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Social Influences Psychology > Year 12 Social Influences LCWC Pack > Flashcards

Year 12 Social Influences LCWC Pack Flashcards

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1
Q

What are the three types of conformity?

A
  1. Compliance
  2. Identification
  3. Internalisation
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2
Q

Define compliance.

A

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

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3
Q

Define identification.

A

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.

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4
Q

Define internalisation.

A

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.

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5
Q

What are the two explanations for conformity?

A
  1. Normative social influence (NSI)
  2. Informational social influence (ISI)
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6
Q

People conform because they want to be right – which explanation of conformity is this?

A

Informational social influence.

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7
Q

People conform because they want to be accepted – which explanation for conformity is this?

A

Normative social influence.

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8
Q

Which explanation for conformity is most likely to lead to internalisation?

A

Informational social influence.

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9
Q

Which type of conformity is explained by normative social influence?

A

Compliance.

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10
Q

What are ‘nAffiliators’?

A

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

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11
Q

State the year(s) Asch conducted his research into the effect of group pressure on conformity.

A

1951 and 1955.

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12
Q

Describe the procedure of Asch’s baseline study.

A
  • 123 male US undergraduates were placed in groups of 9 participants
  • Only one naive participant present in the group; the rest were confederates
  • The participants were shown 3 lines and asked to say which was the same length as the ‘standard’ line.
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13
Q

Describe the findings of Asch’s baseline study.

A
  • When confederates gave the same wrong answer, mean conformity rate = 36.8%
  • Naïve participants agreed with the wrong answer on a third of the 12 trials.
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14
Q

State three variables which affect conformity.

A
  1. Group size
  2. Unanimity
  3. Task difficulty.
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15
Q

Outline the effect of group size on conformity.

A

With three confederates, conformity increased – any more confederates present resulted in conformity leveling off.

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16
Q

Outline the effect of unanimity on conformity.

A

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

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17
Q

Outline the effect of task difficulty on conformity.

A

Conformity increased when the line-judging task made more difficult.

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18
Q

Explain what a confederate is.

A

A colleague of the researcher who is aware of the true aim of the study.

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19
Q

Explain what a dissenting confederate is.

A

A person in an experiment who goes against the group by either giving the right answer or a different wrong answer.

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20
Q

Would making a task easier increase or decrease the likelihood of a person conforming?

A

Decrease.

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21
Q

Would having more dissenting participants increase or decrease the likelihood of a person conforming?

A

Decrease.

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22
Q

Define social roles.

A

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

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23
Q

Outline what is meant by conformity to social roles.

A

When an individual adopts a certain behaviour and belief when in a particular social situation, but stops when they are out of that situation.

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24
Q

State the year Zimbardo conducted the Stanford Prison experiment.

A

1973.

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25
Q

State the sample used in Zimbardo’s study.

A

24 American, male undergraduate students.

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26
Q

Describe the procedure of Zimbardo’s study.

A
  • All participants were psychologically 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.
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27
Q

Describe how the prison guards showed conformity to their roles.

A

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

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28
Q

Describe how prisoners showed conformity to their roles.

A

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

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29
Q

What was the planned length of the experiment? After how many days was the experiment stopped?

A

14 days; stopped after just 6 days.

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30
Q

Describe the overall conclusion from the findings of Zimbardo’s study.

A

Demonstrate the power of social roles on people’s behaviour – both guards and prisoners conformed to roles even when it went against moral principles.

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31
Q

Give an example of a social role other than prisoner or guard.

A

Teacher/student/policeman.

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32
Q

Define obedience.

A

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

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33
Q

State the year Milgram conducted his baseline obedience research.

A

1963.

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34
Q

State the sample used in Milgram’s baseline study.

A

40 male volunteers.

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35
Q

Outline the role of the confederates in Milgram’s study.

A

Two confederates were used in the study:
* One was the ‘experimenter’ issuing the orders to the naïve participant.
* One was rigged to be the ‘learner’.

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36
Q

Outline the role of the naïve participant in Milgram’s study.

A

The naïve participant was assigned the role of the ‘teacher’ – they tested the learner on their ability to learn word pairs; if the learner got an answer wrong, the ‘teacher’ was required to issue increasingly strong electric shocks.

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37
Q

State the range of electric shocks.

A

15 volts to 450 volts.

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38
Q

Describe the results of Milgram’s baseline experiment.

A
  • All participants went to 300 volts.
  • 65% continued to maximum level of 450 volts.
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39
Q

Outline the two ways in which the participants were deceived.

A
  1. Naïve participant thought they were randomly assigned to learner and teacher, whereas it was rigged so confederate was always assigned the role of learner.
  2. Naïve participant thought they were issuing real electric shocks to the learner.
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40
Q

State one way in which Milgram addressed this deception.

A

He debriefed participants at the end of the study and sent a follow-up questionnaire.

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41
Q

Describe what conclusion can be drawn from Milgram’s experiment.

A

People are willing to obey orders from an authoritative figure even if it goes against moral principles.

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42
Q

Define situational variables.

A

External factors which influence levels of obedience.

