Social Influence Research Flashcards
Outline Asch’s Research.
Tested conformity by showing participants two large white cards at one time, one was a ‘standard line’ and the other had three ‘comparison lines’. Participants were asked which of the three matched the standard.
123 American male undergraduate students, each tested individually with a group of 6-8 confederates.
What was the findings of Asch’s research?
Naive participant gave the incorrect answer 36.8% of the time.
25% of participants didn’t conform at all.
Most conformed to avoid rejection (NSI).
What were Asch’s variations?
Group size- with 3 confederates conformity rose to 31.8%.
Unanimity- the presence of a dissenting confederate reduced conformity by a quarter.
Task difficulty- when the correct answer became less obvious, conformity increased (ISI).
Outline Zimbado’s research.
Set up a mock prison in basement of psychology department of Stanford university. Advertised for students to participate and selected ‘emotionally stable’ students. Students were randomly assigned role of prisoners and guards.
Social roles of prisoners and guards strictly divided, prisoners’ daily routines heavily enforced by guards and had 16 rules to follow.
What were the findings of Zimbardo’s research?
Guards took roles with enthusiasm, behaviour became a threat to the prisoners’ psychological and physical health.
Study stopped after 6 days instead of 14.
Prisoners rebelled against the treatment of guards, ripped off uniform, shouted, swore.
Guards harassed prisoners.
One prisoner released on day 1 due to psychological disturbance.
What conclusions were made of Zimbardo’s research?
Guards and prisoners conformed to their roles and were taken on very easily by participants.
Outline Milgram’s study.
Recruited 40 male participants via newspaper ads, aged 20-50 and paid $4.50 to participate.
Confederate was the learner, participant was teacher.
Learner strapped in chair and teacher had to give learner an electric shock each time a mistake was made.
Shock level began at 15V and increased up to 450V.
When teacher turned to experimenter for guidance, given 4 prods to continue (please continue, experiment requires you to continue, essential to continue, no other choice you must continue).
What were the findings of Milgram’s study?
No participants stopped before 300V, 12.5% stopped at 300V.
65% continued to 450V.
Participants showed signs of extreme tension, sweat, trembling, bite lips, groaning.
14 students predicted no more than 3% would continue to 450V.
Outline Adorno’s research.
Investigated causes of obedient personality using 2000 white middle class American males and unconscious attitudes towards other racial groups. Developed several scales to investigate this including F-scale.
What were findings of Adorno’s research?
People with authoritarian leanings identified with ‘strong’ people and generally contemptuous of the weak. Conscious of own and other’s status, showing excessive respect, deference and servility to those of higher service.
Authoritarian people also had a cognitive style where there was fixed and distinct stereotypes between categories of people.
What did Lucas et al (2006) research?
Asked students to give answers to mathematical problems that were easy and got more difficult. Conformity was greater for incorrect answers when they were more difficult. This was more true for students with a lower mathematical ability. The study shows people are more likely to conform in situations where they feel they don’t know the answer.
What did Hoffling et al (1966) research?
Studied nurses in a hospital ward and the levels of obedience to unjustified demands by doctors were very high. 21 out of 22 nurses obeyed.
What did Sheridan and King (1972) research?
Conducted a similar study to Milgram’s where the shocks were given to puppies. Although they were real shocks, 54% of the male students gave and 100% of females gave what they believed to be a fatal shock.
What did Holland (1967) research?
Repeated Milgram’s baseline study and measured whether participants were internals or externals. He found 37% of internals didn’t continue to the highest shock level whereas only 23% of externals didn’t continue. This shows validity of the LOC explanation.
What did Twenge et al (2004) research?
Analysed data from American focus of control studies over a 40 year period. The data showed over a time span, people have become more resistant to obedience but more external. If resistance was linked to an internal LOC we would expect more people to be internal. The challenged the link between internal LOC and increasing resistant behaviour.
