C1 - SOCIAL INFLUENCE

What is conformity?

It is when individuals choose a course of action that is favoured by others or is seen as socially acceptable

What are the types of conformity?

Internalisation, identification, compliance

What is internalisation?

This is a type of conformity when we take on the majority view privately and accept it as correct

What is identification?

This is a type of conformity when we take on majority views privately because we value it and want to be part of it

What is compliance?

This is a type of conformity when we take on the majority views privately because we want to gain their approval or to avoid their disapproval

Does internalisation result in a private change in behaviour?

Yes

Does internalisation result in a public change in behaviour?

Yes

Does identification result in a private change in behaviour?

Yes

Does identification result in a public change in behaviour?

Yes

Does compliance result in a private change in behaviour?

No

Does compliance result in a public change in behaviour?

No

What is the weakest form of conformity?

Complaince

What are some examples of compliance?

Typical peer pressure

What are some examples of internalisation?

Fashion trends, political views

What is an example of identification?

Slime to fidget spinner

What are the explanations for conformity?

Informational Social Influence (ISI) and Normative Social Influence (NSI)

What is normative social influence?

influence resulting from a person's desire to gain approval or avoid disapproval

What type of process is NSI?

emotional process

What are the strengths of NSI?

Research support, real world applications

Explain research support as a strength of NSI

Schultz hotel guests - they were exposed to the message that 75% of guests reused their towels each day and this reduced their own towel used

How is research support as a strength of NSI?

This shows that people are likely to take up behaviours based on the behaviours of their peers so they can fit in

Explain real world applications as a strength of NSI?

Many health campaigns use NSI related messages as they create perceived social norms that people are influenced by and even if it's not true, people tend to conform to what they think others are doing.

What is a weakness of NSI?

Doesn't predict conformity in every case, hard to distinguish from ISI

Explain the research supporting a weakness of NSI being that it doesn't predict conformity in every case?

McGhee and Teevan - they found that nAffiliators, people have a strong need to be liked by others are more likely to conform that others

How does McGhee and Teevan show that there is a weakness to NSI?

It shows that NSI lack universal application and therefore doesn't explain the differences in conformity

Explain the research that shows a weakness of NSI being hard to distinguish from ISI?

Asch's study - participants were conforming to fit in (NSI) or because they doubted themselves (ISI) so this makes its unclear which is which

Explain why a weakness of NSI is that it is hard to distinguish from ISI in real life?

In many cases, people conform because they want to be right and they want to be liked. This overlap can weaken NSI as an explanation

What is informational social influence?

influence resulting from one's willingness to accept others' opinions about reality

What type of process is ISI?

cognitive process

Is NSI privately accepted?

No

Is ISI privately accepted?

Yes

Why is NSI not privately accepted?

when someone conforms because of NSI, they're doing it to fit in socially, not because they truly believe the group is right.

Why is ISI privately accepted?

When someone conforms due to ISI, they are doing it because they are unsure in an ambiguous situation and they believe others know more than them and so they are looking for guidance and will genuinely change their beliefs based on what is said.

What situations are ISI more likely to happen?

Ambiguous situations, crisis situations, when we believe others are experts

What situations are NSI more likely to happen?

When the pressure to fit in is stronger

What is a confederate?

a person who is given a role to play in a study so that the social context can be manipulated

What was the purpose of the Asch study?

To investigate conformity in unambiguous situations and to test the power of majority influence

Explain the procedure of Asch study

He asked 123 male American participants to take part in a 'vision test', seating them around a table and showing them three lines of different length and then asked to state, in turn, which on the line match the standard one he will show. All but one the participants were confederates. On 12 of the 18 trials, the confederates all gave the same wrong answer then the real participant always gives his answer last

Explain the findings of Asch study

On 12 trials, 36.8% of the responses made by the true participants were incorrect and only one quar ter of the participants never conformed.

What happened in the control groups of the Asch study?

Participants only have incorrect answers 1% of the times

Why did the people in the Asch study conform?

Due to their need to avoid disapproval from other group members (NSI) and because they felt unsure about accuracy of their judgements and therefore when along with the majority (ISI)

What were the variation in the Asch study?

The difficulty of the task, size of the majority, unanimity of the majority

Explain the difficulty of the task as a variation in Asch's study?

When the task is made more difficult like difference between the lines being made smaller, the conformity increases because people become less confident

Explain the size of the majority as a variation in Asch's study?

