Social Influence

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Briefly outline how two variables investigated by Asch were found to affect conformity. [2 marks]
1. Increasing the size of the majority increased conformity (up to a majority of 3)
2. Increasing task difficulty increased conformity.
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Explain how social influence processes contribute to social change. [4 marks]
Minorities contribute to social change by being consistent, committed and flexible. Through social crypto-amnesia and the snowball effect, gradually the minority turns into the majority. Obedience can influence social change e.g. changes to the laws which
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A head teacher wanted to increase recycling in his school. He arranged for the canteen to have three bins, one for cardboard, one for plastic and one for food waste. A month later, a psychology teacher decided to see if the students were recycling. One lu
It was a covert observation as the teacher was hidden from view of the students.
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A head teacher wanted to increase recycling in his school. He arranged for the canteen to have three bins, one for cardboard, one for plastic and one for food waste. A month later, a psychology teacher decided to see if the students were recycling. One lu
The teacher used event sampling as they recorded each time one of the three types of items was recycled.
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A head teacher wanted to increase recycling in his school. He arranged for the canteen to have three bins, one for cardboard, one for plastic and one for food waste. A month later, a psychology teacher decided to see if the students were recycling. One lu
Further ethical considerations as the teacher’s use of a covert observation presents ethical issues due to deception as the children were unaware that they were being watched. For example, they could be given a debriefing at the end of the experiment.
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Outline the authoritarian personality as an explanation of obedience. [4 marks]
It is a dispositional explanation, which suggests that obedient behaviour is due to internal traits such as personality type, rather than external or situational factors, and that traits or dispositions are developed from strict and rigid parenting. These
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Briefly explain one limitation of the authoritarian personality as an explanation of obedience. [4 marks]
One limitation is that authoritarianism cannot explain obedient behaviour in the majority of a country’s population. For example, in pre-war Germany, millions of individuals displayed obedient and anti-Semitic behaviour. This was despite the fact that the
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A researcher carried out a study based on Asch’s research to see if task difficulty affects conformity. Easy task condition: the standard line was very different from the incorrect comparison lines. Difficult task condition: the standard line was very sim
The number of people who conform will be significantly higher in the difficult condition than in the easy condition.
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A researcher carried out a study based on Asch’s research to see if task difficulty affects conformity. Easy task condition: the standard line was very different from the incorrect comparison lines. Difficult task condition: the standard line was very sim
Independent groups design. One advantage of this experimental design is that conformity or non-conformity is not affected by the order in which participants do the conditions as participants only do either the easy or the difficult condition (order effect
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Outline and explain the findings of Milgram’s investigation into the effect of location on obedience. [4 marks]
Milgram measured obedience using an electric shock experiment. When he changed the venue to a run-down building, obedience levels dropped by 17.5%. The status of the location changed the participant’s perception of the legitimacy of authority of the inves
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Apart from ethical issues, briefly evaluate the methodology of Milgram’s research into obedience. [4 marks]
It can be easily replicated, therefore reliability can be assessed. It is easier to control the variables, so that only the independent variable is being manipulated. Therefore researchers can determine whether the independent variable does cause the depe
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A teacher wanted to investigate the attitudes of students in her school to the school’s homework policy. She used a volunteer sample of students from the school. All the students who volunteered were over 16 years of age. The students were interviewed in
In this study you will attend an interview with three other students, where you will be asked questions about your attitudes to the school’s homework policy. In order to participate in this study, we will require your agreement, so please sign below if yo
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A teacher wanted to investigate the attitudes of students in her school to the school’s homework policy. She used a volunteer sample of students from the school. All the students who volunteered were over 16 years of age. The students were interviewed in
Stratified sampling could ensure that various groups are represented in terms of their proportionality in the population. This would improve the generalisability of the results.
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A teacher wanted to investigate the attitudes of students in her school to the school’s homework policy. She used a volunteer sample of students from the school. All the students who volunteered were over 16 years of age. The students were interviewed in
Ava wanted the approval of her friends so she agree with them about having too much homework in order to be liked - normative social influence. Although Ava privately disagreed with her friends about the amount of homework she was set, she publicly agreed
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Outline what is meant by ‘agentic state’ as an explanation for obedience. [2 marks]
When a person acts on behalf of an authority figure or person of higher status. The actor feels no personal responsibility for their actions. This is the opposite of an autonomous state in which people act according to their own principles.
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Other cards in this set

Card 2

Front

Explain how social influence processes contribute to social change. [4 marks]

Back

Minorities contribute to social change by being consistent, committed and flexible. Through social crypto-amnesia and the snowball effect, gradually the minority turns into the majority. Obedience can influence social change e.g. changes to the laws which

Card 3

Front

A head teacher wanted to increase recycling in his school. He arranged for the canteen to have three bins, one for cardboard, one for plastic and one for food waste. A month later, a psychology teacher decided to see if the students were recycling. One lu

Back

Preview of the front of card 3

Card 4

Front

A head teacher wanted to increase recycling in his school. He arranged for the canteen to have three bins, one for cardboard, one for plastic and one for food waste. A month later, a psychology teacher decided to see if the students were recycling. One lu

Back

Preview of the front of card 4

Card 5

Front

A head teacher wanted to increase recycling in his school. He arranged for the canteen to have three bins, one for cardboard, one for plastic and one for food waste. A month later, a psychology teacher decided to see if the students were recycling. One lu

Back

Preview of the front of card 5
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