Social influence

• How does Baron et al (1989) define social psychology?


  As the scientific field that seeks to understand the nature and causes of individual behaviour in social situations
• What is the definition of conformity?


  Changing behaviour and/or beliefs in order to be in line with the rest of a group
• What are the three types of conformity as defined by Kelman (1958)?


  • Internalisation
  • Compliance
  • Identification
• Why might George be conforming in the test scenario described?


  He is unsure of the answer and looks to others for guidance
• Why does Sally conform to her friends' opinion about Psychology?


  She wants to fit in with her friends despite her true feelings
• What does Parvinder's change in behaviour suggest about identification?


  She identifies with her role as a police officer, altering her behaviour accordingly
• What is internalisation in the context of conformity?


  Changing both public behaviour and private beliefs due to the desire to be correct
• What is compliance in the context of conformity?


  Changing public behaviour but not private beliefs due to the desire to fit in
• What is identification in the context of conformity?


  Changing both public behaviour and private beliefs in line with a social role
• What are the key points to outline and evaluate types of conformity for an exam?

  • Outline the three types of conformity: Internalisation, Compliance, Identification
  • Evaluate with supporting evidence from studies like Asch's
• How does Asch's original work demonstrate compliance?


  Participants conformed to an obviously incorrect answer to avoid standing out
• What percentage of participants conformed in Asch's original study?


  Approximately 32%
• What does the increase in conformity during Asch's task difficulty variation suggest?


  Participants were unsure and looked to the majority for guidance
• What is the role of normative social influence (NSI) in Asch's study?


  Participants conformed to fit in with the group despite knowing the answer was wrong
• What does Zimbardo's research demonstrate about identification?


  Participants conformed to their assigned social roles, altering their behaviour
• What are the two main reasons people conform according to the dual process model?


  Informational Social Influence (ISI) and Normative Social Influence (NSI)
• What is the difference between ISI and NSI?


  ISI is the need to be right, while NSI is the need to be liked
• How does Sherif's research support ISI?


  It shows that individuals look to others for guidance in ambiguous situations
• What is a criticism of NSI based on individual differences?


  Some individuals do not feel a strong need to be liked, affecting conformity levels
• What is a limitation of distinguishing between ISI and NSI?


  They often work together, making it difficult to separate their effects
• What is the significance of Asch's control group in his study?


  It provided a baseline to compare conformity rates against
• What does the conclusion of Asch's study suggest about conformity?


  Participants conformed due to normative social influence, showing compliance
• What are the variations in Asch's study and their effects on conformity?


  • Task Difficulty: Increased conformity due to uncertainty (ISI)
  • Group Size: Conformity increased with group size but plateaued
  • Unanimity: Breaking unanimity significantly decreased conformity
• What does the quantitative data collected in Asch's research allow for?


  It enables objective comparisons of conformity rates across different conditions
• What type of change is described in the study material?

  Not a linear change
• What happens to unanimity when one confederate gives a correct answer and another gives an incorrect answer?


  • The majority is no longer unanimous.
  • Conformity rates decrease significantly.
• What was the percentage decrease in conformity when one confederate said the correct answer?


  Decreased significantly to 5%
• What was the percentage decrease in conformity when one confederate said a different incorrect answer?


  Decreased to 9%
• What is a strength of Asch's conformity research regarding data collection?


  • Collected quantitative data.
  • Allowed objective comparison of conformity rates.
  • Conclusions were not affected by researcher bias.
• How did Asch calculate the average percentage of conformity?


  By analyzing the results of the original study and its variations
• Why is the controlled environment of Asch's study considered a strength?


  • Allowed manipulation of one variable at a time.
  • Controlled extraneous variables.
  • Established how each variable affected conformity.
• What does it mean that Asch's research might lack temporal validity?


  Results may not apply to different time periods
• What did Perrin and Spencer find when they replicated Asch's experiment in 1980?


  Only one conforming answer out of 396 trials
• Why might Asch's research lack ecological validity?


  • The task of matching lines is artificial.
  • No real-life consequences for non-conformity.
  • May not reflect true conformity behavior in everyday life.
• What ethical issue did Asch's research face regarding informed consent?


  Participants were deceived about the study's true aim
• How did Asch justify the breach of ethical issues in his study?


  By arguing it reduced demand characteristics
• What was the aim of Zimbardo's study on conformity to social roles?


  • To investigate conformity to social roles.
  • Focused on the psychological effects of prison life.
• How did Zimbardo select participants for his study?


  • Used volunteer sampling through a newspaper ad.
  • Screened candidates for psychological issues and criminal history.
  • Ended up with 24 male college students.
• How were roles assigned to participants in Zimbardo's study?


  By flipping a coin
• Describe the setup of the mock prison in Zimbardo's study.


  • Located in the basement of Stanford University.
  • Included cells with steel bars and solitary confinement.
  • Monitored by researchers through an intercom system.