Social Influences

Question 1

What are the three types of conformity?

Answer 1

Compliance, Internalisation and identification

Question 2

Define Compliance

Answer 2

A superficial and temporary type of conformity where we outwardly go along with the majority view, but privately disagree with it

Question 3

Define identification

Answer 3

A moderate type of conformity where we take on the majority view because we want to be associated with the group as we value them in some way, even though we don’t necessarily agree with everything they believe

Question 4

Define Internalisation

Answer 4

A deep type of conformity where we take on the majority view because the content of the attitude/behaviour proposed is consistent with our own value system

Question 5

Define the two explanations for obedience

Answer 5

Normative Social Influence - people conform because they want to be accepted. Driven by emotional factor rather than cognitive. Innate for us as social creatures to fear rejection. More likely to happen in a situation where an individual believes they are under surveillance by the group.

Informational Social Influence - People conform because they want to be right. It’s a cognitive process. Most likely to happen in ambiguous situations or where the others are experts. Change behaviour to conform with someone they deem to be right.

Question 6

What is conformity?

Answer 6

A type of social influence where a person changes their attitude or behaviour in response to group pressure.

Question 7

What are nAffiliators?

Answer 7

nAffiliators are people who have a greater need for ‘affiliation’ which makes them more susceptible to NSI as they have care more about being liked by the group

Question 8

1 Strength of NSI

Answer 8

Research support:
Linkenbach and Perkins (2003) found adolescents exposed to message that the majority of their peers didn’t smoke were less likely to take up smoking.
In Asch’s research, participants reported conforming as they felt self-conscious and were afraid of disapproval from the group. When participants wrote their answers, conformity fell to 12.5%.

Question 9

1 Strength of ISI

Answer 9

Research support:
Lucas et al. (2006) asked students to give answers to mathematical questions that were easy or more difficult. Was greater conformity to incorrect answers when they were difficult. People conform in ambiguous situations as predicted by ISI

Question 10

1 Limitation of ISI and NSI

Answer 10

Do not always work independently. It’s assumed NSI and ISI are 2 seperate processes but more often both processes are involved. In Asch’s study they may have conformed to the incorrect majority because they wanted to be accepted (NSI) or because the majority cast doubt on their ability to be correct (ISI). Isn’t always possible to be sure which type of conformity is at work.

Question 11

2 Limitations of NSI

Answer 11

Individual differences - nAffiliators have a greater need for affiliation and so are more likely to be affected.

May not always be detected - Some individuals do not recognise the behaviour of others as a causal factor in the change of their own behaviour. Nolan et al. (2008) investigated whether people detected the influence of social norms on their own energy conservation behaviour. They believed the behaviour of their neighbours had the least impact on their behaviour when results showed it had the strongest impact.

Question 12

State the years Asch conducted his conformity studies.

Answer 12

1951 and 1955

Question 13

Describe the procedure of Asch’s baseline study

Answer 13

123 male US undergraduates were placed in groups of 9 participants. Only one naïve participant present in the group; the rest were confederates. The participants were shown 3 lines that differed in length and asked to say which was the same length as the ‘standard’ line. Confederates deliberately instructed to give wrong answers

Question 14

Results and conclusions of Asch’s baseline study

Answer 14

When confederates gave same wrong answer, mean conformity rate = 36.8%
Naïve participants agreed with wrong answer on a third of the 12 trials
People will conform to a majority even when the majority is clearly incorrect.

Question 15

What is a dissenting confederate

Answer 15

A colleague of the researcher who is aware of the aim of the study and who goes against the group by giving a correct or different wrong answer.

Question 16

State the three variables which affect conformity

Answer 16

Group, Unanimity and Task difficulty.

Question 17

Outline the procedure and effect of unanimity on conformity

Answer 17

Added a dissenting confederate to the group. Conformity reduced by a quarter when there was a dissenting confederate giving the right answer

Question 18

Outline the procedure and effect of group size on conformity

Answer 18

Asch varied the number of confederates giving the answer from 1-15 and found a curvilinear relationship. Conformity with 3 confederates reached 31.8% and adding any more had no effect and conformity levelled off.

Question 19

Outline the procedure and effect of task difficulty on conformity

Answer 19

Asch added some more difficult line judgement tasks in which the comparison line and standard line were less obviously different. Conformity increased when line judgement more difficult.

Question 20

Strength and counter of Asch’s research

Answer 20

Research methodology. Controlled lab study. Provides objective, measurable and quantifiable data. High internal validity as used a clear IV (majority of opinion) and a clear DV (% of participants conforming) Can be easily replicated. Smith et al (2006) replicated the study and produced similar results. COUNTER - Low ecological validity. Does not reflect conformity in everyday life.

Question 21

3 Limitations of Asch’s research

Answer 21

Lack’s temporal validity:
Experiment took place in 1950s America in a period of McCarthyism which was strongly anti-communist and in which people were scared to go against the majority. Perrin and Spencer (1980) repeated the study in the UK and only one person conformed out of 396 trials.

