Social Influence

Question 1

Explanation for obedience: Milgrams study

Why did Milgram conduct the study

Answer 1

After WW2, everyone was confused how the Nazis killed so many innocent people

Question 2

What was Milgrams hypothesis

Answer 2

Germans are a more obedient race than others

Question 3

Method for Milgrams study

Answer 3

• Learner had to recall word pairs
• If learner got a word pair wrong, the Teacher(participant) had to electrocute them
• Every word pair the learner failed to recall, the shock went up 15 volts

Question 4

Results for Milgrams study (quantitative)

Results (qualitative)

Answer 4

Quantitative= - 65% Completed all shocks (to maximum voltage)

Qualitative= - Observe behaviour
- Ask the participants

Question 5

Conclusion from Milgrams study at Yale university in USA

Answer 5

Participants will obey instructions even if they’re immoral, and may harm another individual

Question 6

Conclusion from milgrams study in other countries

Answer 6

Humans in general are an obedient race

Question 7

Was Milgrams study too unethical? What qualitative insights did Milgram obtain after?

Answer 7

Milgram asked the participants;

• 83.7% were glad they took part
• 74% stated they learned something from experiment

Question 8

Evaluation of Milgrams study

Answer 8

• Participants put under stress. LIMITATION, participants were not protected from harm, unethical
• Participants were deceived. LIMITATION, unable to give informed consent, unethical
• Artificial setting. LIMITATION, lacks ecological validity
• Only Male participants. LIMITATION, research cannot be generalised
• Participants were prompted to continue. LIMITATION, denied the right to withdraw, unethical

Question 9

5 Milgrams variations

Answer 9

1) Location
2) Proximity
3) Uniform
4) Another individual administering shock
5) Social support

Question 10

How did location vary in Milgram study

Affect on obedience

Why

Answer 10

• From prestigious university to old warehouse
• Obedience went down from 65%
• Due to legitimacy of authority decreased

Question 11

How did proximity vary in Milgram study

Affect on obedience

Why

Answer 11

• Teacher(participant) went from different rooms to physically forcing learners hand on to shock plate
• Obedience decreased
• Due to more personal responsibility

Question 12

How did uniform vary in Milgrams study

Affect on obedience

Why

Answer 12

• Experimenter wore jeans instead of a lab coat
• Obedience decreased
• Due to legitimacy of authority decreasing

Question 13

How did another individual administering the shock vary in Milgrams study

Affect on obedience

Why

Answer 13

• Teacher(participant) told another individual to shock the learner over the phone.
• Obedience Increased
• Due to less personal responsibility

Question 14

How did social support vary in Milgrams study

Affect on obedience

Why

Answer 14

• There were two “teachers”, one was a stooge. Stooge was told to refuse to obey
• Obedience decreased
• Due to conformity- presence of others influences participants behaviour

Question 15

What’s an agentic state

Answer 15

Individuals see themselves as acting as an agent for an authority figure, therefore not responsible for personal behaviour

Question 16

Hofling study (1966) on agentic state

Method, results and conclusion

Answer 16

Method= Nurses instructed over phone by a “Dr Smith” to give a drug to a patient, exceeding max dose, going against hospital protocol

Results= Nurses replies: - “I was doing what the Dr told me”
- “Not my responsibility if something bad happens”

• Conclusion= They’ll obey if they’re in an agentic state

Question 17

Describe the dispositional explanation for obedience to authority (authoritarian personality), what are the main 3 characteristics?

Answer 17

• Hostile to those of lower status
• Blind respect for authority
• Pre occupation with power

Question 18

Elms study (1966) on authoritarian personality

Method, results and conclusion

Answer 18

• Method= Follow-up on Milgrams study. 20 ‘obedient’ and 20 ‘defiant’ participants took the F-scale
• Results= ‘Obedient’ participants were more authoritarian, than ‘defiant’ participants
• Conclusion= Obedient people have an authoritarian personality

Question 19

Explain one limitation of authoritarian personality as an explanation of obedience

Answer 19

• Authoritarian personality is measured by the F-scale, which is low in validity

Question 20

Three factors to resisting social influence

Answer 20

1) Social support
2) Role models
3) Personal experience

Also type of locus of control is an explanation for resisting social influence

Question 21

What effect did social support have on the obedience in Milgrams experiment

Answer 21

• Made level of obedience decrease

Question 22

What’s locus of control

Answer 22

The sense an individual has about what directs events in life

Question 23

What’s Internal locus of control

Answer 23

An individual is responsible for what happens

Question 24

What’s External locus of control

Answer 24

Outside forces such as luck are responsible for what happens

Question 25

Which of the two types of LOC is most resistant to influences such as conformity and obedience? What are the two possible reasons for this (2 marks)

Answer 25

- Internal LOC is more resistant to influences such as conformity and obedience as that person would be more self-confident, with less need for social approval - Also, their decisions will be based more on personal beliefs, therefore resistant to pressures from others

Question 26

Shute study (1975) study into LOC Method, results, conclusion

Answer 26

- Method= Students exposed to others who expressed a pro-drug attitude. They were then asked for their attitudes towards drugs - Results= Those with Internal LOC expressed fewer pro-drug feelings, as students LOC was tested before-hand - Conclusion= Conformity was resisted by people with Internal LOC

Question 27

Moscovici study for minority influence (consistency) Method with 3 conditions

Answer 27

- Method= Participants put into groups of 6. 2 of whom were stooges. All were shown 36 blue slides of varied shades. - Condition 1= Consistent Condition. Stooges answered incorrectly that slides were green - Condition 2= Inconsistent Condition. Stooges said some were green some were blue - Condition 3= Control Condition. No incorrect answers were given

Question 28

Results for Moscovici study

Answer 28

- Results= Control Condition, very low conformity. - Inconsistent Condition, bit higher conformity, also low. - Consistent condition, very high in conformity.

Question 29

Conclusion for moscovici study

Answer 29

Consistency is am important factor for minority influence

Question 30

The 3 factors to help achieve minority influence Describe what they are

Answer 30

Consistency= Doing/saying the same thing over time Commitment= Showing self-sacrifice Flexibility= Being moderate, co-operative, reasonable and open to discussion