Social psychology

Question 1

What is the definition of conformity?

Answer 1

A change in a person’s behaviour because of real or imagined pressure from a group or individual.

Question 2

What is the definition of internalisation?

Answer 2

Caused by ISI.

When we genuinely accept the values of a group because we believe they are right. It doesn’t rely on the presence of the group because we accept the view as correct.

Deepest and most permanent type of conformity.

Question 3

What is the definition of identification?

Answer 3

When we act/ believe in the same way as a group because we want to be a part of the group. This depends on the presence of the group. intermediate level of conformity.

Question 4

What is the definition of compliance?

Answer 4

Caused by NSI.

When we outwardly agree with a group but privately disagree. This is the most shallow type of conformity.

Question 5

What is the definition of Information social influence?

Answer 5

‘The desire to be right.’

Leads to internalisation.

Question 6

What is the definition of Normative social influence?

Answer 6

‘The desire to be liked.’

Leads to compliance.

Question 7

Who suggested that we conform in three different ways?

Answer 7

Kehlman (1958).

Question 8

Who argued we conformed because of NSI and ISI?

Answer 8

Deutsch and Gerald (1955) = argued it was a 2-process theory.

Question 9

What are the strengths of ISI?

Answer 9

• Research support = internal validity
  Lucas et al (2006) = found increased confomity when they gave participants harder exam questions especially people with low math ability.
• Interactionist approach =

Question 10

What are the weaknesses of ISI?

Answer 10

• individual differences = low generalisability
  It doesn’t affect people in the same way. in Asch’s 1955 variation experiments = students were less conformist (28%) to other participants (37%)
  ^ the lack of conformity ≠ ISI bc internalisation hasn’t occurred and lead to ISI.

Question 11

What are the strengths of NSI?

Answer 11

• Research support = internal validity
  Asch (1951) = 75% of people conformed at least once. 36.8% all of the time bc the confederate. This shows people want to be liked as confomorty fell to 12.5% when they wrote down their answers on paper.

Question 12

What are the weaknesses of NSI?

Answer 12

• Individual differences = low generalisability
  McGhee and Teevan (1967) found that students are more likely to conform. This is because students are nAffiliators and have a higher need for affiliation.
  ^ therefore this limits the generalisiabilty bc the desire to be liked is varying between people.

Question 13

What did Asch do? (Not asked for in the exam)

Answer 13

Sample = 123 male undergraduates 
Procedure = participants must match the lines given to them to the line they saw previously. Participant is inbetween 6-8 confederates.

Question 14

What was the findings of Asch’s original study?

Answer 14

They conformed bc of NSI

36.8% conformed all of the time.
75% confomed at least once
25% never conformed.

Question 15

How did group size affect confomity? (One of Asch’s variations)

Answer 15

3 confederates = 31.8%
More confederates and only 1 C = no difference
2 confederates = 12.8%

Question 16

How did unamity affect confomity? (One of Asch’s variations)

Answer 16

Caused less confomity = only 25% conformed

Supports NSI and ISI.

Question 17

How did task difficulty affect confomity? (One of Asch’s variations)

Answer 17

Increased conformity

Supports ISI

Question 18

What are the weaknesses of Asch’s research?

Answer 18

• ‘A child of its time’ = low temporal validity
  Experiment = 1950s which was peak McCrathyism and therefore the confimty was really high bc htye didn’t want to be thought of negatively.
• Experimental paradigm = ETHICS
  They deceived the participants and might have led them to feel embarrassed ≠ protection from mental harm. So this lowers the trust in the psychologist.

Question 19

What happened in Zimbardo’s Stanford Prison experiment?

Answer 19

• Basement mock prison, psychology dept, Stanford uni
  Sample = 24 physically and mentally tested MALE volunteers who were paid $15 a day. 2 reserves, 1 dropped out = 10 prisoners and 11 wardens.
• Prisoners = standard prison procedure and put into uniforms whereas the wardens were given sunglasses.
• Duration was supposed to be 2 weeks but lasted 6 days 5 participants dropped out early and the guards were growing more tyrannical.

Question 20

What is the dispositional explanation of behaviour?

Answer 20

People act according to thier individual personalities regardless of their situation.

Question 21

What is the situational explanation of behaviour?

Answer 21

‘Parts’ people act that is beffitting of their social role depending on the situation.

Question 22

What were the findings and conclusions of the Stanford Prison Experiment?

Answer 22

Supports situational explanation of bhvr as both the prisoners and guards conformed to their social role.

Question 23

What are the strengths of the SPE?

Answer 23

• Abu Ghraib = APPLICATION
  In an Iraqi prison, similar events occurred where American soldiers increasingly became more tyrannical. This can help prevention of serious infringing of human rights.
• Control over variables = Internal validity
  selection of participants = emotionally and physically stable (increased ethics and most prisoners are like this) and randomly assigned roles = reduced individual differences.

Question 24

What are the weaknesses of the SPE?

Answer 24

• Ethics
  Major depression + trauma were done to the participants. Psychologists failed their responsibility in protecting their participants from harm. Particiapnst asked to leave but Zimbardo bc ‘went native’ = responded as a superintendent worried about the prison instead of ht wellbeing of the participant.
• Role of dispositional influences = x internal validity
  From (1973) argued that they exaggerated conformity through the situational explanation of bhvr. 1/3 of guards = cruel and the others were offering sympathy e.g giving cigarretes.

Question 25

What is obedience?

Answer 25

A form of social infleunce where we do a direct order from an individual higher than us.

Question 26

What happened in Milgram’s obedience study?

Answer 26

• 1963
  Aim = investigate whether ordinary people will obey in extreme situations.
  Sample = 40 MALE = paid $4.50 even if they quit.
  Procedure = fixed lots so the confederate was always the learner. Everytime Q was wrong teacher will shock. 3 prods were used to if they asked to stop. 450 was maximum.

Question 27

What were the findings and conclusions of Milgram’s study on obedience?

Answer 27

65% = max 450V
5 participants (12.5%) = stopped at 300V (first time confederate shows pain through objection.
Qualitative data made also made = stuttering
Participants were debriefed after and told bhvr was normal.
Normal people are very obedient to those who have higher authority.

Question 28

What are the weaknesses of Milgram’s study on obedience?

Answer 28

• Ethics:
  Breaks promise of keeping participants from harm bc they were put under mental strains. Also they are betraying the trust of the participants on them.
• Low internal validity
  Orne and Holland (1968) = people went to 450V because they didn’t believe that the shocks were real. Gina Perrys (2013) also supports this as Perrys listen to the tapes and saw people were doubtful.

Question 29

What were the strengths of Milgram’s study

Answer 29

• Reveals relationships between higher figures of authority. External validity
  Hofling et al (1966) = nurses on hospital ward were obedient to unjustified demands of the doctors. 21/22 obeyed.
• Research support = internal validity
  although Orne and Holland dismiss people believing it, Sheridan and King (1972) = similar study but with puppy. 54% of males and 100% of females believed they were genuine shocks.