Psychology Revision Lecture: Social Influence

Introduction

• Daily Patreon live streams until Paper 2 and before Paper 3.
• Total of 20 hours planned.
• Available to all sign-ups level and up.
• Preparation: Download 2022 AS and A-Level papers from AQA's website.
• Related Resources:
  • Social influence videos
  • Psych Boost app for active knowledge testing.
  • Patreon for tutorial support videos and printable resources.

Types of Conformity

Compliance

• Superficial, temporary behavior change.
• Driven by the need to fit in and avoid rejection (NSI).

Identification

• Behavior and values change only in group presence.
• Membership valued.

Internalization

• Permanent change; personal opinions align with group (ISI).

Explanations for Conformity

Normative Social Influence (NSI)

• Desire to be liked; superficial change.

Informational Social Influence (ISI)

• Desire to be correct; permanent change.

Key Studies on Conformity

Asch (1951) Line Judgment Task

Methodology

• Groups of 8-10 males; 1 real participant, others confederates.
• Publicly identify matching lines; 12 critical trials.

Results

• 32% conformity rate; 75% conformed at least once.

Variations

• Group Size: 3% (1 confederate), 13.3% (2), 33% (3).
• Unanimity: Conformity drops to 5.5% with one correct confederate.
• Task Difficulty: Increased ambiguity leads to higher ISI-driven conformity.

Evaluations

• Supports NSI and ISI.
• High internal validity but lacks mundane realism.

Social Roles: Zimbardo's Stanford Prison Experiment

Method

• Simulated prison with volunteer students.
• Random assignment to guard/prisoner roles.

Findings

• Rapid adaptation to roles.
• Stress and abusive behavior emerged.

Evaluations

• Insightful on the power of social roles.
• Criticized for ethical issues and potential experimenter bias.

Obedience: Milgram's Studies

Concept

• Agentic state and legitimacy of authority influence obedience.

Experiment

• 40 males; role-play with shocks for incorrect answers.
• 100% obedience to 300 volts, 65% to 450 volts.

Variations

• Proximity affects obedience.
• Location influences legitimacy.

Evaluations

• Supports agentic state theory.
• Criticized for ecological validity and ethical concerns.

Authoritarian Personality

• Stemmed from Adorno's research on obedience in WWII.
• F-scale to measure authoritarian traits.

Resistance to Social Influence

Social Support

• Non-conformity increases with disobedient models.

Locus of Control

• Internal locus of control linked to less conformity.

Minority Influence and Social Change

Strategies

• Consistency, commitment, flexibility crucial for changing majority views.
• The Snowball Effect: gradual acceptance.

Case Studies

• Civil Rights Movement: Use of non-violent protests and commitment.
• LGBTQ+ rights movement: Strategic compromises leading to major legal changes.

Conclusion

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