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43
Q

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

A
  1. Proximity
  2. Location
  3. Uniform.
44
Q

Describe the variations Milgram carried out to investigate the effect of proximity.

A
  1. Teacher and learner in the same room.
  2. Teacher holding learner’s hand on the shock plate.
  3. Experimenter gave orders to the teacher over the phone.
45
Q

Describe the effect that variations of proximity had on obedience.

A
  1. Teacher and learner in the same room – obedience dropped to 40%.
  2. Teacher holding learner’s hand on the shock plate – obedience dropped to 30%.
  3. Experimenter gives orders over the phone – obedience dropped to 20.5%.
46
Q

Describe the variation Milgram carried out to investigate the effect of location.

A

The study was conducted in a run-down office as opposed to Yale University.

47
Q

Describe the effect that location had on obedience.

A

When in a run-down office – obedience dropped to 47.5%.

48
Q

Describe the variation Milgram carried out to investigate the effect of uniform.

A

The experimenter was replaced midway through the experiment with an ordinary member of the public dressed in everyday clothes.

49
Q

Describe the effect that uniform had on obedience.

A

When the experimenter was replaced by someone in everyday clothes – obedience dropped to 20%.

50
Q

Outline three conditions in which obedience would be maximised.

A
  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.
51
Q

Explain why Mandel (1998) believes that situational variables are offensive to Holocaust survivors.

A

He argues that situational variables offer 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.

52
Q

State the two social-psychological explanations for obedience.

A
  1. Agentic state
  2. Legitimacy of authority.
53
Q

Define the agentic state.

A

When a person sees themselves as an agent for carrying out another person’s wishes.

54
Q

Outline the autonomous state.

A

When a person sees themselves as free to behave according to their own principles.

55
Q

Explain the agentic shift.

A

The shift from being autonomous to taking on the agentic state – normally when in presence of perceived authority.

56
Q

Outline binding factors.

A

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

57
Q

Define legitimacy of authority.

A

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

58
Q

Describe the social-psychological conditions that make it more likely for a person to obey.

A

If they shift from an autonomous to an agentic state and being given orders by a perceived legitimate authoritative figure.

59
Q

State a study which shows support for both social-psychological factors.

A

Blass and Schmitt (2001).

60
Q

Describe how Blass and Schmitt shows evidence for legitimacy of authority and the agentic state.

A
  • Showed a film of Milgram’s study and students (the participants) blamed the experimenter for harm caused to the learner.
  • They argued that obedience was due to the naïve participants perceiving the experimenter as a legitimate authoritative figure.
  • They also suggested that the naïve participant was acting as an ‘agent’ on behalf of the experimenter, demonstrating how their perceived authority led them to shift from an autonomous to an agentic state.
61
Q

State a real-life example of social-psychological explanations for obedience.

A

Real-life war crimes, e.g., My Lai Massacre (Vietnam War) or the Holocaust (WWII).

62
Q

Outline the dispositional explanation for obedience.

A

The perception of obedience as caused by internal characteristics of individuals.

63
Q

Define authoritarian personality.

A

A type of personality which predisposes an individual to obedience.

64
Q

State four likely traits of somebody with an authoritarian personality.

A
  1. Respect and obedience to authority
  2. Dismissive to those they deem inferior
  3. ‘Black and white’ thinking
  4. Need strong leaders to promote traditional values.
65
Q

Describe the origins of the authoritarian personality.

A
  • Forms during childhood and stems from strict disciplinarian parenting – experienced conditional love, had impossibly high standards placed upon them, expectation to be completely loyal.
  • These experiences create hostility and despair in the child, who cannot express these feelings to their parents (through fear of punishment) – instead, these emotions are displaced onto the ‘weak’ (known as ‘scapegoating’).
66
Q

What is the F-scale?

A

Questionnaire assessing nine personality dimensions linked to authoritarian personality.

67
Q

State who developed the F-scale, include the year it was developed.

A

Adorno et al. (1950).

68
Q

Name and describe a study which shows support for the authoritarian personality leading to obedience.

A

Elms and Milgram (1966):
* ‘Obedient’ and ‘disobedient’ participants from Milgram’s original shock experiment were issued with F-scale.
* Higher levels of authoritarianism were found amongst ‘obedient’ participants.

69
Q

Describe an issue with authoritarian personality the study with Elms and Milgram’s study.

A

It is correlational – does not show a causal link between obedience and authoritarian personality.

70
Q

Outline why the authoritarian personality is known as a dispositional explanation for obedience.

A

It focuses on an individual’s personality traits (disposition) which could lead to obedience.

71
Q

Outline one methodological issue with the F-scale.

A

It is a questionnaire based on level of agreement or disagreement which can lead to acquiescence bias.

72
Q

State two reasons why someone might resist social influence.

A
  1. Social support
  2. Internal locus of control.
73
Q

Outline what is meant by social support.

A

The presence of people who resist pressures to conform or obey can help others to do the same.

74
Q

Define internal locus of control.

A

The belief that we are responsible for what happens in our lives.

75
Q

Define external locus of control.

A

The belief that what happens in our lives is caused by events outside of our control.

