Social Psychology - Social Influences

Question 1

Define conformity.

Answer 1

Yielding to group pressure/majority influence

Question 2

Define compliance

Answer 2

Publicly, but not privately, yielding to a majority influence in order to gain group acceptance.

Question 3

Define identification

Answer 3

Public and private acceptance of majority influence in order to gain group acceptance

Question 4

Define internalisation

Answer 4

Public and private acceptance of majority influence and the groups behaviour becomes part of the individuals value/belief system.

Question 5

What is informative social influence?

Answer 5

A motivational force to look to others for guidance in order to be correct.

Question 6

What is normative social influence?

Answer 6

A motivational force to be liked and accepted by a group.

Question 7

What is the aim of the Asch study?

Answer 7

To investigate the degree to which individuals would conform to a majority who gave obviously wrong answers.

Question 8

What was the procedure of the Asch study?

Answer 8

Individual participants were placed in groups with 7-9 confederates. The task was to say which comparison line A,B or C was the same as a stimulus line. There were 12 ‘critical’ trials, where every confederate gave the identical wrong answer and the real participant answered last.

Question 9

What were the findings of the Asch study?

Answer 9

On the 12 critical trials, there was a 32% conformity rate to wrong answers. 75% conformed to at least one wrong answer and 5% conformed to all 12 wrong answers.

Question 10

What were the conclusions of the Asch study?

Answer 10

The judgment of individuals are affected by majority opinions, even when the majority are obviously wrong. As most participants conformed publicly, but not privately, it suggests they were motivated by normative social influence (to gain acceptance and avoid ridicule).

Question 11

What are the criticisms of the Asch study?

Answer 11

Only one participant is tested at a time= time consuming
Task lacked mundane realism
Involved deceit & involved psychological harm (participants were under stress through disagreeing with others) = unethical

Question 12

Define situational variables

Answer 12

Features of an environment that affect the degree to which individuals conform.

Question 13

What are the situational variables that affect conformity?

Answer 13

Size of group
Unanimity
Task difficulty

Question 14

How does group size affect conformity?

Answer 14

When the size of the majority increases, the rate of conformity increases, but there is a point where further increases in the size of the majority doesn’t lead to further increases in conformity.

Question 15

How does unanimity affect conformity?

Answer 15

If the group is not unanimous, conformity rates decrease significantly as this provides social support.

Question 16

How does task difficulty affect conformity?

Answer 16

As task difficulty increases, so does rate of conformity. This is a result of the right answer being less obvious and individuals will look to others more for guidance (informative social influence)

Question 17

Define social roles

Answer 17

The parts individuals play as members of social groups, which meet the expectations of that situation.

Question 18

What is the aim of Zimbardo’s study?

Answer 18

To investigate the extent to which people would conform to the social roles of guard and prisoner and to test the dispositional verses situational hypothesis.

Question 19

What was the procedure of the Zimbardo study?

Answer 19

21 males volunteered for a study of prison life paying $15 a day. 10 were randomly chosen to be guards and 11 to be prisoners. Zimbardo himself played the role of prison superintendent. The prisoners were arrested by real local police and taken to a mock prison. The prisoners were dehumanised by given numbers rather than names. Guards wore uniforms and truncheons (although physical violence was prohibited).

Question 20

What were the findings of the study?

Answer 20

Both guards and prisoners conformed to their roles quickly. The guards became ever more sadistic and the prisoners became submissive. De-individuation was noticeable among prisoners as they referred earache other and themselves by number not names.
After 36hrs one prisoner was released due to fits of crying and rage. 3 more prisoners developed similar symptoms.

Question 21

What were the conclusions of the Zimbardo study?

Answer 21

The situational hypothesis was favoured as none of the participants had ever shown such character traits before. Therefore, the environment of the mock prison led to their uncharacteristic behaviour. Individuals conformed readily to social roles demanded of a situation, often demonstrating social roles gained from media sources and learned models of social power.

Question 22

What are the criticisms of the zimbardo study?

Answer 22

The prisoners did not consent to being ‘arrested’, which also put them under stress. The participants playing the role of prisoner were not protected from psychological harm.
Incitement to take part: $15 a day.
High demand characteristics (guards claimed they were acting as they were playing a role, they were unaffected by factors which affect real behaviour).

