Social Influence [U1] Flashcards
Krill boarself
1
Q
Asch (1951) and Asch (1955) on NSI
A
- Evaluating NSI
- Post-OG-Experiment interviews on participants, who reported they wanted to avoid ‘disapproval’ from the others (Asch 1951)
- Repeat experiment where answers were written and conformity fell to 12.5% (Asch 1955)
2
Q
Lucas et al. on ISI
A
- Participants given a mathematical problem and a potential answer
- Greater conformity in harder questions
- In ambiguity, participants conformed to be correct
3
Q
Low clarity in conformity explanations
A
- Conformity can be explained using either
- E.g. in Asch, a dissenter could provide social support or an alternative info source
4
Q
Orne & Holland & Perry on Milgram
A
- 75% of participants believed shocks were real (Milgram)
- Participants didn’t believe and were acting (Orne & Holland)
- Listened to tapes of Milgram’s participants. Half believed the shocks, two thirds of these non-believers were disobedient (Perry)
- DCs
5
Q
Sheridan & King on puppies
A
- Delivered shocks to puppies
- 54% of males and 100% of females administered fatal shocks
- Counterpoint to Orne & Holland
6
Q
Milgram’s impact on Psych’s Reputation
A
- Right to withdraw, protection from harm
- One participant had a seizure, observed extreme signs of anxiety like sweating & nail biting.
- Several prompts (5) before allowed to leave
- Bad for Psych’s reputation, can harm future research and reduce people’s trust in the field
7
Q
Lucas et al. on Task Difficulty (+CP)
A
- Ppts. given easy and hard math problems
- Also given three wrong answers from other students
- Harder problems led to greater conformity to wrong answers
BUT
- Conformity is more complex
- Higher confidence in maths skills led to less conformity
- Individual-variation can affect impact of situational variables, which Asch failed to account for
8
Q
Fisk on Asch’s Research
A
- Artificial situation
- Conforming to demand characteristics
- No consequences to being incorrect, no reason not to conform. Low external validity (Fisk)
9
Q
Bond & Smith and Neto on Asch’s Sample
A
- 123 white american males
- Woman are more conformist, because they are more concerned with social relationships (Neto)
- Conformity research in collectivist cultures has found it to be higher (Bond & Smith)
- Gender & Culture Bias (Beta)
10
Q
Zimbardo’s control of variables
A
- High control
- Ppts. Screened for emotional stability & personality
- Results aren’t due to individual differences or participant variables, but due to pressure of situation
- High internal validity
11
Q
Fromm on Zimbardo’s conclusions
A
- Overlooked role of personality
- Guard behaviour varied drastically
- A third of guards were extremely sadistic, but a few were sympathetic, offering them cigarettes and reinstating lost privileges
- Zimbardo overstated influence of social rules
12
Q
Explaining the atrocities of Abu Ghraib
A
- Zimbardo likened the SPE & Abu Ghraib
- Lack of training or accountability + endless boredom = brutality and abuse
- The assigned roles and opportunity for power misuse fuelled this abuse
- RW Application
13
Q
Blass & Schmitt on the sociopsychological explanations
A
- Had students watch Milgram’s footage
- Asked who was responsible for harming the learner, students said experimenter
- Also identified experimenter was at top of social hierarchy, and an assumed expert
14
Q
Tarnow & Authority in Aviation
A
- Reviewed NTSB data of accidents, which had flight voice recorders and were due to flight crew actions
- Found excessive dependence on captain’s authority & expertise
- One officer said nothing when a captain took a risky approach, because he assumed competence
- Increase theory credibility
15
Q
Rank & Jacobson on sociopsychological explanations
A
- Cannot explain all findings
- 16/18 hospital nurses refused to administer an excessive drug dose from a doctor
- Only when familiar with drug and with other nurses
- Nurses remained autonomous
- Can only partially explain obedience
16
Q
Christie & Jahoda on Adorno’s Political Bias
A
- F-scale only measures extreme right-wing ideologies
- Ignores authoritarianism in left-wing politics, like Chinese Maoism
- Core bias means theory cannot account for obedience across diverse political range
17
Q
Impracticalities of Adorno’s Explanation
A
- Cannot explain whole population’s obedience
- E.g. Nazi Germany
- Everyone was racist and anti-semitic, but not all were the same personality type
- Can’t have all been raised the same way
- Adorno is limited because alt. explanations, like social identity theory, are more realistic
18
Q
Milgram & Elms on Adorno’s Work
A
- Interviewed 20 fully obedient and 20 disobedient Ppts. post-Milgram-Experiment
- Obedient Ppts. scored higher on F-scale and had more characteristics linked to Auth. personality
- Reinforces link between Auth. personality and higher obedience
19
Q
Albrecht et al. on Social Support
A
- Evaluated an 8 week anti-smoking programme for pregnant teens
- When an older participant buddy gave social support, participants were significantly less likely to smoke than a control
20
Q
Holland on Locus of Control
A
- Repeated Milgram and measured Loci
- 37% of internal Loci Ppts. disobeyed the highest shock, while 27% of external Loci ppts. disobeyed
21
Q
Rotter on Rotter’s Loci of Control
A
- Only applicable in unknown/novel situations
- If you obeyed or conformed in a situation in the past, you will do so again
- Therefore LoC only useful in new and ambiguous situations
- Shouldn’t be used in isolation and we should be conscientious of other factors
22
Q
Wood et al. on consistency
A
- Meta analysis of 100 moscovici-like studies
- The most consistent minorities were the most influential
- Large sample = Highly representative
23
Q
Low external validity of minority research
A
- Heavily controlled labs and artificial settings
- Majority has more power & status
- Oft used to oppress and oppose minority groups
- This power dynamic is absent in research
- Findings are limited when it comes to applying them
24
Q
Poor sample in Moscovici’s work
A
- All american women
- Beta bias means no data on men
- Unable to generalise
- Women are more likely to conform (Neto)
- An incomplete picture
- Research has low population validity
25
Q
Nolan et al. on NI in SC
A
- Hung messages on front door of people’s houses in San Diego
- Messages said residents were trying to reduce energy usage
- Control simply asked to save energy
- Significant different in decrease between both groups
- Supports conformity role in SC
26
Q
Foxcroft et al. on social norms & SC
A
- As part of the Cochrane collaboration, they reviewed 70 studies where the social norms approach was used towards alcoholic students
- A small reduction in quantity of drinking
- No change to frequency of drinking
- NI doesn’t always produce long-term SC
27
Q
Mackie on deeper processing in SC
A
- It’s the majority view that encourages deeper processing, not the minority view
- We like to assume everyone thinks the same as us
- We think hard about the majority’s view when this assumption is challenged
- Presents conflicting views, casting doubt on its validity
