Social Influence Topic Flashcards
define conformity
choosing to go along with the majority ( can yield publicly or privately)
yielding to group pressure
define internlaisation
genuinely accepts the ideas of the group
permanent change regardless of group absence
define identification
value the group and want to be apart of it
public change BUT privately disagrees
define compliance
simply going along with others in public but not changing in private.
stops as soon as group pressure groups
superficial change
2 types of conformity
INFORMATIONAL
ISI= conforming because they are uncertain about what to do and want to be right/correct so look to majority for answers
= internalisation (Convince they are wrong and the group is right= private and public acceptance)
2 types of conformity
NORMATIVE
conform in order to fit in and gain approval/ avoid disapproval from other group members
= compliance (only a public change)
following to social norms because its customary to do so
strengths of NSI and ISI explanation
RESEARCH SUPPORT
- research support: people conforming in situation they don’t know; supported by ISI explanation
-research support: ASCH ; participants went along with the wrong answer. when asked its because they were “afraid of disapproval” = supports NSI
Weaknesses of ISI and NSI explanation
INDIVDUAL DIFFERENCES
individual differences with NSI: does not affect everyone’s behaviour in the same way
- depends on how concerned the individual is with being liked= nAffliators
Aim of Asch and Sample
see effects of group pressure on conformity
- 123 American Males undergraduates
Asch procedure
showed two white lines ( a standard & 3 comparison lines)
asked what the line matched the standard
confederates started toggle the wrong answers
Asch findings
75% conformed at least once
when asked why = “ to avoid rejection”= NSI
Asch Variation
Group Size - addition of confederates giving the wrong answer had no extra effects on conformity = only takes 3 people to conform
unanimity- confederate sometimes gave correct answer = conformity was reduced = more independence
Task difficulty- Conformity increased with task difficulty (ISI)
define obedience
social influence which cause s a person to act in response to an order given by an authority figure
Aim and sample of Milgrams study
investigate why people obey & to understand the holocaust
40 male participants from America
hired by Adverts - deception: told it was a study about memory
offered money to take part
procedure of Milgrams study
laboratory study
A confederate who was a learner and anticipant was a teacher
experimenter dressed in a lab coat
teacher required to give the learner an increasing severe electric shock each time learner made mistake
teachers asked for guidance from experimenter; given standard prods to continue
Strengths of Milgrams study
GENERALIAZABLE
can be generalized: replicated(lab study) all over the world and consistent results have been found
weaknesses of MIlgrams study
OVER SIMPLIFIED
said that findings are over generalized and simplified as an explanation of the holocaust
findings of Milgrams study
none stopped before 300 volts
65% continued to the highest level
all were debriefed after
findings of zimbardo
- guards were enthusiastic to take up their roles
- day 2= prisoners rebelled
- guards used “divide and rule”
- constantly harassed prisoners (highlighting the difference in social roles)
- prisoners became depressed
- guards continued to identify with their social roles more and more as the study went on
= show power of situation to influence peoples behavior (all conformed to social roles)
strengths of zimbardos study
control : zimbardo had control over variables by selecting his participants (emotionally stable) to rule out individual difff3erences = increase internal validity
weaknesses of Zimbardos study
LACK OF REALISM
lack of realism: psychologists argue that participants were just acting rather than genuinely conforming based on serotypes
weaknesses of Zimbardos study
ROLE OF DISPOTIONAL FACTORS
accused of exaggerating situational factors and leaving out personality
(only 1/3 of guards acted harshly)
= conclusion may be overstated as guards could be nice and show free will even in the situation
weakness of Zimabrdos study
ETHICAL ISSUES
Zimbardo’s dual role in the study prevented a participants from leaving (not given the ‘right to withdraw’ ) & prisoners became depressed (lack of ‘protection of participants’)
weakness of Milgrams study
ETHICAL ISSUES
ethical issues: participants was under emotional stress and long term effects of knowing they were capable of physical harm (protection of participants)
strengths of Milgram’s study
RESEARCH SUPPORT
research support: Hofling study with nurses and medication= external validity
weaknesses of NSI and ISI
WORK TOGETHER
ISI and NSI worker together:approach suggest one or the other but most of the time work together
explain the agentic state
- following orders & not being responsible
may feel moral strain if ‘doing wrong’ BUT are powerless in the lower hierarchy position - binding factors keep us in the agentic state even when we want to disobey (reduce our moral strain) = reassuring its not their responsibility
social psychological factors of obedience
explain the autonomous state
independent and have free will over our actions
BUT when ordered by an authority figure we make an agentic shift to the agentic state
social psychological factors of obedience:
explain the legitimacy of authority
- a social hierarchy and we accept who is at the top = trust them to exert their power appropriately & willing to give up independence
BUT some may exploit their legitimate authority to cause destruction = destructive authority
believe in their authority = act in agentic state , believing we are simply following orders
strengths of legitimacy of authority
RESEARCH SUPPORT
when asked who was responsible in the milgram experiment students said it was the ‘experimenter’ and not the participants because he had responsibility because he was in authority + in uniform = increased validity of explanation
strengths of legitimacy of authority
CULTURAL DIFFERNCES
study repeated and findings support this . = cross cultural research increased validity
weaknesses of the agentic shift
LIMITED EXPLANATION
does not explain other research (Milgram- some did not obey) Generalizes the reaction of people with lower authority
only useful in some situations
situational variables
define LOCATION
place when an order is issued (depends on status or prestige associated with location)
- run down office = 47.5%
status of location changed participants perception of the legitimacy of authority of the experimenter
situational variables
define UNIFORM
symbolic of authority, indicated who is entitled to obedience
