AQA Psychology A-level: Social Influence Summary

Types of Conformity and Explanations for Conformity

  • Conformity: Yielding to group pressures; a change in behavior/opinion due to real/implied pressure.
  • Kelman's Types of Conformity:
    • Internalization: Permanent adoption of group beliefs/values (e.g., religious beliefs).
    • Identification: Temporary change in behavior in group presence (e.g., professional demeanor at work).
    • Compliance: Public agreement while privately disagreeing; often GAINS approval or avoids disapproval (e.g., drinking due to peer pressure).
  • Informational Social Influence (ISI): Conforming to be correct in uncertain situations; leads to internalization.
    • Evidence: Fein et al. study where participants changed votes under social influence.
  • Normative Social Influence (NSI): Conforming to be liked/accepted; often occurs in social situations to avoid embarrassment.
    • Evidence: Bullying behavior linked to NSI (e.g., Garandeau and Cillissen study).

Variables Affecting Conformity

  • Asch's Study:
    • Participants: 123 male undergraduates.
    • Aim: Investigate conformity and majority influence.
    • Findings: 36.8% conformed; control group had only 1% incorrect responses.
Factors Affecting Conformity
  • Size of Majority: More likely to conform in larger groups (more than 3 increases conformity).
  • Unanimity: Conformity decreases with differing answers in the group (from 32% to 5.5% when given support).
  • Task Difficulty: Harder tasks increase conformity as participants look for confirmation.

Zimbardo's Study: Conformity to Social Roles

  • Aim: Investigate conformity to social roles in a simulated prison.
  • Findings: Rapid adoption of roles; guards displayed abusive behavior, prisoners became submissive.

Explanations for Obedience

  • Agentic State: Feeling of acting on behalf of an authority, thus avoiding personal responsibility.
  • Legitimacy of Authority: Obeying credible figures, demonstrated in Milgram's study with perceived expert authority.
  • Situational Factors: Includes the authority figure's appearance and the experimental location.

Milgram's Study on Obedience

  • Aim: Evaluate obedience to harmful authority.
  • Findings:
    • 65% of participants administered lethal shocks; high obedience in prestigious settings was noted.
  • Factors:
    • Proximity and uniform increased obedience levels.

Dispositional Explanations for Obedience: Authoritarian Personality

  • Characterized by strict adherence to authority and stereotypical views, measured via the F-scale.
  • Critique: F-scale lacks validity, does not account for left-wing authoritarianism.

Resistance to Social Influence

  • Social Support: Presence of dissenting confederates reduces conformity (e.g., Asch's findings).
  • Locus of Control: Internal locus leads to less conformity; external locus increases susceptibility.

Minority Influence

  • Moscovici's Study: Consistency in minority opinions increases influence.
    • Findings: 8% of participants conformed to minority views when consistent.
  • Importance of consistency, commitment, and flexibility in enacting social change.

Role of Social Influence in Social Change

  • Strategies: Utilization of minority influence and social support can shift societal norms.
    • Example: Racial and social norms evolving from moral campaign efforts.