Ethical issues: Deception. Fake participants and fake aims (told it was a test of eye-sight). COUNTER - Fully debriefed and interviewed after the study.

Unrepresentative sample: Males (beta bias) from the US, an individualist culture (culture bias). May not accurately represent conformity rates in other countries. Smith et al (2006) analysed Asch type studies across different cultures. Found conformity higher among collectivist cultures across Africa and Asia. This could be because in collectivist cultures the social group is more important than the individual.

Question 22

Define social roles

Answer 22

The behaviours expected of an individual who occupies a given social position

Question 23

Outline what is meant by conformity to social roles

Answer 23

When an individual adopts a certain behaviour and belief due to the expectations that arise out of the role they play in society and the social situation but stop when they are out of that situation

Question 24

What key study investigated conformity to social roles and what question did they want to answer?

Answer 24

Zimbardo Stanford Prison Experiment (1973)
“Do prison guards behave brutally because they have sadistic personalities or is it the situation that creates this behaviour”

Question 25

Sample and procedure of Zimbardo’s study

Answer 25

24 male undergrad student volunteers.
All participants were psychological and physically screened to ensure they were fit to partake in the experiment. Participants were randomly assigned either the role of ‘prisoner’ or ‘guard’.
‘Prisoners’ were arrested at home and were given uniform and assigned ID numbers. “Guards’ were given uniform, mirrored glasses and wooden clubs and told they had complete power over prisoners

Question 26

How did guards show conformity to their roles

Answer 26

Guards abused and harassed prisoners – frequent headcounts in middle of night, forcing prisoners to clean toilets with their bare hands, punishing for smallest misdemeanour

Question 27

How did prisoners show conformity to their roles?

Answer 27

Prisoners wholly accepted the harsh treatment and became passive and subdued – five participants had to be withdrawn early for mental distress

Question 28

After how many days was the prison experiment stopped v how long it was meant to last.

Answer 28

Stopped after 6 days instead of 14 as the behaviour of the guards became a threat t the prisoners psychological and physical health.

Question 29

Conclusions of the Zimbardo study

Answer 29

Demonstrates the power of social roles of people’s behaviour = both the prisoners and guards conformed to roles eve when it went against moral principles.

Question 30

2 Strengths of Zimbardo’s study

Answer 30

High Internal validity: High control over variables. Emotionally stable individuals were chosen and randomly assigned to their roles to try and rule out personality differences. If guards and prisoners behaved very differently but in those roles only by chance, their behaviour must have been due to the pressures of the situation.

Real life application: Used to explain events such as the military prisons in Iraq notorious for the torture and abuse of Iraqi prisoners by US soldiers.
In the Stanford Prison Experiment (SPI) Zimbardo believed the guards were victims of situational factors. These factors included a lack of training, boredom and no accountability to higher authority. These factors were also present in the military prisons.
If we are aware of these factors and aware that it can lead to abuse, we can try and prevent this happening in the future

Question 31

2 Limitations of Zimbardo’s Study and 2 counters

Answer 31

Demand Characteristics - Participants may have been guessing how the experimenter wanted them to act rather than conforming to their social roles. Some details of the procedure presented to a sample of students who had never heard of the study. The majority guessed correctly that the aim was to show ordinary people assigned to the role of guard and prisoner would act like real prisoner and guards. COUNTER - Zimbardo pointed to evidence that the situation was very real to the participants. 90% prisoner conversations about prisoner life. Prisoner 416 expressed the view that the prison was real but run by psychologists rather than the government.

Ethical issues - Participants experienced severe emotional distress, breaching protection from psychological harm. Also, Zimbardo played a dual role as a researcher but also prisoner superintendent. One student spoke to Zimbardo in his role of superintendent wanting to leave the study and he responded as a superintendent rather than a researcher with a duty of care to his participants.

Question 32

Define obedience

Answer 32

A type of social influence whereby somebody acts in response to a direct order from a perceived authoritative figure

Question 33

Name the study which investigated obedience and the sample

Answer 33

Milgram (1963) - 40 male volunteers

Question 34

Describe the procedure of Milgram’s study

Answer 34

Participants told that the study was about how punishment affects learning. Two confederates were present - one in the role of experimenter and one rigged to be the learner. Naïve participant believed they were randomly assigned learner and teacher but they were always assigned teacher who tested the learner on their ability to learn word pairs. If the “learner” got the answer wrong, they were issued increasingly strong electric shocks by the teacher. Confederate was instructed to give deliberately wrong answers. Shocks ranged from 15-450 volts.

