AO3

• A strength of the two process model is that there is...

  evidence to support it from Lucas, who found that when PTPS were asked easy and hard maths questions, conformity rates were higher with the harder ones, showing that they believed the majority group held the right answer. Asch's findings provide support for NSI, confirming that people conform to fit in with the majority group. This shows that people conform when they don't know the answer (ISI) or to be liked (NSI)
• A limitation of the two process model is that ind...

  individual differences affect conformity. People who care more about having social relationships with someone is more likely to conform (nAfiliators), according to McGhee and Teevan. This suggests that the desire to be liked (NSI) is shown by more people than others and the two process model doesn't explain this fully.
• Another limitation is that the two process model is too...

  simplistic, as it states that NSI and ISI only work individually, where they may actually be interlinked. Asch found that conformity was reduced when one confederate gave the right answer. However we don't know if this was due to NSI - the PTP had support from the confederate- or ISI - the PTP had confidence to give the right answer. Therefore it is hard to know whether conformity is due to ISI or NSI and it may be that they don't operate independently.
• A limitation of Asch's study is that the results may be due to...

  demand characteristics, which is when a PTP perceives the demands of a study and acts accordingly, lowering the IV. This is because the task used artificial circumstances in which a person was asked to behave individually without group interaction. Therefore the findings tell us little about conformity in situations where we act in a group.
• Another limitation of Asch's study is that it has low ...

  population validity, which is where findings cannot be generalised to wider populations, lowering external validity. This is because Asch only used American male volunteers, which Neto argues against, as he claims that women care more about social relationships and therefore conform more. Smith and Bond also argue that conformity rates change in collectivist cultures as they are more concerned with group needs than the individualist culture Asch did his research in. Therefore conformity levels may be higher than Asch thought.
• Another limitation of Asch's research is that it s affected by...

  the setting it is carried out in, as factors such as how important conformity is will affect behaviour. Perrin and Spencer found only one conforming response in 396 trials when the study was replicated with engineering students, as they need to be more precise. However with youths on probation, they found levels similar to Asch, as they would be trying to avoid further conflict. This affects the external validity as Asch's findings cannot be generalised to all groups and settings.
• A limitation of Jenness' research is that it has low...

  ecological validity, which is where findings cannot be generalised to wider populations, decreasing the external validity. This is because the procedure used highly controlled lab settings and asked PTPS to make a judgement about an abnormal situation. Therefore the findings tell us little about real life conformity.
• A limitation of Jenness' research is that it has low p...

  population validity, which is where findings cannot be generalised to wider populations, decreasing the EV. The procedure used 101 psychology students, meaning it is hard to apply the findings beyond this small group, meaning it may tell us little about conformity in wider populations.
• A strength of Zimbardo's research is that it had high..

  control over extraneous variables, which is when the procedure does not include uncontrolled variables that might affect the DV, which would lower the IV. Zimbardo hose emotionally stable PTPS who were randomly allocated to their roles. As they were assigned by chance, we can be sure that their very different behaviour was due to the pressures of their roles and the environment, rather than their personalities.
• A limitation of Zimbardo's research is that PTPS may have shown...

  demand characteristics, which is where PTPS perceive the demands of a study and act accordingly. Banuazizi and Movahedi argued that PTPS were simply using the stereotypes of their roles to play-act. However, Zimbardo's data showed that 90% of conversations were about prison life, showing that they believed it was real and increasing the IV.
• A limitation of Zimbardo's research is that the PTPS suffered various ...

  ethical issues, such as harm and deception, which they have a right not to experience. Zimbardo deceived his PTPS and didn't tell them the full extent of what would take place, and the observation had to be terminated early due to the distress of several PTPS, such as #8612. Investigations in psychology should be considerate of the consequences on PTPS, and the Stanford experiment failed to take this into account.
• A strength of Milgram's findings is that his findings have high...

  reliability, which is the extent to which findings can be replicated with consistent results. Milgram used standardised procedures for each PTP, even using a set of pre-recorded learner responses. This means that subsequent researchers have been able to replicate and check Milgram's findings.
• A limitation of Milgram's findings is that it has low...

  external validity, which is where findings cannot be generalised to wider settings and populations. His experiment was done in a lab with a controlled setting, and PTPS were asked to deliver shocks to someone who answered a question wrong. This is an artificial situation which lacks mundane realise, so his research may not tell us anything about obedience in the real world.
• A limitation of Milgram's research is that it has low in...

  internal validity, which is where the study doesn't accurately measure what it intended to. Orne and Holland argued that the PTPS acted the way they did because they knew the experiment was fake. This suggests that the study may not be measuring obedience as PTPS would be able to deliver shocks easier if they knew there was no consequence to their actions.

