Social influence

• What was the aim of the NatCen study conducted by Morrell et al. in 2011?

  To investigate what triggered the August 2011 riots and the extent of youth involvement
• What assurances were given to participants regarding their involvement in the study?

  That the research was confidential and anonymous
• How many participants were interviewed in Tottenham for the study?

  25 participants
• What was the main focus of Morrell et al.'s investigation regarding young people and the riots?

  To understand why young people got involved in the riots
• What types of individuals were included in the interview data regarding who was involved in the riots?(NatCen)

  A mixture of age groups, ethnicities, and employment statuses
• When was the data gathered for the study?

  Five weeks after the riots had taken place
• How were participants interviewed in the study?

  Individually or in groups of two or four
• What are the conclusions drawn from the study regarding antisocial behavior?(NatCen)

  • Influenced by collective behavior/group processes
  • Influenced by dispositional/individual factors
  • Based on beliefs about right and wrong
  • Assessment of risks and benefits of involvement
• What influenced young people's decisions about getting involved in the riots?(August 2011)

  What they believed was right or wrong and the perceived benefits versus risks
• What is a weakness of Bickman's study into obedience?

  It is culturally biased.
• Why is Bickman's study considered culturally biased?

  It was only conducted in Brooklyn.
• How might individualistic cultures affect obedience according to Bickman's study?

  They are less inclined to obey.
• What does the inability to generalize Bickman's results imply?

  Results may not apply to other cultures.
• How does cultural bias affect the credibility of Bickman's study?

  It reduces the study's credibility.
• What ethical issue is associated with Bickman's research?

  Informed consent was not obtained.
• Why is the lack of debriefing an ethical concern in Bickman's study?

  Participants were not informed pre-experiment.
• What psychological harm might participants have experienced in Bickman's study?

  Embarrassment or distress from orders.
• What insight does Bickman's study provide despite ethical criticisms?

  It shows the power of situational factors.
• What is a criticism regarding the internal validity of Bickman's study?

  It has low internal validity.
• Why does using a field experiment affect Bickman's internal validity?

  There are uncontrolled extraneous variables.
• How might weather influence the results of Bickman's study?

  People may obey to escape rain.
• What does low internal validity imply about Bickman's research findings?

  Findings may not be credible.
• What is a weakness of the dispositional factors theory?

  It is reductionist.
• How does the reductionist nature of dispositional factors theory affect its credibility?

  It oversimplifies complex behaviors.
• What evidence does the dispositional factors theory overlook?

  Influence of situational factors.
• Why is the dispositional factors theory not easily generalizable?

  It focuses too much on individuals.
• What is a limitation of the authoritarian personality theory?

  It is too simplistic.
• Why is the authoritarian personality theory considered simplistic?

  It only explains one aspect of obedience.
• What does the authoritarian personality theory fail to explain?

  Obedience without harsh parenting.
• What is a criticism of NatCen's research into dispositional factors?

  It may lack internal validity.
• Why might NatCen's research lack internal validity?

  Participants were interviewed weeks later.
• What issue arises from retrospective data in NatCen's research?

  Memories may be distorted over time.
• What is another issue with NatCen's research regarding population validity?

  It has low population validity.
• Why does recruiting prisoners affect NatCen's population validity?

  Prisoners may not represent all participants.
• How does the sample of prisoners affect the generalizability of NatCen's findings?

  It limits generalization to broader populations.
• What is a concern regarding social desirability in NatCen's research?

  Participants may lie to appear better.
• How might social desirability bias affect the results of NatCen's research?

  It could distort participants' true involvement.
• What does social desirability bias imply about NatCen's findings?

  It reduces the credibility of the research.
• What was the aim of Bickman's original study?

  To investigate social power of uniforms.
• What method did Bickman use for his original study?

  Field experiment on Brooklyn streets.