Evaluation Points

Question 1

types and explanations of conformity strengths

Answer 1

• research support for ISI (maths problem)
• research support for NSI (teens smoking)
• real world applications (energy conservation)

Question 2

types and explanations of conformity limitations

Answer 2

• doesnt take into account individual differences affect NSI (nAffiliators)

Question 3

variables affecting conformity strengths

Answer 3

confederates acted convincingly

Question 4

variables affecting conformity limitations

Answer 4

• gender bias (all male ppts)
• ethical issues (psych harm)
• ecological validity (artificial task)

Question 5

conformity to social roles strengths

Answer 5

• real world applications (Abu Ghraib)
• conducted ethically (approved by ethics committee)

Question 6

conformity to social roles limitations

Answer 6

• not mindless conformity (depends on social norms)
• ethical issues (psych harm)
• demand characteristics may have occurred

Question 7

obedience strengths

Answer 7

uniform effect obedience e.g Bickman

Question 8

obedience limitations

Answer 8

• Lacks population validity (40 white USA males)
• ethical issues (deception +psych harm)
• lacks eco validity (at Yale w an artificial task)

Question 9

PEELS: agentic state

Answer 9

❌ May not explain real life obedience
- lifton: Auschwitz doctors gradually changed form normal to killers over duration of war
- more permanent change than temporary which Milgram suggests
✅ Research support
- Blass and Schmidt: asked students to watch the original experiment and they blamed the experimenter for the harm caused to the learner
- shows we attribute responsibility to the authority not individual

Question 10

PEELs: legitimacy of authority

Answer 10

✅ support form real-life research
- Tarnow: dependence of co-pilots on cap’s knowledge and expertise , with sometimes tragic consequences
- blindly follow orders from higher status (pilot)
❌ socially sensitive research
- e.g. Hitler used authority to inflict pain and death on minorities during the holocaust
- shows how legit authority can abuse their power, but some may use it as an excuse to evade personal responsibility for their actions

Question 11

authoritarian personality strengths

Answer 11

• research support (virtual versions of milgrams experiment still produced the same results
• political attitudes are a determining influence (milgram’s study as game show, left wingers obeyed the least)

Question 12

authoritarian personality limitations

Answer 12

• contradictory evidence (obedience dropped in run down office due to environmental/social factors not dispositional
• education may determine levels of obedience (less educated people more authoritative)

Question 13

strengths of locus of control

Answer 13

✅ research support for resisting obedience
- holland: 37% internal didn’t go to 450v compared to 23% externals

Question 14

counter peel: locus of control

Answer 14

✅ research support for resisting social influence
- Spector: ppts more likely to conform due to NSI if external so supports link
❌ only for ISI not NSI
- LOC not relevant for all instances of conformity and resistance

Question 15

limitations of locus of control

Answer 15

❌ contradictory research
- Twenge et al: people have become more resistant to obedience but more external
- challenges link between internal LOC and resistance

Question 16

strengths of minority influence

Answer 16

Research support for flexibility
- Nemeth and Brilmayer: confeds who compromised where more successful that those who didnt
Valuable when not changing majority
- makes majority make better decisions

Question 17

limitations of minority influence

Answer 17

❌idea of deeper processing questioned
- mackie: process majority view more as belive we share the same beliefs
- dont spend time trying to understan why minorities views are less influential, only consider why a majorities view is diff

Question 18

AO3 Obedience

Answer 18

research support for how effective obedience is in social change
- 65% obeyed even when they thought they were hurting someone
- don’t like to question authority, strongest influence, can implement social change on a wide scale through law

Question 19

AO3 minority influence

Answer 19

research support
- Xie - snowball effect starts once tipping point of 10% is reached
- shows social change through MI isn’t easy and takes time

Question 20

AO3 conformity

Answer 20

research support
- linkenbach and Perkins (teens smoking)
- change made through social intervention norms, follow suit to avoid standing out or being rejected