Question 23

Define dispositional variables.

Answer 23

Personal characteristics that affect the degree to which individuals conform.

Question 24

Define obedience

Answer 24

Complying with the demands of an authority figure

Question 25

What was the aim of the Milgram study?

Answer 25

To test the ‘Germans are different’ hypothesis claiming Germans are highly obedient. To investigate if individuals would obey the orders of an authority figure that incurred negative consequences and went against ones moral code.

Question 26

What was the procedure of Milgrams study?

Answer 26

40 American males responded to an advertisement to volunteer for a study of memory. They were each met by a confederate experimenter wearing a lab coat. The real participant was always a ‘teacher’ and a confederate being the ‘learner’. Participants read out questions in which the learner would get wrong and the teacher was asked to administer an electric shock each time they got it wrong and increasing the shock by 15 volts higher than the previous one. At 150 volts and higher, the learner began to demand to be released. Anytime the teacher became reluctant to continue, the experimenter would encourage them to with verbal prods. The teacher was also instructed to keep shocking the learner if he stopped answering.

Question 27

What were the findings of the Milgram study?

Answer 27

65% of participants completely obeyed and gave shocks up to the maximum 450 volts. 100% of participants continued up to 300 volts.
Many participants showed distress, twitching, sweating and 3 participants had uncontrollable seizures.

Question 28

What were the conclusions of the Milgram study?

Answer 28

The ‘Germans are different’ hypothesis is false. Milgrams participants were Americans. Their high level of obedience showed that people obey those regarded as authority figures.

Question 29

What are the criticisms of the Milgram study?

Answer 29

Androcentrism (male sample, results cannot be generalised to females)
Low temporal validity (American culture in the 1960s was more authoritarian and obedient than contemporary American society)
Unethical (deception, lack of informed consent, psychological harm, inducement to take part)

Question 30

Define autonomous state

Answer 30

Where individuals are seen as personal responsible for their actions.

Question 31

Define agentic state

Answer 31

Where the individual may obey an order, perhaps with negative consequences as they see themselves as an agent for the authority figure and therefore does not feel responsible for the outcome of the action.

Question 32

Define legitimacy of authority

Answer 32

The degree to which individuals are seen as justified in having power over others.

Question 33

How is legitimacy of authority an explanation for obedience?

Answer 33

We decide the legitimacy of authority using visual guides or symbols of power. If the authority figure is legitimate, we fear the consequences of not obeying the individual as we are socialised to recognise the value of obedience to authority figures as maintaining stability in society.

Question 34

What are the situational variables affecting obedience?

Answer 34

Proximity
Location
Uniform

Question 35

How does proximity affect obedience?

Answer 35

Reduced proximity creates a buffer preventing individuals from witnessing or confronting the consequences of their actions. Increasing proximity, decreases the rate of obedience

Question 36

Give an example of a variation of Milgrams study that changed the proximity of the teacher and learner. How did this affect obedience rates?

Answer 36

The proximity of the teacher and learner increased as the teacher had to force the learners hand onto a shock plate to receive the shock. This caused obedience rate to decrease significantly to 30%.

Question 37

How does location affect obedience rates?

Answer 37

The location of an environment acts as a visual guide and symbol of power affecting the perceived legitimacy of authority. The loss of legitimacy of authority causes rate of obedience to decrease. Therefore, prestigious environments increase rate of obedience.

Question 38

Give an example of a variation of Milgrams study that changed the location of the study. How did this affect obedience rates?

Answer 38

Location of the study was moved from prestigious Yale university to a rundown and seedy office above a shop. This caused a loss of legitimacy of authority, and obedience rates decreased to 48%.

Question 39

How does uniform affect rates of obedience?

Answer 39

Uniform acts as a visual guide and symbol of power affecting the perceived legitimacy of authority. Loss of legitimacy of authority causes obedience rates to decrease significantly.

Question 40

What is Bickman’s study of uniform affecting obedience?

