Psychology: Social influence

What is social influence

The process by which individuals and groups change each others attitudes and behaviours.

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What is internalisation?

Accepting the majority view, and making it your own view. Might happen if you dont know an answer and believe that the majority is correct (informational social influence)

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What is compliance?

Going along with the majority to fit in and be accepted into the group (normative social influence)

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What is identification

Accepting the majority view publicly but disagreeing privately

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Who tested conformity on an unambiguous task?

Asch in 1951

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What was Asch's procedure?

Groups of 8 participants (7 confederates) asked to judge lines and give longest answer. confeds would answer first (incorrectly) leaving the real participant to answer.

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Asch's results?

37% of participants gave incorrect answer (conformed). 75% conformed at least once.In debrief, some ppt's said they didn't agree but didn't want to look weird

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Asch Strengths

Good control of variables. Easily replicable.

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Asch limitations

Lab setting so lacked ecological validity. Deception (confederates intentionally gave false answer).

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What is a social role?

The parts people play in their various social groups. Accompanied by expectations that we and others have, of what behaviour is acceptable for the role.

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What is an experiment that tests conformity to social roles?

Zimbardo's Stanford Prison Experiment (SPE)

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What was the procedure of the SPE?

Male students were recruited to be prisoner or guard and randomly allocated . All participants were give role based uniforms.

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SPE results

Prisoners initially resisted and but eventually became more passive whilst guards became more sadistic . Ended after 6 days instead of 14 due to prisoner distress.

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SPE strenghts

Realism (prisoners arrested and tried). Good control of variables (controlled experiment)

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SPE limitations

Can't be generalised (artificial environment). Ethics (physical and psychological harm). Observer bias (Zimbardo allocated himself the role of warden)

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Who studied obedience to authority?

Milgram's electric shock experiment (1963)

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Milgram's procedure

40 male participants were introduced to a confederate and then had to choose their role (always given teacher). Then had to ask learner questions to and give electric shocks if answered wrong (shocks went from 15-450v (lethal))

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Milgram's findings

65% of ppts went to 450v. 100% went to 300v and 35% stopped between 300 and 450. All ppts showed signs of stress e.g. sweating

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Milgram strengths

Lab experiment (good control of variables). Debriefing afterwards (participants reintroduced to confederate) Replicable (the game of death tv show)

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Milgram limitations

Low internal validity (participants figured out shocks weren't real) Lacks ecological validity (lab experiment) lacks mundane realism (not a normal task) Ethics (physical and psychological harm)

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What is the agentic state?

A mental state where we take no responsibility for our actions, as we believe we are working as an agent of an authority figure.

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What is the autonomous state?

A state where we act based on our own beliefs/principles and are more likely to take responsibility for our actions

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What is the agentic shift?

The process of going from autonomous state to agentic state or vice versa

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Who came up with the authoritarian personality?

Adorno 1950

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What is the authoritarian personality?

When a child has been socialised to obey authority, due to strict parenting. Can create aggression, specifically to minority groups. Based on Adorno's F-scale to see if there were characteristics of the nazis who carried out the holocaust.

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Authoritarian personality evaluation

Milgram found people who scored higher on the f-scale would give higher shocks. Not necessarily due to upbringing- could be education. Doesn't explain how whole societies obey - not everyone has the characteristic.

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How can people be more likely to resist social influence?

If they have social support, e.g. other people who agree with their point of view.

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What are the types of locus of control (loc)?

Internal loc and external loc. Internal = believes what happens to them is caused by them and generally take responsibility for their own actions. External = believes what happens to the is down to luck, generally don't take responsibility

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What is social change?

When societies, instead of individuals, change their beliefs, attitudes and ways of doing things. E.g. the earth is round and women's rights.

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What is minority influence?

When an individual or minority group manage to alter the views of the majority. Can lead to social change.

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What 3 factors ensure minority influence to be successful?

Consistency (keeping the same belief/idea over time). Commitment (showing strong commitment, e.g dying for the cause). Compromise (being willing to show flexibility and accept a compromise)

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Psychology: Social influence

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