Social Influence

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  • Created by: D.P.Giles
  • Created on: 08-06-21 12:25
What is conformity?
It is a form of social influence that results from exposure to the majority position and leads to compliance with that position.
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What is compliance?
When an individual accepts influence because they hope to achieve a favourable reaction from those around them.
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What is internalisation?
When an individual accepts influence because the content of the attitude or behaviour proposed is consistent with their own values.
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What is identification?
Where an individual adopts an attitude or behaviour because they want to be associated with the group.
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What is normative social influence?
A form of influence whereby an individual conforms with the expectations of the majority in order to gain approval or to avoid disapproval.
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What is informational social influence?
A form of influence, which is the result of a desire to be right - looking to others as a way of gaining evidence about reality.
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Name a strength of the explanations for conformity.
Research support for normative social influence - Asch.

Research support for informational social influence - Maths problems (Lucas et al, 2006)
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Name a weakness of the explanations for conformity.
Difficulties distinguishing between types of conformity.

Individual differences - NSI and ISI don't affect everyone the same way.
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Whose study investigated conformity?
Asch (1956)
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Outline Asch's (1956) procedure.
123 US undergraduates took part in a visual discrimination task. Unbeknownst to them all other participants involved were confederates. On 12 of the 18 trials the confederates answered incorrectly, to see whether they would also give the correct answer.
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Outline Asch's (1956) findings.
On the critical trials the conformity rate was 33%.
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What were the variables identified by Asch that could affect conformity?
Group size, the unanimity of the majority, the difficulty of the task.
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According to Asch's studies how did group size affect conformity?
Conformity was low when only one, or two people represented the majority, but jumped to 30% when there were three confederates. It increased little after this.
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According to Asch's studies how did the unanimity of the majority affect conformity?
When another real participant or a confederate gave the right answer the conformity rate dropped from 33% to 5.5%. When it was the one different from both the right and the one given by the confederates it dropped to 9%.
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According to Asch's studies how did the difficulty of the task conformity?
When the answer was made more ambiguous by making the difference between the lines smaller, the level of conformity increased.
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Why is Asch's study regarded as a 'child of it's time'?
It took part in a period of American history known as McCarthyism. A strong anti-Communist period when people were scared to go against the majority which in turn made conformity more likely.
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Name a weakness of Asch's study.
A child of it's time - McCarthyism

Artificial task

Cultural differences
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What is a social role?
The parts that people play as members of various social groups.
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Who investigated conformity to social roles?
Zimbardo (1973)
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What role did Zimbardo play in the experiment?
Prison Superintendent.
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Outline Zimbardo's (1973) experiment.
24 male students were given the role of either prisoner or prison guard. Prisoners were put in a mock prison under Stanford University, they were deloused and made to look like prisoners. The guards were given equipment and were told to maintain orders.
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Outline Zimbardo's (1973) findings.
Following a rebellion the guards grew more tyrannical towards prisoners. They made them do demeaning jobs. Prisoners seemed to forget that they were in a study. The study demonstrated that both guards and prisoners conformed to their social roles.
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Did Zimbardo break any ethical guidelines? Why?
No. They were unable to predict the psychological distress that occurred as a result of his investigation and they were offered counselling afterwards. They also gave informed consent, were allowed to leave, and were debriefed afterwards.
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Name a strength of research into conformity to social roles.
Practical applications.

High internal validity.
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Name a weakness of research into conformity to social roles.
Demand characteristics.

Lack of realism.
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What is a situational factor?
Variables related to external circumstances.
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What is obedience?
A type of social influence whereby somebody acts in a response to a direct order from a figure with perceived authority.
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Who investigated obedience?
Milgram
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Outline Milgram's (1963) experiment.
Participants were told they were taking part in an experiment to see how punishment affected learning. They were to act as a teacher, obeying the orders of an authority figure to administer (fake) shocks to a learner (confederate) for wrong answers.
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Who was the authority figure in Milgram's experiment?
The experimenter.
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Outline Milgram's (1963) findings.
65% of participants continued to the maximum shock value of 450 volt. All went to 300 volts, and only 12.5% of participants stopped at that point.
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What were the variables identified by Milgram that could affect obedience to authority?
Proximity

Location

The power of uniform
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According to Milgram's studies how did proximity affect obedience?
The closer the teacher was to the learner the less the lower the obedience.

