A complete revision summary of the AQA A level psychology topic Social Influence. Covering all the bullet points made on the AQA specification for AO1. Also includes AO3 for each of these points. Made by a student who achieved A* in their A level.
Types of conformity – change in behaviour due to pressure from Asch’s Research
group Procedure Findings
Compliance - appearing to agree but disagreeing privately to gain
1. 123 American males tested individually with 33%
approval. (shallow)
6-8 dissenting confederates conformed NSI
Identification – views maintained permanently only while with group to
2. Asked which lines A,B,C was most like written answers
be accepted.
stimulus. ↓conformity to
Internalisation – views maintained permanently with and without
3. Confederates lied on 12/18 & real ppt 12.5%
group, accepted a new belief. (deep)
answered last
Explanations of conformity – 2 process approach, either NSI or ISI
Normative social influence Informational social influence
Strength Weakness
(NSI) (ISI)
Internal Perrin & spencer 1980 - Study of engineering
Need to be liked & fit into to social Need to be right, believes the
validity – students did not conform
group group has more knowledge
controlled - 1950 - a conformist time in America
Emotional process Cognitive process
lab allowed - Low temporal validity
Compliance – temporary Internalisation – permanent manipulatio Limited application
With Strangers/ stressful situations New/ crisis situations n - Only American students tested (individualistic)
Supports - Conformity rates may be higher in collectivist
Strength Weakness NSI & ISI cultures as they emphasise social groups
RS for NSI: (Nolan) hung energy Individual differences Asch’s variations
conservation signs on pts front - Perrin & spencer 1980 Science Group size
doors. Signs that incl. NSI had students = ↓conformity. Moscovici – found that even
- 2 confederates = 13% conformity when group size was small,
↑effect in ↓ energy consumption - Students desc as nAffiliators - 3 confederates = 31% conformity group could be influenced.
- Pts asked what made them (need for being in relationship) - 4 confederates = little difference.
↓consumption & pts reported = ↑conformity Unanimity – a dissenting confederate reduced conformity to 5%
NSI to be least influential. combined approach Difficulty – harder task increased conformity. ISI is stronger is
- Suggests pts do not recognise - ↑dissenting ppt in Asch = harder tasks.
NSI. Supports it as an ↓conformity
emotional process. - Is this due to NSI or ISI – or
both?
Zimbardo – to explore weather prison guards behave brutally due to sadistic personalities or situation.
Procedure Findings Strength Weakness
1. Male Uni students responded to a - Within 2 days prisoners Internal validity Demand Characteristics -pt
newspaper advertisement for $15/ day rebelled: shouting, removed Practical Application – reported to copy his fav character in
2. Psychological checks for mental caps explains bh of torture & film.
stability, signed consent documents, - Guards became increasingly abuse to prisoners in Ethical issues - Z conformed to
debriefed. brutal. Supervised toilet, Abu Ghraib. prison warden, emotional distress.
3. Mock prison made at the bottom of hosed prisoners with fire - Situational factors BBC prison study – partial
Stanford Uni. extinguisher present in both Z & replication of Z found the prisoners
4. 24 ppts randomly assigned to - 4 prisoners released early AG which ↑ took control & subjected the guards
prisoner/guard & Zimbardo was prison due to psychological conformity e.g. no to harassment.
superintendent disturbance higher authority, lack - Explained by social identity
5. Prisoners - suddenly arrested by local - Prisoners became training, boredom. theory that the prisoners
police. (De-individualisation) submissive, robotic, - Interventions can identified themselves as part of
fingerprinted, stripped, deloused, depressed now be put in place. a social group forming unity &
Numbered, smocks, caps, sandals. - Scheduled for 2 weeks, rebellion.
6.
Guards - reflective sunglasses, truncheons. abandoned after 5 days.
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