When the majority was just one or two individual, there was little conformity but when the majority became 3 or more, conformity levels jumped to 30% but further increases in the size did not drastically increase in levels of conformity

What is temporal validity?

the extent to which research findings remain true over time.

Explain the unanimity of the majority as a variation in Asch's study?

When the real participant was give support of another real participant, conformity levels dropped to 5.5% and this was also seen when a confederate gave an answer that was different to the majority but also different to the real answer

What was the most major variation in the Asch study?

The unanimous group

What are some evaluations linked to the variations in Asch' study?

The research might be a 'child of its time', realism, cultural differences, Real world applications

Explain how Asch's research a child of its time

A limitation of Asch's study is that it was a child of its time. The research was carried out in 1950s America, a period of high conformity due to strong social norms. Later replications, such as Perrin and Spencer in 1980, found much lower levels of conformity when they tested UK engineering students, suggesting Asch's original findings may have been influenced by the social climate of the time. This shows that the conclusions drawn about conformity might not apply across different eras or cultures, reducing the temporal validity of the research.

What is mundane realism?

degree to which an experiment is superficially similar to everyday situations

Explain realism as an evaluation point for Asch's study?

A weakness of Asch's study is that it lacks realism. The task of judging line lengths was very artificial lowering mundane realism and the setting of strangers in a controlled lab also reduces ecological validity, since conformity may work differently in real groups such as friends or family. This shows that Asch's findings may not be fully generalisable to real-world situations where conformity pressures are often more meaningful. However, a strength of the artificial design is that it allowed Asch to maintain high control over variables, meaning the study had good internal validity in isolating the effects of group pressure on conformity.

Explain cultural differences as an evaluation point for Asch's study?

A limitation of Asch's study is that it did not take cultural differences into account. His participants were all American men from an individualist culture, where independence is valued. Research has shown that conformity rates are higher in collectivist cultures, such as in many parts of Asia, where group harmony and consensus are prioritised. This shows that Asch's findings cannot be generalised worldwide, since levels of conformity may differ depending on cultural norms and values. However, the study still provides a useful baseline for understanding conformity in individualist cultures.

Explain RWA as an evaluation point for Asch's study?

A strength of Asch's study is that it has real-world applications. Understanding conformity has been useful in explaining behaviours such as jury decision-making, where members may feel pressure to agree with the majority. Asch's findings help highlight the importance of independent thinking. This shows that although the task was artificial, the research has provided valuable insights into how social pressure operates in everyday and important contexts. However, it is important to be cautious because the simplicity of Asch's task means applications should not be overgeneralised.

What was the Perrin and Spencer study?

1980

Who are confederates?

individuals who participate in an experiment, yet are not the ones being observed by the researcher.

Explain the procedure of Perrin and Spencer's study?

Perrin and Spencer replicated Asch's line-judging task in the UK to test whether his findings were consistent over time and across groups. They conducted 396 trials using 33 male students studying engineering, who each took part in groups with confederates deliberately giving wrong answers.

Explain the findings and conclusion of Perrin and Spencer's study?

Perrin and Spencer found that, unlike Asch's original results, conformity was almost non-existent among their participants as only one participants conformed on a single trial and the others gave the right answer despite the confederates influence suggesting that Asch's findings were very much a product of their time and context, as social conformity pressures in 1950s America were likely stronger than in 1980s Britain.

What is the limitation of the Perrin and Spencer study?

A limitation of the Perrin and Spencer's study is that their participants all studied engineering, which require high confidence in dealing with precise and logical problems so the participants had high self efficacy and as a result the may have been less influenced. This shows that the very low levels of conformity they found may not simply reflect changes over time, but also the specific nature of their sample, making it difficult to generalize their findings.

What is self-efficacy?

the belief that one can master a situation and produce favorable outcomes

What is. Study used to learn conformity to social roles?

Zimbardo's prison study

What are social roles?

The 'parts' people play as members of various social groups.

What was the aim of Zimbardo's research?

He wanted to investigate the extent to which people conform to the social roles of prisoner and guard, and whether behaviour is shaped more by the situation or individual personality

What was the procedure of the Zimbardo's research?

