social support

Question 1

DESCRIBE GAMSON ET ALS STUDY

Answer 1

• group of strangers hired indivually by a large company (MHRC) to perform discussion group on camera
• after accepting, participants discover that company is acting wrongly however are asked to be agents of the company by agreeing to carry out some tasks
• at three points authority requests specific act of wrong doing

Question 2

WHAT ARE THE 5 STAGES OF GAMSON ET ALS STUDY

Answer 2

1. 261 ppl answered advert asking them to take part in research, paid £10 and consented recording
2. 33 groups of 8/9, arrived at hotel and began discussion, experimenter left when they started
3. discussed case of unfair dismissal, employee had been sacked for living with his partner and questioning company pricing
4. experimenter had prompts to get groups to continue- ‘we find better discussion if 3 take alternative vewipoint’
5. EARLY Protest- 3 ppl asked to argue companies veiwpoint
   LATE Protest- then 3 more asked to comply
   - asked to sign a release form consenting their veiws to be used in court

Question 3

WHAT WERE THE REUSLTS OF GAMSONS STUDY

Answer 3

• 16/33 groups - 1/3 of participants reblled when asked to take the companies veiw in early protest
• 2 cases they would go no further
• participants said comments like ‘ i mean ill take the money but this is the most ludicrous afternoon’
• overall 23/33 groups rebelled and 14 refused to sign release form

Question 4

WHAT IS THE CONCLUSION OF THE STUDY

Answer 4

• having support from others increases resistance to orders , especially orders seen as unjust

Question 5

GIVE 2 EVALUATION POINTS OF THE STUDY

Answer 5

+ Good ecological validity as participants believed in the set up in the hotel conference room

x ethics are questionable, lots of deception and stress caused to participants

x the original intention was to get 80 groups but this had to be abandoned as researchers saw the level of emotion put participants=research incomplete