The closer the experimenter was to the teacher the higher the obedience.
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In Milgram's experiments what were the obedience levels when the teacher and the learner were in the same room?
40%
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In Milgram's experiments what were the obedience levels when the teacher administered the shocks to the participants themselves?
30%
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In Milgram's experiments what were the obedience levels when the experimenter gave orders over the phone?
21%
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According to Milgram's studies how did location affect obedience?
If the trials took place in a run down office rather than a University obedience in administering the 450 volt shock dropped to 48%.
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According to Bushman's studies how did the power of uniform affect obedience?
The more authority the experimenter's costume or uniform indicated the more likely the participants were to obey.
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What are the roles the female researcher took on in Bushman's study?
Police officer, business executive, and beggar.
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In Bushman's study what was the obedience when the 'authority figure' was dressed as a police officer?
72%'
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In Bushman's study what was the obedience when the 'authority figure' was dressed as a business executive?
48%
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In Bushman's study what was the obedience when the 'authority figure' was dressed as a beggar?
52%
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Name a strength of research into obedience.
High temporal validity

Good external validity
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Name a weakness of research into obedience.
Ethical issues

Individual differences
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Did Milgram's research into obedience breach informed consent? How?
Yes. Participants were told the experiment was about learning rather than obedience.
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Did Milgram's research into obedience physically or psychologically harm their participants? How?
Psychologically yes. Participants suffered immense psychological distress, one fainted as a result of the stress.
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Did Milgram's research into obedience deceive participants? How?
Yes. They were lied to about the true intentions of the study, the involvement of a confederate, the fact the shocks they were administering weren't real and that what they were hearing was prerecorded.
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Did Milgram's research into obedience breach a participant's right to withdraw? How?`
Yes. Participants had to ask four times before being able to withdraw from the study.
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What is the agentic state?
A person sees themself as an agent for carrying out another person's wishes.
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What is the autonomous state?
A state within which a person is free to behave according to his own principles and therefore feels responsible for their own actions.
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What are binding factors?
Aspects of the situations that allow a person to ignore or minimise the damaging impact of their behaviour and thus reduce the moral strain they are feeling.
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What is a legitimate authority?
A person who is perceived to be in a position of social control within a situation.
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What is destructive authority?
Where charismatic and powerful leaders like Hitler, Mao and Stalin use their power for destructive purposes ordering people to do things that ate dangerous, callous and cruel.
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Name a strength of the explanation of the agentic state and legitimacy of authority.
Research support - Zimabardo (1973)

Practical application - can help explain atrocities like the Holocaust.
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Name a weakness of the explanation of the agentic state legitimacy of authority.
Agentic state or cruelty? - Unsure whether Zimbardo's results were due to obedience to authority or cruelty.

Cultural differences - Only 16% of Australian participants went all the way up to the full voltage meanwhile 85% of Germans did.
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What is the authoritarian personality?
A distinct personality pattern characterised by strict adherence to conventional values and a belief in absolute obedience or submission to authority.
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Where and why does the authoritarian personality originate?
In childhood as a result of harsh parenting.
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What are the characteristics of a parenting style that could result in an authoritarian personality forming?
Extremely strict discipline..

Impossibly high standards.

Expectation of absolute loyalty.

Severe criticisms of perceived failings.

Conditional love.
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Why does a harsh parenting style result in an authoritarian personality?
Create hostility in the child which can't be directed towards the parent. It is therefore displaced onto others that are weaker.
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What is a central trait for those with an authoritarian personality?
An obedience to higher authority and dislike or hatred for those considered to be socially inferior.
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How does someone with an authoritarian personality view society?
View society as going to the dogs. Believe we need strong and powerful leadership to enforce traditional values. This outlook is inflexible.
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Outline Elms and Milgram's (1966) procedure.
40 participants were followed up with after Milgram's experiment. Each participant completed an F-Scale. They were also asked questions about their relationships with the experimenter and learner in the original study.
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Outline Elms and Milgram's (1966) findings.
Those that were classified as obedient scored higher on the F-Scale, reported being less close to their fathers and more likely to describe them negatively. They saw the experimenter as more admirable and the learner as less so.
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Name a strength of the agentic state as an explanation of authority.
Research support - Elms and Milgram (1966)

