Social Psychology Research Studies

Aim: To research into the types of social influence/conformity

Method:

• Pps made estimates of the movement of a spot of light in a dark room
  
• The spot wasn't actually moving- Autokinetic effect

Findings:

• The pps estimates converge into a group norm

Why did they conform?

• Normative social influence, informational conformity, internalisation, compliance
  

Weaknesses of study:

• Low ecological validity, cannot be generalised; gender bias, sample size
  
• Low in mundane realism
• Ambiguous task
• No actual measurement of conformity

Aim: Would people give the wrong answer to a task that had an obvious and unambiguous answer, just becuase everyone else did?

Method:

• Standard & Comparison cards 
  
• For two trials, stooges give correct answer, on the third trial they give wrong answer

Findings:

• Mean rate of conformity= 32% (1/3 of the times, pps conformed)
  

Evaluation:

• Low ecological validity 
  
• Low in mundan realsim
• Demand characteristics
• Protection of participants
• Gives a measurement of conformity
• Non-ambiguous
• Cross cultural

Aim: To demonstrate the situational causes of negative behaviour

Method: 

• 75 volunteers asigned either guard or prisoner roles
• Human rights were suspended; paid $15 a week for 2 weeks
• Prisoners arrested by real police, 'deloused', given smocks
• Guards issued uniforms, worked 8 hour shifts

Findings:

• Terminated after 6 days
  
• 'pathological prisoner syndrome'
• 'pathology of power'
• Role expectations (identifying with thier roles)

Evaluation:

• Low ecological validity
  
• Zimbardo was involved with the experiment
• High mundan realism-arrested by real police

Aim: Investigate the nature of obedience in order to understand the inhumane acts carried out by the Germans

Method:

• 'Experimentor' was a stooge wearing a lab coat, only said 3 phrases
• Pps were always 'teacher', Stooge was always 'learner'
• Teacher had to adminster electric shocks for each wrong answer for the word pairs

Findings:

• Every teacher gave at least 300V
  
• 65% gave 450V

Evaluation:

• Low ecological validity 
• Low in mundane realism 
• Systematic and controlled experiment 
• Milgram had a motive
• Contributed to understanding of why Nazis behaved the way they did

Aim: 

Method:

• Nurses in psychiatric hospitals on the night shift
  
• A doctor rings 22 times to instruct nurses to give a drug to a patient
• Hospital rules are:
• NOT to take instructions over the phone
• NOT to go over the dose
• NOT to use unauthorised medicines

Findings:

• 21 obeyed and broke hospital rules
  

Evaluation:

• High in mundane realism-real hospital with real nurses
• No informed consent

Aim: To find one of the conditions for minority influence

Method:

• Mock jury- 4 people & 1 stooge who always gives minority view
  
• C1: Given a seat = no influence
• C2: Chooses seat at head of the table = very influential

Findings:

Conditions needed for minority influence:

• Consistency
• Subtlety
• Flexibilty
• Autonomy