social influence

• What is 'bystander apathy' or the 'bystander effect'?


  Refers to when someone fails to help out someone in need.
• What is the difference between 'personal' and 'situational' influences on behaviour?

  Personal factors relate to someone's personality or mood, whereas situational factors refer to things in the environment, such as how many other people witness an emergency.
• How does diffusion of responsibility work (a situational factor influencing bystander behaviour)?

  When there are lots of other bystanders, we could feel less responsible and less need to intervene oursleves - we believe others will or should intervene instead.
• What is meant by pluralistic ignorance (situational factor affecting bystander behaviour)?

  When we look to the reactions of others and base our behaviour on their's. If we see other people not intervening, we may judge that no intervention or offer of help is needed.
• How does cost of helping influence bystander behaviour (situational factor)?

  If we evaluate that there is a risk of harm if we intervene and try to help in an emergency situation, we may be less likely to do so.
• How can similarity with the victim influence bystander behaviour (personal factor)?


  If, for instance, we are of a smilar age or race, then we may empathise more with a victim, and be more likely to intervene and help.
• How can mood influence bystander behaviour (personal factor)?

  Simply, people in a more positive mood may be more likely to intervene and help in an emergency.
• How can competence affect bystander behaviour (personal factor)?

  The likelihood of someone interveneing and offering help in an emergency can depend on their competence, or knowledge of how to intervene.
• What different factors were Piliavin et al interested in investigating, to see how they affected bystander behaviour?

  Whether bystander intervention was affected by whether a 'victim' was drunk or ill, and whether race influenced the likelihood of intervention / offers of help.
• What was the size of Piliavin et al's sample? Who were they?

  Approx. 4500 passengers on a New York subway.
• What was the independent variable(s) in Piliavin et al's study? So, what were the changeable factors in the different 'trials'?

  1) The type of 'victim' - drunk or ill. 2) Race of 'victim' (black or white).
• What was the dependent variable in Piliavin et al's study? So, what was being recorded by the observers?

  Whether, or how many, or how long it took, passengers to intervene and offer help to the victim.
• In Piliavin et al's study, were passengers more likely to offer assistance to the drunk or ill victim?


  Ill.
• What did Piliavin et al conclude based on their results (regarding drunk and ill victims)?

  People are more likely to help someone perceived as ill compared to someone perceived as drunk, because the cost of helping an ill person is less.
• Which sex did Piliavin et al find to be more likely to offer assistance?

  Males.
• What did Piliavin et al conclude based on their results (regarding males and females)?

  Women might feel that the costs of helping are higher for them. Also that the costs of not helping are less than they are for men as women are not expected to respond in such emergency situations.
• In Pilivain et al's study, were passengers more or less likely to offer assistance to the victim if they were of the same race?

  More.
• What did Piliavin et al conclude based on their results (regarding race)?

  Bystanders of the same race as a victim may feel more similarity with them, and therefore empathise with them more, making them more likely to intervene.
• Why is it a strength that Piliavin et al used a 'field experiment' to gather their data?

  Unlike many laboratory experiments on bystander behaviour, this study was done in a naturalistic environment on passengers who regularly use the subway to commute.
• State two ethical problems with Piliavin et al's study.

  Participants were unaware they were being studied (lack of informed consent). Participants could have been stressed out by the victim falling down (lack of protection from harm).
• Why might Piliavin's findings not represent the behaviour of train passengers today, and train passengers from different countries?

  The study was conducted in 1969 and bystander behaviour may have changed since then. Also, the sample is not representative of bystanders from other countires - only passengers in New York were studied.
• What is 'conformity'?


  Conformity refers to changing our behaviours or beliefs to fit those of another person or group of people.
• What is the difference between normative social influence and informational social influence?

  NSI explains how we conform in order to fit in with a group, so we don't feel rejected - we conform due to a 'desire to be liked'. ISI explains how we conform because we think others have more information than use - that they must know more than us - so we conform due to a 'desire to be right'.
• What are the three types of conformity? Give an example of each in real-life.

  Compliance (e.g. laughing at an unfunny joke because your friends laugh). Identification (e.g. talking in sland at school with your friends but talking properly at home). Internalisation (e.g. being persuaded by your friends to become vegan - permanently).
• How does group size affect levels of conformity? Why?

  The more people in a group, the more pressure there is to conform (NSI - pressure to fit in / be liked). Conformity levels don't increase though once a group reaches approx. 4 people or members.
• How does unanimity of the majority affect levels of conformity? Why?


  If everyone in a group agrees, then there is more pressure to fit in - you would be the odd one out if you went against them. If there is disagreement amongst the group, there is less pressure to fit in - if you go against the majority, you won't be alone.
• How does task difficulty affect levels of conformity? Why?

  The more difficult a task, the more likely conformity is, because people will lack confidence and believe others know more than they do (ISI - conforming to be right).
• What is the difference between an internal and external locus of control?

  Internal LOC - when we feel that we have a lot of control over our own behaviour. External LOC - when we feel that we do not have control over our behaviour; we believe it to be caused by something external to us.
• Somebody with which type of locus of control is more likely to conform?

  External (they may be more willing for their behaviour to be caused / influenced by others).
• What is obedience?


  Obedience refers to following the orders of an authority figure.
• Regarding obedience, what is a 'legitimate authority'?


  Somebody (or something) who we accept, and feel that it is right, that they have power and authority over us.
• How does 'Agency Theory' explain obedience?

  Agency Theory suggests that, when we accept an authority figure is legitimate then when they instruct us to do something, we are likely believe that they are responsible for our actions, and the consequences of our actions. Essentially, people act as an 'agent' for the authority figure.
• What were the (specific) results from Milgram's electric shocks experiment?

  All participants followed instructions to shock 'learners' up to 300 volts. 65% of participants obeyed and adminsitred (potentially) lethal shocks of 450 volts.
• How did Milgram find these situational factors influenced obedience? Proximity, uniform, location.

  Proximity - the closer the victim, the lower the obedience / the closer the authority figure, the higher the obedience. Uniform - when an authority figure wears a uniform, obedience levels rise. Location - when the location is more prestigious / respected, obedience levels increase.
• Is someone with an internal or external locus of control more likely to obey an authority figure? Why?


  External (they may be more willing for their behaviour to be caused / influenced by others).
• What is 'blind obedience'?

  When we comply with the orders of an authority figure without question; it tends to be associated with negative outcomes.
• Describe a situation when it would be important to question the orders given to you by someone in authority.

  As a nurse, when a Doctor tells you to do something you knew could harm a patient, it would be important to question the instructions of the Doctor.
• Describe how social support could help prevent blind obedience.

  The presence of an 'ally' can make people more confident to question and disobey the orders of an authority figure.
• Describe how familiarity with the situation could help prevent blind obedience.

  The more familiar, or knowledgeable someone is with a situation, the more confident they will be in questioning the orders of an authority figure.
• Describe how distance could help prevent blind obedience.

  There is more pressure to obey the close we are to an authority figure - if we can distance ourselves from the authority figure, we might be more confident in disobeying them.