Social Influences paper 1 Flashcards
- What is normative social influence?
- An example
- Where it happens
- Copying people to be liked
- Fashion
- Around strangers
- What is informational social influence
- An example
- Where it happens
- Copying people to be right
- Cheating in a test
- New environment
What was the Deutsch and Gerard research and was it a strength or limitation
Two process model : conformity can be both normative and informational.
LIMITATION: because other psychologists believe the conformities can work alone
What was the Lucas et al research and was it an strength or limitation?
giving students maths questions proving that more students conform as questions get harder
STRENGTH - people conform to be right (informational)
What was the linkenbach and Perkins research and was it a strength or limitation
putting up posters stating less teenagers smoke resulting in even less teens smoking
STRENGTH - people stopped smoking to fit the norm and be liked (normative)
what does a compliance level of conformity mean? & give an example
Publicly agreeing but disagreeing in private e.g normative
What does an identification level of conformity mean?
Acting when given a label
What does an internalisation level of conformity mean & give an example
Publicly and privately changing your own opinion e.g informational
Brief outline of Asch’s experiment
Male American uni students asked to take part in a visual line test
Groups formed of actors and one confederate
Actors told to give the deliberate wrong answer
Results of Asch’s experiment
Experimental group: 36.8% conformed 25% never conformed
Control group: less than 1% conformed
Evaluation of Asch’s experiment
- LIMITATION: only used male = lacks population validity
- STRENGTH: high internal validity
- LIMITATION: participants were deceived as they were told they were taking part in a visual test
- STRENGTH: given a debrief after experiment (counter argument)
How did Asch’s establish cause and effect &what did changing the task result in
By changing his experiment in 3 ways: group size, task difficulty and a rebel.
Changing each one at a time results in cause and effect: group size=3 confederate increases conformity, task difficulty=lines similar increases conformity, rebel=someone not lying reduces conformity
Briefly outline Zimbardo’s experiment
Students volunteer to take part.
Fake prison set up
roles of prisoner or guard randomly assigned
Prisoners were arrested, deloused and blindfolded
Results of Zimbardo’s experiment
Meant to last for 14 days but stopped by Zimbardo’s wife after 6 days
Participants identified to their social roles
Evaluation of Zimbardo’s experiment
- LIMITATION: no right to withdraw-participants could only leave if they were emotionally unstable
- STRENGTH: control of variables - only emotionally stable participants allowed to take part
- LIMITATION: guards given weapons which were used-physical harm
- LIMITATION: Fromm (1973) 1/3 guards brutal, 1/3 keeps rules, 1/3 supported prisoners = participants didn’t identify to their roles
Briefly outline milgrams experiment
Male volunteers payed to take part
Given the job of being a teacher and ad to shock a learner when given an incorrect answer
Shocks up to 450V
Results of milgrams experiment
2/3 volunteers obedient
65% continued to 450V
Evaluation of milgrams experiment
- STRENGTH: hofling’s research - 21/22 nurses
- LIMITATION: physical harm (sweating and seizures)
- LIMITATION: right to withdraw
- STRENGTH: replications - French documentary showed 80% of people on a reality show gave fatal shocks when ordered to do so
What are the three situational variables
Proximity, location, uniform
How did situational variables affect milgrams experiment
Proximity - when the teacher and the learner were in the same room obedience levels dropped to 40%
Location - when the experiment was carried out in a run down building obedience levels dropped to 47%
Uniform - when a member of the public, dressed in ordinary clothes, took over obedience levels dropped to 20%
Evaluation of situational variables
- BICKMAN SUPPORTS: confederate dresses as milkman, security guard and in a jacket and tie. People 2x more likely to obey security guard than the jacket and tie
- BICKMAN LIMITATION: people were deceived in bickmans experiment making it unethical and a limitation
- LIMITATION: lacks internal validity - variation with a member of the public as the experimenter is not realistic
- STRENGTH: control of variables - proximity,location,uniform changed one at a time
What are the two psychological factors affecting obedience
Agentic state
Legitimacy of authority
What is the agentic state
The shift from autonomous to agentic. When in the autonomous state you feel responsible for your actions, whereas in the agentic state you don’t. The shift is permanent
What are binding factors
Where you ignore or minimise the damage as a result of your own actions
