Psychology - social influence

• Explanation of Asch research - strength - methodology

  He conducted a controlled laboratory experiment this meant he could control his variables completely meaning level of conformity is likely to be a result of manipulating these variables showing cause and effect and therefore increasing internal validity
• Evaluation Of Asch research of conformity - limitations (1)

  The research lacks mundane realism , Asch asked participants to judge the length of lines which is a easy task so no reason to conform therefore the findings don’t tell us about conformity in everyday situations so we can’t generalise the findings to other situtions where consequence are more important.
• What does it mean when Asch's research is described as "a child of its time"?

  It suggests that the findings may be influenced by the historical context in which the research was conducted.
• In what historical context did Asch's research take place?

  During a time in U.S. history when conformity was high.
• How did Perlin and Spencer's study in the 1980s differ from Asch's original research?

  They found only 1 out of 396 trials resulted in conformity among engineering students.
• Why might the results of Perlin and Spencer's study be considered a limitation of Asch's research?

  It questions the temporal validity of Asch's findings due to differing contexts.
• What could be a reason for the low conformity found in Perlin and Spencer's study?

  The engineering students may have felt more confident in their ability to estimate line lengths.
• How many trials did Perlin and Spencer conduct in their study?

  396 trials.
• What does the term "temporal validity" refer to in the context of psychological research?

  It refers to the extent to which research findings can be generalized across different time periods.
• What implications do the findings of Perlin and Spencer have for the interpretation of Asch's research on conformity?


  They suggest that Asch's findings may not be applicable to all time periods or populations.
• Evaluation of as his research into conformity- limitation

  Another issue is the cultural bias as all part We’re from America which is an individualist culture so are less likely to conform so studies done in places like china which is a collectivist culture would have higher conformity rates this is a limitation as it means we can’t generalise these results
• evaluation of asch research into conformity- limitations

  Another limitation is the ethical issues raised , his real participants were deceived as they believed the task was estimating lengths of lines therefore they were misled therefore couldn’t give fully informed consent however researchers argue this is crucial as deception helps avoid demand characteristics therefore the ethical costs should balance the benefits for society
• when did zimbardo study occur

  1973
• When did asch study occur

  1951
• What was the aim of zimbardo study?

  To investigate the extent to which people would conform to the roles in a roleplaying simulation of prison life
• How many male students participated in the Zimbardo study?

  24 male students
• What was the method of participant selection in the Zimbardo study?

  Participants were selected from a volunteer sample and screened psychologically and physically
• What roles were the participants randomly allocated in the Zimbardo study?

  Participants were randomly allocated the role of either prisoner or guard
• Who played the role of the prison supervisor in the Zimbardo study?

  Zimbardo played the role of prison supervisor
• What happened to the prisoners after they were arrested in the Zimbardo study?

  They were taken to a real prison for screening before being taken to the fake prison at Stanford University
• How were the prisoners dehumanized in the Zimbardo study?

  Prisoners were blindfolded and given stocking caps to simulate a bald head
• What clothing was used to deindividuate the prisoners in the Zimbardo study?

  Prisoners were dressed in smock dresses and given a prison ID number
• What was the purpose of the guards' uniforms in the Zimbardo study?

  The guards were given uniforms and reflective mirrors glasses to make them feel anonymous
• What were the main components of the Zimbardo study's procedure?

  • 24 male students screened psychologically and physically
  • Random allocation of roles: prisoner or guard
  • Zimbardo as prison supervisor
  • Arrest and screening of prisoners at a real prison
  • Dehumanization: blindfolded and stocking caps for prisoners
  • Deindividuation: smock dresses and prison ID numbers for prisoners
  • Guards wore uniforms and reflective mirrors for anonymity
• what were the findings of zimbardo study ?

  dehumanisation became apparent as guards began to humiliate the prisoners e.g making them clean the toilet with their bare hands furthermore deindividuation also was noticeable as guards started referring to prisoners as just by their prison numbers instead of their names . The guards , prisoners and researchers all conformed to their social roles . Their behaviour became a threat to the prisoners psychological and physical health and the study was stopped after 6 days instead of 14 days. Prisoner 8612 was the first to suffer a mental breakdown
• What was the conclusion of zimbardo study ?

  the study revealed the power of the situation . The social roles affected their behaviour and caused them to behave in ways that went against their moral beliefs
• Evaluation of research into conformity to social roles - strength

  A strength of zimabrado study is that it has a real example ,he argues it was the same conformity to social role as evident in Abu Gharib which is Notorious for the torture of iraq prisoners by us soldiers in 2003-4 . Zimbardo believed that guards who committed the abuse did it due to situational factors that’s made abuse more likely these were lack of training, boredom and no accountability to higher authority these gave them to opportunity to misuse power
• Evaluation of research into conformity to social roles - strength

  Another strength is that the finding increased our understanding of the power to the situation, zimbardo research helped lead to beneficial reforms within prison systems and the way real prisoners were treated highlightin its real life applications
• What is a major problem identified in Zimbardo's research on conformity to social roles?

  Ethical issues
• How did Zimbardo fail to protect participants from psychological harm?

  By allowing prisoner 8612 to suffer a mental breakdown
• What was the issue with the right to withdraw in Zimbardo's study?

  It was made difficult and unclear to participants
• What happened when a student asked Zimbardo to be released from the study?

  Zimbardo responded as the prison supervisor instead of a researcher
• Why is Zimbardo's response to the student's request considered a weakness of the research?

  He failed to protect the participant from psychological harm
• How long did Zimbardo's study last before it was stopped?

  6 days
• What was the reaction of the prisoners during the study?

  They showcased distress
• What does the mental breakdown of prisoner 8612 indicate about the ethical considerations in Zimbardo's research?

  It highlights the lack of protection from psychological harm
• What is a limitation of the research into conformity of social roles according to the study material?

  Prisoners may have acted based on what they believed the researchers wanted this is known as demand characteristics.
• Who conducted a study that supports the argument about demand characteristics in Zimbardo's research?

  Banuazzi and Movahedi
• What did Banuazzi and Movahedi (1975) find regarding students' reactions to the prison experiment?


  The majority of students guessed how the researchers wanted them to react.
• How does the limitation of demand characteristics affect the internal validity of the research?

  It lowers internal validity.