Social influence

• Define conformity.


  Conformity is when an individual changes their behaviour or beliefs to fit in with those of a group, due to group pressure.
• Describe internalisation in the context of conformity.

  Internalisation is when an individual changes their public and private views or behaviour to match those of a group - the group has genuinely changed the person's mind. This is a long-lasting change and will continue outside of the group situation.
• Explain the concept of identification in relation to conformity.

  Identification is when an individual changes their public views to match those of a group, because they value the group and wish to be a part of it. There may be a difference between the individual's public and private views. The change is likely to last as long as the individual is with the group.
• What does compliance mean in the context of conformity?

  Compliance is when an individual changes their public, but not private, behaviour or views to match those of a group - this is a superficial type of conformity. This is a short term change and will only last as long as the individual is in that situation.
• How does informational social influence (ISI) explain conformity?

  ISI is when someone is influenced because they look to others for guidance - they are uncertain how to behave and believe the group knows more than them. This happens in new or uncertain situations. ISI tends to lead to internalisation.
• Define normative social influence (NSI) and its role in conformity.

  NSI is when someone is influenced to fit in with the social norms and values of a particular group to gain their approval - they conform in order to not stand out or appear different. The individual's private views can differ, so NSI often results in compliance.
• What was the aim of Asch's research (1951) on conformity?


  The aim of Ash's research was to see if people will conform to a majority, even with an obvious answer.
• Describe the procedure of Ash's conformity experiment.

  123 American males participated in groups of 6-8, but only one was a true participant while the rest were confederates. They had to answer out loud which line, from a choice of three, matched a 'control' line. There were 18 trials, and on 12 of them, the confederates all gave the same wrong answer. The real participant gave their answer last or second-to-last.
• What were the findings of Asch's conformity experiment?

  36.8% of the answers given by the participants were conforming answers. 75% of the participants conformed at least once.
• What conclusions were drawn from Asch's conformity experiment?

  People will conform to a majority, even if that majority is wrong. Participants said they conformed in order to fit in.
• How did group size affect conformity in Asch's experiment?

  Asch found that a majority of 3 (e.g. 4 against 1) causes conformity to rise significantly, to around 30%. Adding people onto the majority did not make much difference.
• How did unanimity affect conformity in Asch's experiment?

  Asch found that introducing a dissenting confederate, who disagreed with the others caused conformity to drop significantly.
• What were the limitations of Asch's conformity experiment?

  The task used was insignificant and not a reflection of real life conformity. The study only tested American men of undergraduate age, making it hard to generalise the results. The results may be specific to the era, as 1950s USA may have been more conformist due to the fear of communist spies.
• What was the aim of Zimbardo's research?

  To investigate if behaviour in prisons is due to the roles people play, and whether people will conform to a social role.
• Describe the procedure of Zimbardo's research.

  The study was set up in the basement of the Psychology department of Stanford University. Participants were advertised for, and randomly assigned to the role of prisoner or prison guard. The prisoners were taken to a local police station, before being transported to the prison. They had to wear a 'uniform' and were given numbers to replace their names.
• Describe the role of the guards in the prison study.

  The guards were given their own uniform, including sunglasses that meant their eyes couldn't be seen. They were told that they could do whatever was necessary to keep order in the prison, short of physically assaulting the prisoners. They used tactics to control the prisoners, such as waking them in the night to perform head counts, trying to break alliances, and making them perform degrading tasks.
• What were the findings of the prison study?

  The prisoners were initially rebellious, but became increasingly subdued and depressed as the guards acted more brutally. The study had to be stopped after 6 days due to the extreme behaviour of the guards. By the end, the guards and prisoners were fully immersed in their roles.
• Define conformity to social roles as demonstrated in the prison study.

  Conformity to social roles is when individuals adapt their behaviour to fit the expectations of a given role. In the prison study, the guards and prisoners conformed to their roles to such an extent that they began to exhibit extreme behaviours.
• How did the study measure conformity to roles versus conformity to a stereotype?

  Critics argue that the study measured conformity to a stereotype rather than a role. This is because some participants based their behaviour on characters they had seen in films, rather than on the actual roles they were assigned.
• What were the ethical issues associated with the prison study?

  The study subjected participants to psychological harm, which could have been long-lasting. The right to withdraw was made difficult, perhaps because the superintendent of the study made it hard for one prisoner to withdraw.
• Describe the concept of normative social influence.

  Normative social influence is a type of social influence that leads to conformity. It is the influence of other people that leads us to conform in order to be liked and accepted by them. This can lead to public compliance, but not necessarily private acceptance of the group's norms.
• Define informational conformity.