ordinary member of public as experimenter (20%)
situational variables
define PROXIMITY
physical closenesses or distance from authority
-variation (teacher and learner in the same room: 40%)
Touch proximity; teacher had to force learners hand (35%)
remote proximity; experimenter left the room and gave instructions to the teacher by the phone (20.5% & pretended to give shocks)
strengths of situational variables
RESEARCH SUPPORT
bickman demonstrated the influence of Situational variables (uniform with a greater perceived authority was obeyed more)
strengths of situational variables
CONTROL OF VARIABLES +CROSS CULTRUAL REPLICATION
= can be replicated
findings are to limited to American males= generalizable to a wider population
weaknesses of situational variables
DEMAND CHARACTERISTICS
pps can guess the shocks were not real = demand characteristics= lack of internal validity
weaknesses of situational variables
THE ‘OBEDIENCE ALIBI’
considers situational explanation to be offensive to the holocaust because it removes personal responsibility = risk trivializing genocide
what 3 things are needed to make minority influence successful
consistency
commitment
flexibility
define consistency
increase the amount of interest from other people& rethink their own views
synchronic: people are all saying the same thing
diachronic: saying the same thing all the time
define commitment
engage in extreme activities to draw attention to their cause at some risk because it demonstrates commitment to the cause
majority members start to pay more attention = augmentation principle
define flexibility
balance of consistency and flexibility so they dont appear rigid
what does flexibility, commitment and consistency lead to
people think more about the topic than majority views = become converted and switch from the majority to the minority ( more this happens= faster rate of conversion= snowball effect
minority becomes the majority+ social change has occurred
define minority influence
a type of social influence which minority rejects the established norm and persuades the majority to move to the position of the majority
=internalisation (public + private change)
minority influence
SERGE MOSCOVICI
aim and sample
how important is consistency in influencing the majority as the minority
“blue slide green slide”
participants given eye tests to ensure they weren’t color blind
placed in group with 4 other people and 2 confederates
minority influence
SERGE MOSCOVICI
procedure
36 slides that were different shades of blue and asked to state the color
consistent confederates saying green for each slide= 8.25%
inconsistent=1.3%
control group (no confederates)= 0.25%
minority influence
SERGE MOSCOVICI
conclusion
minority can influence majorities & much more effective when minority are consistent
strengths of minority influences explanations
RESEARCH SUPPORT FOR CONSISTENCY
moscovici demonstrated that minority are consistent= can influence the majority
strengths of minority influences explanations
RESEARCH SUPPORT FOR DEPTH OF THOUGHT
found that people are less willing to change their opinion to new conflicting views if they have listened to a minority rather than if they have listened to the majority
= minority message been more deeply processed and had more enduring effect
weaknesses of minority influences explanations
ARTIFICAL TASKS
real life situations are more complicated (eg Asch) + cannot capture the commitment of minorities to their cause = findings lack external validity = limits real world application
explanation for resistance to social influence
LOCUS OF CONTROL
sense we have about what directs events in our lives on a continuum
external = without control
internal= more responsible for actions = resist pressures as more likely to base their decisions on their own belief because more self confident with less need for social approval = greater resistance
explanation for resistance to social influence
LOCUS OF CONTROL
sense we have about what directs events in our lives on a continuum
external = without control
internal= more responsible for actions = resist pressures as more likely to base their decisions on their own belief because more self confident with less need for social approval = greater resistance
strengths for locus of control explanation
RESEARCH SUPPORT
repeated Milgram’s study and measured LoC = internals did not continue to the highest and showed greater resistance
= higher validity
weaknesses for locus of control explanation
CONTRADICTORY RESEARCH
data showed over 40 years people become more resistant to obedience but more internal ( = challenges link between LoC and resistance) = lacks temporal validity as not supported overtime
weaknesses for locus of control explanation
ROLE OF LoC MAY BE EXAGGERATED
rotter found its only important in new situations + has little influence in familiar situations where previous experiences are more important = explanation is limited = less applicable
weaknesses for locus of control explanation
ROLE OF LoC MAY BE EXAGGERATED
rotter found its only important in new situations + has little influence in familiar situations where previous experiences are more important = explanation is limited = less applicable
define resistance
ability of people to withstand social pressure to conform to the majority or obey
explanation for resistance to social influence
SOCIAL SUPPORT
presence of people (dissenters) who resist pressure to conform/ obey can help others do the same thing
act as models to show free will is possible
BUT effect is not long lasting
strengths of social support
RESEARCH SUPPORT (ALLEN + LEVINE)
independent increased with one dissenter= resistance is not motivated by following what some one is doing but enables someone to be free from the pressure of the group
strengths of social support
RESEARCH SUPPORT (gamson)
found higher
levels of resistance in studies when in groups =peer support is linked greater to resistance
define social cryptomnesia
people have a memory that change has occurred but some people have no memory of the events leading to that change
steps for how social change occurs
6 points
drawing attention
consistency
deeper processing
augmentation principale
snowball effect
social cryptomnesia
dispositional: authoritarian personality
have an inherent disposition to obedience
internal explanation - part of personality
people whose disposition makes them submissive to authority and dominating of people with lower status within the hierarchy and members of an out-group.
Adorno et al
created the F-scale personality test to measure the authoritarian personality in people.
, Milgram found that people who were highly obedient in his experiments scored higher on the F-scale than those who disobeyed.