He set up a mock prison in the basement of Stanford University. He advertised for volunteers and selected 24 males students after judging they were psychologically stable. They were randomly assigned to the role of prisoner or guard and were then unexpectedly arrested at their homes by real police officers, fingerprinted and then issued uniforms and numbers. The study was made to last two weeks but was stopped after 6 days

How were personality factors ruled out in the Zimbardo study?

They were randomly assigned the role of guard and prisoner

How was realism increased in the Zimbardo study?

They were unexpectedly arrested from their houses by real police and fingerprinted

What is deindividuation?

the loss of self-awareness occurring in group situations that foster anonymity

How was deindividuation created in the Zimbardo study?

The volunteers were issued uniforms and numbers

What uniform did the guard in the Zimbardo study wear and why?

Guards wore khaki uniforms, mirrored sunglasses to prevent eye contact, and were given clubs and handcuffs to emphasise their power.

What uniform did the prisoners in the Zimbardo study wear and why?

Why did Zimbardo have to stop his study after 6 days not 2 weeks like planned

the guards became increasingly abusive and prisoners showed signs of extreme psychological distress.

What was the findings of the Zimbardo research

He found that both the guards and the prisoner conformed to their roles in the simulated prison quickly. The guards had adopted increasingly abusive and authoritarian behaviours like harassing the prisoners and using punishments like solitary confinement. On the other hand, the prisoners showed signs of severe psychological distress like becoming depressed and submissive, with one prisoner released after only 36 hours due to uncontrollable crying and rage, and others showing psychosomatic symptoms such as skin rashes

What are psychosomatic symptoms?

They are physical symptoms that are caused or made worse by psychological factors like stress, rather than by a direct physical illness

What are the conclusions of Zimbardo's study?

He concluded that the study demonstrated the power of situation in shaping behaviour, showing that ordinary individuals can quickly conform to social roles when placed in a prison-like environment.

What is a strength of the Zimbardo study?

RWA, Control over variables, reliability through documentation

How is RWA a strength of Zimbardo study?

Zimbardo's research helped to highlight the dangers of abuse of power in prisons, showing how quickly guards could become authoritarian. It has since influenced prison improvement in the US and UK, and Zimbardo himself has worked with institutions to improve conditions. This shows that the study had practical value, increasing awareness of the importance of ethical guidelines and monitoring of those in power.

How is control over variables a strength of Zimbardo study?

Zimbardo carefully selected participants who were emotionally stable, randomly assigning them to prisoner or guard roles. This controlled for individual personality differences and increased confidence that behaviour changes were due to the situation. This shows that the study had high internal validity.

How is reliability through detail documentation a strength of Zimbardo study?

Zimbardo collected a large amount of qualitative data, including video recordings, observations, and interviews with participants during and after the study. This provided a rich record of behaviour and made it possible for other researchers to analyse his findings in depth. This shows that the study has strong reliability, as the thorough documentation strengthens confidence in the accuracy and credibility of Zimbardo's conclusions.

What are weaknesses of Zimbardo's study?

Ethical issues, Lack of realism, Exaggeration of situational factors

How is ethical issues a weakness of Zimbardo's study?

Prisoners experienced humiliation, distress, and psychological harm, with some showing psychosomatic symptoms like skin rashes. Zimbardo also played the role of prison superintendent, which blurred his duty of care. This shows that the study failed to protect participants from harm and highlights why strict ethical guidelines are now essential in psychological research.

How is Lack of realism a weakness of Zimbardo's study?

Critics argue that the participants were simply play-acting rather than genuinely conforming. For example, some guards said they based their behaviour on stereotypes from films like Cool Hand Luke, exaggerating their cruelty. This shows that the study may lack ecological validity, as the behaviour might not reflect how people would act in a real prison setting.

How is exaggeration of situational factors a weakness of Zimbardo's study?

Zimbardo may have overstated the role of the situation. In reality, not all guards behaved brutally as some were fair, and a few even tried to help prisoners. This suggests that individual differences and free will still played a role. This shows that the conclusions have been overstated, and personality based factors cannot be ignored.

explain Abu Ghraib

During the Iraq War from 2003 to 2004, U.S. military personnel at Abu Ghraib prison were found to have tortured and abused Iraqi prisoners including physical assault, sexual humiliation, and psychological abuse. Photos of the abuse were leaked and caused international outrage.

What is the link of Abu Ghraib to Zimbardo's study?

Zimbardo argued that the behaviour of the guards at Abu Ghraib could be explained by the same situational factors as in the SPE. Soldiers were given power, authority and uniforms, were in a hostile environment, and faced high stress, leading many to behave in ways they might not normally consider.