76
Q

Describe how Asch showed evidence for social support increasing resistance to conformity.

A

The presence of a dissenting confederate decreased conformity from 33% to 5.5%.

77
Q

Describe how Milgram showed evidence for social support increasing resistance to conformity.

A

Seeing a confederate disobey orders reduced obedience from 65% to 10%.

78
Q

Explain how locus of control is linked to resistance to social influence.

A

People who have a high internal locus of control are more likely to be able to resist social pressure.

79
Q

State two traits that a person with high internal locus of control has that helps them to resist social influence.

A
  • More self-confident – don’t seek/need approval from group.
  • Information seekers – rely less on the opinion of others.
80
Q

Describe the resistance to social support research conducted by Allen and Levine (1971).

A
  • In an Asch-type task, when the dissenter was someone with apparently good eyesight, 64% of participants resisted conformity and when there was no social support only 3% resisted.
  • However, when the dissenter had visibly poor eyesight (wearing thick glasses) the resistance was only 36%.
81
Q

Explain why Allen and Levine (1971) suggested that social support will only help with resistance if a source is deemed credible.

A

Resistance almost halved when the dissenter displayed visible challenges in their ability to complete the tasks which suggests that social support will only help with resistance if the source seems credible/reliable.

82
Q

Outline what is meant by minority influence.

A

A form of social influence where members of the majority group change their beliefs or behaviours as a result of their exposure to a persuasive minority.

83
Q

State the three behavioural styles needed to enhance the influence of the minority.

A
  1. Commitment
  2. Consistency
  3. Flexibility.
84
Q

Define commitment.

A

The degree to which members of a minority are dedicated to a particular cause or activity – the greater the commitment, the greater the influence.

85
Q

Define consistency.

A

Minority influence is effective when the minority keeps the same beliefs, both over time, and between different members of the minority group.

86
Q

State the two types of consistency.

A
  1. Synchronic consistency
  2. Diachronic consistency.
87
Q

Outline synchronic consistency.

A

Consistency between people in the minority.

88
Q

Outline diachronic consistency.

A

Consistency over time.

89
Q

Describe the snowball effect.

A

The more people who ‘convert’ to the minority view, the faster the rate of conversion.

90
Q

What is the relationship between commitment and influence?

A

The greater the commitment, the greater the influence.

91
Q

Define consistency in the context of minority influence.

A

Minority influence is effective when the minority keeps the same beliefs, both over time, and between different members of the minority group.

92
Q

What are the two types of consistency?

A
  1. Synchronic consistency
  2. Diachronic consistency
93
Q

What is synchronic consistency?

A

Consistency between people in the minority.

94
Q

What is diachronic consistency?

A

Consistency over time.

95
Q

Describe the snowball effect.

A

The more people who ‘convert’ to the minority view, the faster the rate of conversion.

96
Q

Describe the procedure of Moscovici et al.’s (1969) study.

A
  • 172 female, American participants were tested to ensure that they were not colour blind.
  • In groups of 6 (2 were confederates), participants were asked to state the colour of 36 slides – all of the slides were different shades of blue.
  • In condition A, confederates were consistent and called the slides green on all trials.
  • In condition B, the confederates were inconsistent and called the slides green 24 times and blue 12 times.
97
Q

What were the results of Moscovici et al.’s (1969) study?

A

When they were in a group where confederates consistently gave the wrong answer (called slides green), participants answered ‘green’ in 8.42% of trials compared to 1.25% of trials in the inconsistent group.

98
Q

What is social change?

A

Occurs when a society or section of society adopts a new belief or way of behaving which then becomes widely accepted as the norm.

99
Q

What are the three types of social influence that could lead to social change?

A
  1. Conformity
  2. Obedience
  3. Minority influence
100
Q

Define conversion.

A

When an individual who is exposed to a persuasive argument under certain conditions changes their view to match those of the minority – a prerequisite for minority influence leading to social change.

101
Q

What are the six stages in the conversion process?

A
  • Drawing attention to issue
  • Cognitive conflict
  • Consistency
  • Commitment
  • The snowball effect
  • Social cryptomnesia
102
Q

What is a social norms intervention?

A

An attempt to correct misperceptions of the normative behaviour of peers in order to change the risky behaviour of a target population.

103
Q

What are misperceptions in relation to social norms?

A

The gap between a person’s perceived norm and the actual norm.

104
Q

Describe the ‘MOST of us don’t drink and drive’ campaign.

A
  • This campaign was designed to reduce drinking and driving among young adults in Montana, USA.
  • Survey found that 92% of respondents believed that their peers would drink and drive.
  • Created a simple advertisement with the message that ‘MOST Montana young adults (4 out of 5) don’t drink and drive.’
  • After the campaign concluded, the prevalence of reported driving after drinking was reduced by 13.7%.
105
Q

How can social change happen by challenging obedience?

A

We need disobedient, positive role models to enable us to think independently and resist the gradual commitment to obey.

106
Q

What is gradual commitment?

A

Once a small instruction is obeyed, it becomes more difficult to resist a bigger one – people ‘drift’ into a new kind of behaviour.

Social Influences Psychology (1 decks)

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