Psychology - Social influence

• The Stanley Milgram experiment was a study of obedience to authority. Obedience was highest when authority was present
• In the Milgram experiment participants were pared with secret colleagues of Milgram.
• Milgram's results showed that people are willing to obey orders from an authority figure even if it means harming others
• A limitation of the Milgram experiment is that it may not be representative as only white middle class males took part
• Researchers pressured the " Teachers" to increase the voltage in the Milgram experiment .
• In the Milgram experiment a false shock generator of 30 volts too 450 volts was used on the "learner".
• The Milgram experiment has been criticised because it could have caused psychological damage to the participants, especially those who believed they had actually shocked someone else.
• The conformity experiment was created by Solomon asch
• Solomon Asch asked his participants to judge which line matched another line when there were three lines presented. The other participants would give their answers first so the participant being tested would feel pressure to agree with them.
• One strength of the Asch experiment is that it shows how easily we can be influenced by group norms.
• Asch found that 76% of participants conformed at least once but only 25% conformed all the time.
• One strength of the Asch experiment is that it can be replicated easily.
• Conformity - Group size will increase conformity
• Conformity - Similarity between participants will decrease conformity
• Women are more likely to conform to social norms than men .
• Difficulty of the tasks increases conformity
• moods which are positive will increase conformity and those that are negative will decrease conformity.
• Normative - Desire to be liked and accepted
• Compliance is changing behaviour to fit and avoid disapproval
• Conformity is what the group does
• Obedience is doing something because someone tells us too
• internalisation is the permeant change of public and private behaviour to fit into societal norms .
• Identification is a person publicly and private changing their behaviour but temporally .
• Stanford Prison Experiment


  A psychological study where students played the roles of prisoners and guards in a simulated prison, demonstrating the power of Normative Social Influence and the potential for cruelty when authority figures are given free rein
• Prisoners in Stanford Prison Experiment


  Participants who were randomly assigned to play the role of prisoners, exhibiting behaviors such as institutionization, rebellion, and adopting prisoner-like attitudes
• Conditions leading to Depression and Anxiety in Prisoners

  Loss of personal identification, helplessness, social isolation, psychological humiliation, and prolonged stress, which collectively contributed to emotional distress and psychological breakdown
• Long-term Effects of Stanford Prison Experiment

  Psychological trauma, social and emotional distress, long-term consequences, including PTSD, depression, and anxiety disorder, which can persist for years or even decades
• Experiences of Guards in Stanford Prison Experiment

  Initial anticipation, gradual desensitization, loss of empathy, power tripping, and eventual feelings of guilt and shame, as guards became increasingly authoritarian and sadistic
• Natural Experiment in Stanford Prison Experiment

  A debated topic; while some argue that the study was an accidental natural experiment due to spontaneous participant behavior, others argue that the researchers' guidance and direction influenced the outcome, making it more of a controlled experiment
• Researchers' Role in Stanford Prison Experiment

  Limited guidance, observer effect, hands-off approach, boundary blurring, and inadequate supervision, which influenced the study's outcomes and raised questions about the researchers' role in the experiment
• Handling Escalating Violence in Stanford Prison Experiment

  Initial lack of intervention, gradual intervention, unpreparedness, and eventual stopping of the experiment due to severe harm and distress caused to participants
• Consequences for Participants in Stanford Prison Experiment

  Psychological trauma, emotional distress, social and relational difficulties, and long-term effects on mental health
• Lessons Learned from Stanford Prison Experiment

  Increased awareness of psychological dynamics, advancements in psychology and sociology, improved research design and ethics, and advancements in education and training