis power
What is conformity?
Between equal status
Acceptance
Who investigated obedience to an authority?
Milgram - electric shock
How did milgram study obedience to an authority
Teacher and learner
Ask questions
Wrong answer = shock (fake)
What were the results of milgrams study?
240 volts = 100%
360 volts = 76%
450 volts = 63%
Strengths of legitimate authority
Explain cultural differences
Evidence in real world situations - pick up rubbish when wearing guard uniform
Weaknesses of legitimacy of authority
Cannot explain all obedience - innate tendencies
Strengths of authoritarian personality
Research support - Milgram authoritarians obedient p score higher
Weaknesses of authoritarian personality
Can’t explain whole country behaviour - Nazi
F-scale biased - right wing, self report
Strengths of LoC
Evidence in resisting obedience - Oliver - 406 who rescued Jews with 126 who didn’t. Rescuers higher internal.
Weaknesses of LoC
Not all research supports. Twenge et al - more independent but more external
Limited role - only in new situations
Strengths of social support
Evidence for resisting - pregnant not smoke when buddy present - opposed to control group who continued.
Evidence dissenting peers - Garson 88% rebelled
What did Asch and Sherif investigate?
Asch
Normative
Sherif
Informational
Weaknesses reasons to conform
More likely to conform from pressure within our group
Lab experiment - lack ecological validity, demand characteristics
Strengths of zimbado’s study
Control over key variables - high internal validity
Weaknesses of zimbado’s
Lack realism of true prison
Exaggerated power of roles - 1/3 brutally
Strengths of milgram’s
Replications supported - tv show 80% max
Weaknesses milgrams study
Lack internal validity - demand characteristics
Ethical issues - deception
Strengths Agentic state
Research support - milgram
Weaknesses of Agentic state
Doesn’t explain Jacobson - nurses disobeyed orders to give lethal dose
Obedience alibi revisited - perform massacre autonomously
Weaknesses social support
Practical application - don’t always copy the behaviour
Lessons from minority influence
Drawing attention, consistency, deeper processing, augmentation principle, snowball effect, social cryptomnesia
Strengths of minority influence
Research support - Moscovici
Role of deeper processing - enduring effect
Weaknesses of minority influence
Deeper processing - believe others think we do - doubt on validity
Research artificial
Outline and evaluate minority influence
Consistency
Commitment
Flexibility
Research supporting consistency Moscovici et al
Role of deeper processing - more enduring effect
Research artificial, lack external validity, not applicable to real world
What are the factors affecting obedience
Proximity
Uniform
Location
Evaluation of factors affecting obedience
+ research support - Bickman security guard
+ cross cultural replication
- low internal validity - demand characteristics
