Social Influence Studies

Procedure- participants had to identify lines of a similar length along with 6-8 confederates. 12 out of 16 trials confederates gavethe wrong answer.

Findigs- 25% never conformed, but participants mistakenly agreed with the confederate 37% of the time.

Conclusion- it was mainly normativer social influence, many conformed.

Variations- group size, unanimity, task difficulty.

Procedure- auto kinetic effect- a single point of light in a dark room seems to move. Individuals were asked how far they thought the light had moved then go in a group and make a group estimate afterwards.

Results- when participants were reasked to estimate, their estimates were more similar to the group estimate- a group norm developed.

Conclusion- people were affected by informational social influence.

Procedure- 'teacher' gave fake electric shocks to a 'learner' during a 'learning task' ordered by the experimenter. Prods were given such as, 'You must go on.' The learner pounded the wall for the last time at 300 volts.

Findings- no participants stopped before 300 volts and 65% went all the way to the top of the scale- 450 volts. Many showed signs of stress, most objected but continued anyway.

Procedure-'emotionally stable' students played roles of prisoers and guards in a prison stimulation scheduledto last 2 weeks. Both had uniforms.

Findings- guards treated prisoners harshly especially after suppressing a rebellion. Prisoners became more depressed so the study stopped after 6 days.

Conclusion- guards, prisoners and researchers all conformed to their roles. Study demonstrated the power of the situation to influene behaviour.

Procedure- made three participants dress in three different outfits: suit, milk man's outfit and a security guard's uniform. Then they asked members of the public to perform tasks.

Findings- it was found that they people were twice as likely to obey the confederate dressed in as a security guard than the confederate dressed in a suit.

Procedure- studied over 2000 middle class white americans and their unconscious attitudes to racial groups.

Findings- high F-scale scores linked with identification with the 'strong' and contempt for the 'weak.'

Conclusion- people who got a high score have an obedient authoritarian personality.

Procedure- a group of six people were asked to view a set of 36 blue slides which varied in intensity and then to state whether the slides were blue or green. In each group there was 2 confederates who said the slides were green on 2/3 of the trials.

Results- participants gave wrong answer on 8.42% of the trials, 32% gave the same answer as the minority on 1 trial.

Conclusion- minority can influence the majority.