Answer 40

Bickman found that when ordering people on a New York street to pick up rubbish, 30% would obey his research assistant when he was dressed in civillian clothing, but 76% when he wore a security guards uniform. This was because they believed he had legitimate authority.

Question 41

Define authoritarian personality

Answer 41

Description of a person who holds rigid beliefs, intolerant of ambiguity, submissive to authority and hostile to those of lower status.

Question 42

What are the strengths of the authoritarian personality as an explanation for obedience?

Answer 42

Psychometric testing (F-scale) provides empirical evidence of the authoritarian personality 
Milgram found that highly obedient participants in his study were significantly more authoritarian on the F-scale than disobedient participants

Question 43

What are the criticisms of the authoritarian personality as an explanation of obedience?

Answer 43

It is unlikely that whole social groups such as the Nazis are authoritarian and so does not explain how they are prejudiced.
The theory is politically bias as individuals with an authoritarian personality are seen as only right wing.
The F-scale suffers from response bias.

Question 44

Define resistance to social influence

Answer 44

The ways in which individuals attempt to withstand perceived attempts to threaten freedom of choice.

Question 45

Define social support

Answer 45

The perception of assistance and solidarity available from others.

Question 46

Define locus of control

Answer 46

The extent to which individuals believe that they can control events in their lives.

Question 47

How does locus of control explain resistance to social influence.

Answer 47

People with high internal locus of control believe their actions determine the outcomes in life and therefore, are more likely to be autonomous and less likely to conform or obey.
People with high external locus of control believe fate and external influences what happens in life. Consequently they are more likely to conform or obey as they are more likely to seek social approval.

Question 48

What are other explanations of resistance to conformity ?

Answer 48

Reactance - rebellious anger produced by attempts to restrict freedom of choice.
Ironic deviance - questioning the source of social influence lowers their susceptibility to normative social influence.
Status - an individuals social position within a hierarchal group means they are less likely to conform and seek social approval.

Question 49

What are other explanations of resistance of obedience?

Answer 49

Systematic processing - analysis based on critical thinking leads to questioning legitimacy of authority. If legitimacy is questionable, obedience is less likely.
Morality - less likely to obey if the behaviour is against ones perception of proper conduct
Personality - individuals that can empathise with the feelings of others are more able to resist orders with negative consequences

Question 50

Define minority influence

Answer 50

A type of social influence that motivates individuals to reject established majority group norms

Question 51

What are the characteristics of influential minorities?

Answer 51

Consistency-unchanging in their opposition to the majority
Commitment-passionate and dedicated to changing the beliefs of the majority
Flexibility-the degree that a minority is prepared to shift their views to make them more acceptable to the majority.
Augmentation-sacrifices show they are willing to suffer to bring about change

Question 52

What is the aim of moscovici’s study?

Answer 52

To investigate the role of consistent minority upon a majority ina n unambiguous situation

Question 53

What was the procedure of Moscovici’s study?

Answer 53

Participants were placed in 32 groups of 6. In each group there were 4 real participants and 2 confederates. Participants were told it was a study about perception. Each group was shown 36 blue slides with filters varying the intensity of the colour. In the consistent condition, the confederates said 24 of the slides were green. Answers were given verbally in the presence of the rest of the group.

Question 54

What were the findings of Moscovici’s study?

Answer 54

8. 2% of participants yielded to the minority influence of the confederates in the consistent condition, with 32% agreeing at least once.
9. 25% agreed in the inconsistent condition.

Question 55

What were the conclusions of Moscovici’s study?

Answer 55

Although minority influence is relatively small, consistency is an important variable.

Question 56

What are the criticisms of the Moscovici study?

Answer 56

Lacks mundane realism

Use of deception = unethical.

Question 57

What is social change?

Answer 57

The process by which society changes beliefs, attitudes and behaviour to create new social norms.

Question 58

Explain how social change occurs.

Answer 58

A minority offers a consistent yet flexible message
The minority show they are committed to their cause and may be able to show they have made sacrifices of their own
The minority message is passed onto other members of the majority causing a snowball effect
This will reach critical mass (the minority becomes the majority)
Once the social change becomes an established norm, the source of the change is forgotten (social cryptoamnesia).