  Counter - milgram interviewed PTPS and found that 70% thought the shocks were real
• A strength of Hofling's research is that it has high..

  external validity, due to it's mundane realism which is where findings can be generalised to wider settings and populations. This is because nurses were ordered to administer a drug in their working environment due to it being a field experiment. This shows that we can generalise findings to similar and wider populations.
• A strength of Hofling's research is that it is ...

  reliable, as there is high control over variables. The study can easily be replicated with consistent findings as it uses standardised variables and procedures for all PTPS. Therefore the study can be replicate and findings can be checked.
• A strength of legitimacy of authority is that there is...

  There is evidence of this from Milgram’s study, who interviewed PTPS and found that they didn’t feel responsible or their actions. They believed they were working on behalf of the experimenter and even told them ‘I hope you know what you’re doing’. This shows that obedience is more likely when they enter the agentic state because they believe they are no longer responsible and carrying out someone else’s work, and shows that it is a valid explanation for obedience.
• A strength of Adorno's research is that...

  A strength of Adorno’s research is that there is evidence to support it from Milgram who found that the most obedient PTPS scored higher on the F-scale than those who were less obedient. This shows that obedience is more likely in those with an authoritarian personality because they have a higher level of respect for authority, suggesting that it is a valid explanation.
• A limitation of Adorno's research is that it is...

  A limitation of Adorno’s research is that it is hard to establish cause and effect as it uses correlation not causation, meaning it isn’t possible to conclude that the authoritarian personality causes high levels of obedience. Adorno measured many variables and found correlations, such as the personality being highly correlated with prejudice towards minority groups. However, this only shows there is a relationship between them and not that one is causing the other.
• A strength of locus of control as an explanation for resistance to social influence is that there is...

  evidence to support it from Holland, who repeated Milgram’s study and measured whether people had an internal or external locus on control. He found that 37% of people with an internal locus of control didn’t continue to the highest shock level, but only 23% of people with an external locus of control did not continue to the highest shock level. This shows that PTPS with an internal locus of control showed more resistance to social influence, which offers validity for Rotter’s ideas of locus of control.
• A limitation of locus of control as an explanation for resistance to social influence is that there is ...

  contradicting evidence from Twenge et al, who analysed data from American locus on control studies. They found that over 40 years, people have become more independent, but more external. If resistance to social influence was due to having an internal locus of control, we would expect people to become more internal, which challenges the link between locus of control and resistance to social influence.
• A limitation of locus of control as an explanation for resistance to social influence is that the role may have been ...

  overexaggerated. Rotter found that it is only important in new situations as it has no effect in situations where previous experience have an effect. This means that people who have conformed in previous situations are likely to do so again, even if they have an internal locus of control. Therefore it is only helpful in telling us about social influence in a small range of situations.
• A strength of social support as an explanation for resistance to social influence is that there is evidence from A and L...

  Allan and Levine, who found that independence increased with one dissenter (someone that disagrees with the majority group) in a study similar to Asch. This occurred even if the dissenter wore thick glasses and said to have problems with their vision. This suggests that resistance to social influence isn’t motivated by following with someone else says, but rather about the presence of another person allowing a PTP to have confidence.
• A strength of social support as an explanation for resistance to social influence is that there is support from G et al...

  Gamson et al who did a study asking PTPS to work in groups and obey by producing evidence for an oil company who unfairly sacked a petrol station manager. They found higher levels of resistance as 88% of PTPs rebelled due to the social support of other group members, showing that this is linked to resistance to social influence.