Social Influence

• What are the three types of conformity according to Asch (1958)?


  1. Compliance: Temporary behavior change to fit in
  2. Identification: Change in behavior and private values only in the group
  3. Internalization: Permanent change in personal opinions to match the group
• What drives normative social influence (NSI)?


  Desire to be liked and avoid rejection
• What is the main motivation behind informational social influence (ISI)?


  Desire to be correct
• What was the overall conformity rate in Asch's critical trials?


  32%
• What percentage of participants conformed at least once in Asch's study?


  75%
• What was the conformity rate when participants could privately write down their responses?


  12.5%
• How did Ash manipulate group size in his study?


  By varying the number of Confederates from 1 to 16
• What effect did the presence of one Confederate giving the correct answer have on conformity rates?


  It dropped the conformity rate to 5.5%
• What does the variation in task difficulty in Asch's study suggest about conformity?


  Increased ambiguity leads to increased conformity
• What are the evaluations of Asch's study regarding NSI and ISI?


  • Supports NSI: 75% conformed at least once
  • Supports ISI: Increased ambiguity led to higher conformity
  • Difficulty in separating NSI and ISI influences
• What was the main finding of Bond's meta-analysis of Asch's line judgment task?


  Higher rates of conformity in collectivist cultures
• What were the main features of Zimbardo's Stanford Prison Experiment?


  • 24 male students assigned as guards or prisoners
  • Realistic arrest and treatment of prisoners
  • Guards had complete control and authority
  • Experiment canceled early due to psychological harm
• What does Zimbardo's experiment suggest about social roles?


  Social roles can significantly influence behavior
• What are the strengths of Zimbardo's Stanford Prison Experiment?


  • Well-controlled initial setup
  • Random allocation of roles
  • Insights into social roles influencing behavior
• What are the criticisms of Zimbardo's Stanford Prison Experiment?


  • Zimbardo's dual role may have caused bias
  • Ethical concerns due to psychological harm
  • Lack of ecological validity
• What is the agentic state according to Milgram?


  A state of mind where individuals feel they are not responsible for their actions
• What is the legitimacy of authority in Milgram's theory?


  Individuals learn to obey those in higher positions in the social hierarchy
• What voltage did 100% of participants reach in Milgram's study?


  300 volts
• What was the obedience rate when the professor gave instructions via phone?


  21%
• What are the evaluations of Milgram's research on obedience?


  • Supports agentic state and legitimacy of authority
  • Criticized for methodological flaws
  • Ethical concerns due to participant distress
• What percentage of nurses obeyed the order in Hofling's study?


  95%
• What did Sheridan and King (1972) find in their study with puppies?


  54% of males and 100% of females gave the highest shock level
• What was the obedience rate in Bman’s New York field experiment when dressed as a guard?

  89%
• What do uniforms symbolize in terms of authority?


  • Provide a visible symbol of legitimacy
  • Influence obedience rates
  • Communicate authority in various settings
• What was the non-US obedience rate found in the Milgram study?


  65.9%
• What ethical criticisms are associated with the Milgram study and its variations?


  They are criticized for causing distress and using deception.
• What methodological criticisms are associated with the Milgram study?


  It lacks ecological validity and has issues with mundane realism.
• What did Huffling's 1966 study find regarding nurses' obedience?


  21 out of 22 real nurses obeyed the order to give a double dose of medication.
• What does high ecological validity mean in the context of Huffling's study?


  It means the study was conducted in a real hospital setting with a familiar task.
• What percentage of males and females gave the highest shock level in Sheridan and King's 1972 study?


  54% of males and 100% of females.
• What does the term "demand characteristics" refer to in the context of obedience studies?


  Participants may guess the shocks are not real and play along.
• What was the obedience rate in Bman’s 1974 New York field experiment?


  89% when dressed as a guard.
• What does the presence of a uniform symbolize in terms of authority?


  It provides a visible symbol of legitimacy of authority.
• What is the authoritarian personality according to Adorno?


  It is a personality type shaped by strict parenting and harsh punishments.
• What questionnaire did Adorno use to study the authoritarian personality?


  The F-scale (fascism scale).
• What factors does the F-scale measure?


  It measures factors like authoritarian submission and uncritical attitude towards authorities.
• How did Elms and Milgram's 1966 study contribute to understanding obedience?


  They found obedient males scored higher on the F-scale than disobedient males.
• What are the alternate situational explanations of obedience mentioned?


  The agentic state and legitimacy of authority.
• What is the criticism of the F-scale as a measurement of authoritarian personality?


  It suffers from acquiescence bias, leading to inflated scores.
• What risk does the authoritarian personality theory pose regarding historical events?


  It can oversimplify complex events into personality flaws.