What is obedience?

giving up our responsibility to make decisions and allowing others to decide how we should behave

Why do we obey?

Self preservation, conditioned to obey from an early age, Learn to obey authority figures, to maintain social harmony

What is self preservationn in terms of obedience

The instinct or natural drive to protect one's own life and wellbeing so when faced with pressure from an authority figure, many participants obeyed instructions because disobeying might have felt more threatening

Explain the relationship between obedience and nazi concentration camps and war trials?

During WW2, Nazi soldiers carried out horrific acts in concentration camps, including mass executions of Jewish people and other groups. At the Nuremberg War Trials, many of these soldiers defended themselves by claiming they were "just following orders" from higher authorities such as Hitler and actually had so anti-Jewish attitudes. Studies were conducted at this time to understand the situational variables that contribute to the obedience of orders that go against our moral judgements

Which study was used to investigate obedience levels?

Milgrams research and Hoffing et al

What was the aim Milgram's research?

He wanted to investigate to what extent ordinary people would obey an authority figure, even if it meant performing actions that conflicted with their morals.

What inspired Milgram's obedience Research?

He was inspired by the atrocities committed by Nazi soldiers in WW2 who claimed they were just 'following orders'

What was the procedure of Milgram's study?

Milgram recruited 40 male volunteers through a newspaper advert, telling them the study was about "memory and learning." Each participant was introduced to a confederate, "learner", and drew lots to decide roles, though the draw was rigged so the real participant was always the teacher and the confederate was always the learner. The learner was strapped into a chair and connected to what appeared to be an electric shock generator. The teacher had to read out word pairs and deliver a shock, starting at 15V up to 450V each time the learner gave a wrong answer. The shocks were fake, but the participant was unaware of this and so the learner acted out responses like begging to stop, eventually going silent. Another confederate, an authority figure, 'the experimenter', wearing a lab coat gave standardised prompts such as "Please continue" and "You have no choice, you must go on."

What were the findings of Milgram's research?

Milgram found that participants showed extreme tension and distress like sweating and even seizures, but still obeyed. 65% of participants continued to the maximum 450 volts, believing they were delivering fatal shocks. All participants went up to at least 300 volts, and only 12.5% stopped at that point.

What were the conclusions of Milgram's research?

Milgram concluded that ordinary people are surprisingly likely to obey orders from an authority figure, even when these orders involve harming another person. This suggests that obedience is not necessarily due to personality, but can be explained by situational factors such as the presence of authority, the prestige of the setting (Yale University), and the pressure to obey.

What are the strengths of the Milgram's research?

High internal validity, RWA, supporting evidence from replications

Explain high internal validity as a strength of Milgram's research?

Milgram controlled extraneous variables carefully, using standardised procedures such as scripted prods and identical shock generators. All participants had the same experience, which reduces bias. This shows that Milgram could be confident the behaviour was due to the authority situation and not other factors

Explain RWA as a strength of Milgram's research?

The study helps explain real atrocities, such as Nazi soldiers in World War II who claimed they were "just following orders." The findings show how ordinary people can commit harmful acts under authority pressure. This shows that the research has strong external validity and practical importance in understanding destructive obedience.

Explain supporting evidence from replications as a strength of Milgram's research

Milgram's findings have been supported by replications. For example, Bickman (1974) found that people were more likely to obey instructions from a man dressed as a guard (92%) than a man in normal clothes (49%) when asked to do tasks like picking up litter. This highlights the influence of perceived authority. This shows that Milgram's results are reliable, as other studies using different methods and settings also demonstrate high levels of obedience to authority figures.

What are the weaknesses of the Milgram,'s research?

Low ecological validity, sample bias, historical bias, ethical issues

Explain low ecological validity as a weakness of Milgram's research?

The task was artificial and does not reflect real-life situations where obedience occurs. Some argue participants knew the shocks weren't real, so they may have been role-playing. This shows that the behaviour may not generalise to real-world obedience, reducing the validity of the conclusions.

Explain sample bias as a weakness of Milgram's study?

Milgram only tested 40 American male volunteers, which means the sample was not representative of women or other cultures. Later, cross cultural studies like Mantell study in Germany showed an increase in obedience. This shows that the findings lack population validity, as they cannot be generalised universally.