Question 35

Describe the results and conclusions of Milgram’s study

Answer 35

• All participants went to 300 volts
• 65% continued to maximum level of 450 volts
  People are willing to obey orders from an authority figure even if it goes against their moral principles

Question 36

2 Strengths of Milgram’s study

Answer 36

Temporal validity:
Burger (2009) replicated Milgram’s study and found almost identical results 46 years later

Supporting replication:
French reality TV show “Game of Death”. Participants believed they were contestants in a pilot episode for a new game show. They were paid to give fake electric shocks to other participants (actors). The findings were consistent with Milgram’s. 80% participants delivered the maximum shock of 460V

Question 37

3 Limitations of Milgram’s study

Answer 37

Lacks internal validity:
Demand characteristics. One of Milgram’s research assistants divided the participants into “doubters” - those who believed the electric shocks were fake, and “believers” who believed they were real. Found “believers” less likely to obey. COUNTER - A similar study was conducted where real electric shocks given to a puppy. Despite the real shocks 54% male and 100% female participants delivered what they thought was a fatal shock. Suggests effects in Milgram’s study were genuine as people behaved in the same way with real shocks.
Ethical issues:
Deception - Led participants to believe the allocation of learner and teacher was random. Also led to believe the electric shocks they were issuing were real. Protection from harm - suffered from stress and anxiety as they thought they were issuing potentially fatal shocks to a man with a heart condition. COUNTER - Debriefed participants reassuring them their behaviour was normal and made aware of true aims of the study. Sent follow-up questionnaire and 84% said they were glad to have participated.
Beta and culture bias - Only males from the individualist US.

Question 38

What are situational variables?

Answer 38

External factors which influence levels of obedience

Question 39

State the three situational variables Milgram implemented in his obedience study variations

Answer 39

Proximity, location, Uniform

Question 40

Describe proximity variations and effect

Answer 40

• Teacher and learner in the same room - obedience dropped to 40%
• Teacher holding learners hand on shock plate - obedience dropped to 30%
• Experimenter giving orders over the phone - obedience dropped to 20.5%

Question 41

Describe location variation and effect

Answer 41

When held in a run down office rather than the prestigious Yale, obedience dropped to 47.5%

Question 42

Describe uniform variation and effect

Answer 42

The experimenter was replaced midway through the experiment with an ordinary member of public dressed in everyday clothes rather than an experimenter in a lab coat - obedience dropped to 20%

Question 43

Outline three conditions in which obedience would be maximised

Answer 43

1. The person giving orders is wearing a uniform
2. The person giving orders is within a close proximity
3. The location where the orders are being given is prestigious

Question 44

2 strengths of situational variables and a counter

Answer 44

Research support for the power of uniform:
Convey power and authority. Bushman (1988) - female researcher dressed in either police style uniform, as a business executive or as a beggar. She stopped people in the street and told them to give to change to a male researcher for an expired parking meter. When she was in the uniform 72% of the people obeyed, whereas obedience rates were much lower when she was dressed as a business executive (48%) or as a beggar (52%). When interviewed after people
claimed they had obeyed the woman in uniform because she appeared to have authority.
Cross-culture replication
Meeus and Raajimakers (1986) used a more realistic procedure to study obedience in Dutch participants. The participants were ordered to say stressful things in an interview to a confederate desperate for a job. 90% of participants obeyed. They also replicated Milgram’s findings concerning proximity – when the person giving the orders was not present, obedience decreased. COUNTER - This replication and other have taken place in Western developed societies which are not culturally dissimilar from the USA so it would be premature to conclude that his findings apply to all people across cultures.

Question 45

2 Limitations of situational variables

Answer 45

Lacks internal validity :
Extra manipulation makes it more likely the participants would work out the aim. For example, Milgram recognised when the experimenter was replaced by a member of the public, the situation was so contrived the participants may have worked out the aim. It is thus unclear whether the results are genuinely due to the operation of obedience, or because the participants saw through the deception and acted accordingly therefore responding to demand characteristics.
Offers an “obedience alibi”:
Mandel (1988) argues that situational variables offers an excuse or ‘alibi’ for engaging in evil behaviour – in his view it is offensive to survivors of the Holocaust to suggest the Nazis were simply obeying orders and were victims themselves of situational factors beyond their control. It does not consider intrinsic or extrinsic factors which could be at play which resulted in the evil behaviours during the Holocaust

Question 46

State the two social-psychological explanations for obedience

Answer 46

Agentic state and legitimacy of authority.

Question 47

Define legitimacy of authority

Answer 47

A person who is perceived to be in a position of social control within a situation (condition needed to shift into agentic state)

Question 48

Define agentic state

Answer 48

When a person perceives themselves as an agent carrying out another persons wishes and thus no longer feels responsible for their behaviour.

Question 49

What is an agentic shift?

Answer 49

Most of the time we are in an autonomous state where we are free to behave according to our own principles. However, in the presence of a perceived authority figure, they shift from being autonomous to taking on the agentic state.

Question 50

What are binding factors?

Answer 50

Aspects of the situation that bind us to the task and help us to block out the moral strain we are experiencing

Question 51

Why do we obey legitimate authority?

Answer 51

Learn to accept from an early age and brought up to understand that some of these figures have the power to punish us. As a result, we are willing to give up some of our independence and trust people in these positions to use their authority appropriately.