Psychology Edexcel Alevel - SOCIAL

• What results did our practical give?

  -significant number of people believe that although it shouldn't impact, females tend to be more obedient, and males tend to have more authority
• What was the aim of our practical?

  To investigate perceptions of gender differences in obedience.
• Evaluate Burger's study.

  -GENERALISABILITY: poor, 38% deselected after screening, may have lead to lower obedience levels-RELIABILITY + VALIDITY: none knew Milgrams research, excluded if took 2+ psychology classes, enhanced internal validity of study-APPLICATION: limited to real world, situation lost potency because ppts were stopped before any real distress-ETHICS: meticulous safeguards, very safe, little mental damage, ppts screened BUT ppts didnt know, withheld info so still unethical
• What is a conclusion to Burger's study?

  -Milgram's findings not era-bound-desire for control has impact on obedience
• What were Burger's findings?

  -70% obedient compared to 82.5 in Milgram's study-no significant gender differences-no differences linked to empathetic concern-higher desire for control = more defiant
• What was the procedure of Burger's 2009 study?

  -29 men + 41 women aged 20-81-flyers, ads, newspapers + online-6 ethical safeguards
• What were the aims of Burger's 2009 study?

  -see if Milgram's findings were era-bound-see if obedience is impacted by gender or personality traits (empathetic concern and desire for control)
• What are the 2 subtopics within social psychology?

  Prejudice and Obedience
• What is an application for Factors affecting Prejudice?

  -reducing prejudice-learned through specific world views-greater regulations of media sources
• What is a differing theory for Factors affecting prejudice?

  -problem with approach, ignores social norms and situational factors
• What is an opposing argument of factors affecting prejudice?

  -can't expect SDO and RWA to generalize-influenced by social factors so harder to predict in real world
• What is a strength of Factors affecting Prejudice?

  -Cohrs et al = RWA and SDO both correlated positively with prejudice behavior and negatively with openness to experience-levels of prejudice can be accurately predicted by personality types
• What factors impact prejudice?

  -personality-culture-situation
• What leads to a Social Dominance Orientation personality?


  -socialization-role models-seeing the world as a competitive jungle, fight for resources
• Who proposed a Social Dominance Orientation personality?

  Pratto et al
• What leads to a Right Wing Authoritarian personality?

  -social learning-learned set of beliefs about the world-reaction to fear and uncertainty
• Who proposed the Right Wing Authoritarian personality type?

  Altemeyer
• What is an application of Realistic Conflict theory?

  -reducing prejudice and discrimination in society-intergroup relations enhanced by super-ordinate goals-2 of most important issues faced in modern world
• What is a differing theory for Realistic Conflict Theory?

  -competition may not be necessary for prejudice-Tajfel's minimal group experiment = discrimination from perceiving someone as "less" than you-more about self worth and social grouping
• What is an opposing argument for Realistic Conflict Theory?

  -boys needed serious provocation to trigger discrimination-had to secretly raid one group's cabin
• What is a strength of robbers cave?

  created intergroup sporting competition with winner (negative interdependence) = violence, hostility and prejudice
• Who proposed and experimented Realistic Conflict Theory?

  Sherif et al (Robbers Cave)
• What is Realistic Conflict Theory?


  Prejudice arises due to groups competing for resources. There has to be competition present.
• Application for Social identity theory

  -attempting to reduce prejudice by increasing self-esteem-policies that target lower self esteemed people
• Evaluate a differing theory of Social Identity theory.


  -may only explain western societies-repeated with 8yr/o from NZ, more generous to outgroups
• Evaluate an opposing weakness of Social Identity Theory

  -not realistic-just a game, no consequences
• Evaluate strengths of Social Identity theory.

  -minimal group experiment-64 15-16yr old boys from same school-divided into groups by behavior, allocate points to ingroup/outgroup members
• What are the 3 stages of Social Identity Theory?

  1. Social categorization - see yourself as part of a group2. Social identification - identifying with the group and taking on their norms and attitudes3. Social comparison - see in-group as better than out-group to boost self esteem
• Who developed Social Identity Theory?

  Tajfel + Turner (1979,1986)
• Evaluate situational factors in influencing obedience.


  +supporting evidence (Social Impact Theory, obedience at the zoo)-personality of each individual also impacts-APPLICATION: rule breaking, increased obedience by immediacy and legitimacy
• How do situational factors influence obedience?

  -Legitimacy: perceived status (Milgrams variation)-Proximity: (Latene) Social Impact Theory-Behavior of others: role models who disobey, Milgram variation 17 (2 peers rebel, obedience = 10%)
• Evaluate culture as an influence of obedience.


  +close relationships between obedience and PDI (Kilham + Mann), both low in Australia + high in Poland-very similar levels of obedience between US & rest of world, universal social behavior
• How does culture impact obedience?

  -Individualism vs collectivism-individualists = self resilience + personal autonomy-collectivists = loyalty to groups + interdependence-Power Distance Index (PDI) = how accepting people are of order and inequality in society-low PDI = more resistant
• Evaluate gender influences on obedience.

  +support from qualitative research, men favored justice, women favored care (interviewed), may affect decision making in destructive situations-many studies found no significant gender differences
• What impact does gender have on obedience?

  -Women are more obedient than men (Sheridon + King = electric shock puppies, 100% females 54% males obeyed, women more distressed)-Men more obedient than women (Kilham + Mann, replicated Milgram's study = 40% males, 16% females fully obedient)-Moral Reasoning (men = ethics of justice, women = ethics of care)
• Evaluate personality factors in influencing obedience.

  +research support (Milgram tested his ppts, obedient ppts scored higher on F scale)-may just be correlational (other factors may impact)-Schurz: ultrasound on female students, fully obedient and resistive ppts had similar LOC on questionnaire-APPLICATION: field of human resources: some jobs require higher obedience levels, using LOC scale to recruit
• What is Locus of control (LOC)?

  -persons perception of personal control over their behavior-internal = self responsibility-external = governed by others and chance factors-internal = more likely to disobey authority
• What is the 'authoritarian personality'?

  -hostile to inferior and obedient to superior-strict parents-F scale
• Define resistance in obedience.

  Ability to withstand social pressure to obey authority , influenced by both situational and dispositional (personality) factors.
• Define 'dissent' in obedience.

  Having opinions that differ from those held by others. (disobedience)