Evidence from the real world - Left-wing views are associated with lower levels off obedience.
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Name a weakness of the agentic state as an explanation of authority.
'Limited explanations - Reductionist

Correlation not causation - may be due to a third factor.
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What is a locus of control?
The idea that people differ in their beliefs about whether the outcomes of their actions are dependent on what they do.
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What is meant by social support in the context of resistance to social influence?
The perception of an individual has assistance available from other people, and they are part of a supportive network.
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What is meant by externality?
Individuals who tend to believe that behaviours and experiences are caused by events outside of their control.
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What is meant by internality?
Individuals who tend to believe that they are responsible for their own behaviours and experiences rather than external forces.
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Name a strength of the explanations of resistance to social change.
Real world support - the Rosenstrasse protest

Research support - those that had an external locus off control were more easily persuaded.
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Name a weakness of the explanations of resistance to social change.
Contradictory research - link between locus of control and resistance not conclusive.

Limited role of Locus of control - role may be exaggerated only becoming relevant in particular situations.
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What is minority influence?
A form of social influence where members of the majority group cahnge their beliefs or behaviour as a result of their exposure to a persuasive minority.
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What are the three factors that will increase the chances of a minority influencing a majority?
Commitment

Consistency

Flexibility
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What is meant by consistency in the context of minority influence?
The degree to which members of a minority are dedicated to a particular cause or activity. the greater the perceived commitment the greater the influence.
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How can consistency improve a minority's chance of successfully influencing a majority?
It leads to others to reassess the situation and consider the issue more carefully.
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What is meant by commitment in the context of minority influence?
Minority influence is effective provided there is stability in the expressed position over time and agreement among different members of the minority.
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How can commitment improve a minority's chance of successfully influencing a majority?
It suggests certainty, confidence and courage in the face of a hostile majority.
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What is meant by flexibility in the context of minority influence?
A willingness to compromise when expressing an opinion.
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How can flexibility improve a minority's chance of successfully influencing a majority?
The minority has to negotiate their position with the majority rather than enforce it. A rigid minority or one that is too flexible isn't as effective.
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Name a strength of research into minority influence.
Research support for flexibility - Nemeth and Brillmayer (1987) - simulated jury

Research support for commitment - Nemeth (2010) - dissenters liberate people's minds.
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Name a weakness of research into minority influence.
Contradictory research for commitment - Mackie (1987) - people process a minority's message less not more.

Artificial tasks - Much of the research into this area has involved the use of artificial tasks thus limiting it's external validity.
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What is social change?
When a society or section of society adopts a new belief or way of behaving which then becomes widely accepted.
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What are the phases by which social change through minority influence occurs?
Drawing attention to an issue

Cognitive conflict

Consistency of position

The augmentation principle

The snowball effect
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What is cognitive conflict in the context of social change through minority influence?
Majority members are challenged more deeply about the issues being challenged. This may make a person examine the opinion of the minority more closely.
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What is consistency of position in the context of social change through minority influence?
When a minority expresses its opinion consistently over time.
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What is the augmentation principle in the context of social change through minority influence?
The idea that if a minority is willing to suffer for their views they are seen as being more committed and are therefore taken more seriously.
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What is the snowball effect in the context of social change through minority influence?
The idea that minority influence initially has a relatively small effect but this spreads more widely as more and more people consider the issues being promoted until it reaches a 'tipping point' where it leads to widespread social change.
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What are social norms interventions?
Attempt to correct misinterpretations of the normative behaviour of peers in an attempt to change the risky behaviour of a target population.
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Name a strength of research into social change minority influence.
Real world examples process of social change through minority influence - Suffragettes and Suffragists; Civil Rights movement.

Real world examples the augmentation principle - Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, Emily Davidson.
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Name a weakness of research into social change minority influence.
Contradictory research support - being perceived as deviant limits the influence of many minorities.

Limited research support - Social change through minority influence is typically gradual and often doesn't result in change.
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Other cards in this set

Card 2

Front

What is compliance?

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When an individual accepts influence because they hope to achieve a favourable reaction from those around them.

Card 3

Front

What is internalisation?

Back

Preview of the front of card 3

Card 4

Front

What is identification?

Back

Preview of the front of card 4

Card 5

Front

What is normative social influence?

Back

Preview of the front of card 5
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