  Informational conformity is a type of social influence where people look to others in situations where they are unsure about something and assume that these others know more or better. This can lead to both public compliance and private acceptance of the group's norms.
• Describe the aim of Milgram's research in 1963.

  The aim of Milgram's research's research was to see if people will obey orders, even those requiring them to harm others.
• Explain the procedure of Milgram's experiment.

  40 American males were recruited and told that the study was about how punishment affects learning. The participant was assigned the role of 'teacher' and another person (a confederate) was the 'learner'. The learner had to answer word-pairing questions, and if they gave an incorrect answer, the teacher was told to administer an electric shock. The shocks increased in intensity, from 15-450 volts. In reality, no shocks were administered, the learner only pretended to receive shocks.
• What were the findings of Milgram's research?

  65% of participants went to the maximum (450 volt) shock. None stopped before 300 volts. Many showed signs of tension and anxiety, but the majority continued to the end.
• Define the terms 'conformity' and 'obedience' as used in psychology.

  Conformity is the changing your behviour/beliefs as a result of group influence. Obedience is where an individual carries out a direct order.
• How did the experiment conducted by Holfing et al (1966) support Milgram's findings?

  Hofling et al conducted an experiment where nurses were told over the phone by a 'doctor' to give twice the advised dosage of a made-up drug to patients. 21 out of 22 obeyed (95%), supporting Milgram's findings that people are obedient.
• What conclusions were drawn from Milgram's research?

  The conclusions drawn from Milgram's research was that people will obey orders from an authority figure, potentially fatally harming a stranger in doing so.
• What were the ethical issues in Milgram's obedience experiment?

  The ethical issues in Milgram's experiment included deception, lack of informed consent, no real right to withdraw, and severe stress and psychological harm experienced by participants. However, Milgram debriefed his participants afterwards and 84% felt glad to have taken part.
• How did situational variables affect obedience in Milgram's experment?

  Situational variables significantly affected obedience in Milgram's experiment. Proximity of the teacher and learner, location of the experiment, and the uniform of the authority figure all influenced the level of obedience observed.
• Define the term 'internal validity' in the context of Milgram's variations.

  Internal validity refers to the extent to which the results of a study can be attributed to the variables that the researcher intentionally manipulated. In the context of Milgram's variations, it is suggested that the experiments lack internal validity as participants may have worked out that the procedure was faked.
• How did Bickman (1974) support the influence of uniform on obedience?

  Bickman (1974) conducted an experiment where passers-by were asked to perform actions by a confederate dressed as a security guard, milkman, or just in a jacket and tie. There was more obedience in the security guard condition, showing the effect of uniform on obedience.
• Describe the 'agentic state' as proposed by Milgram.

  The 'agentic state' is a psychological condition in which a person does not feel in control of their actions; rather, they are under the control of someone else (an agent for someone else). The opposite to the agentic state is the autonomous state, where people do feel responsible for their actions.
• How does the 'agentic state' relate to obedience?

  Milgram proposed that one reason why people obeyed in his study was due to the 'agentic state'. Participants perhaps underwent an agentic shift, allowing them to blame the authority figure and absolving themselves of responsibility.
• Define 'legitimacy of authority' in the context of obedience.

  'Legitimacy of authority' suggests that people will obey someone they perceive to be 'above' them in the social hierarchy, and therefore think they have the right to give orders. This is linked with the uniform conveys a sense of legitimacy and authority.
• How does 'legitimacy of authority' vary across cultures?

  'Legitimacy of authority' is supported by cultural differences. In countries where obedience and deference to authority is less valued, obedience rates are much lower than in countries that value legitimate authority figures.
• Do all participants in Milgram's study obey due to the 'agentic state'?

  No, the agentic shift cannot explain why some participants in Milgram's study did not obey, as in theory they should all behave in an agentic state. Therefore, this cannot explain all obedience over long periods of time.
• Describe the 'F-scale' developed by Adorno in the context of obedince and personality types.

  The 'F-scale' is a measure developed by Adorno to determine how authoritarian a person is. A high F-scale score was found to be linked with excessive respect and deference to those of higher status, indicating an 'authoritarian personality' which is a factor in obedience.
• What are the features of an authoritarian personality according to Adorno's study?

  The features of an authoritarian personality include:

  - being negative towards those they see as 'beneath' them

  - obedient towards those of higher status

  - rigidity in their opinions

  - belief in 'traditional' values

  - unwillingness to accept new ideas or situations

  - a tendency to categorise people into 'us' and 'them' groups, seeing the 'us' group as superior.
• How does a strict upbringing relate to the development of an authoritarian personality?

  People with an authoritarian personality are more likely to have had a strict upbringing. This upbringing instills respect for authority, but also creates resentment of their parents on an unconscious level, which is displaced onto those perceived as lower than them.