Social Influence Evaluations

Question 1

Asch’s baseline study - Ao3

Answer 1

• Supporting evidence, Lucas et al gave participants easy - hard maths questions, found conformity was higher when task difficulty was increased therefore, aligns with Asch’s findings
• Both the situation and task were artificial, Fiske argued the groups were not very groupy - not like real life groups, alongside the participants being aware of the study happening therefore, resulting in demand characteristics
• Only use of white american men, doesnt represent other cultures and women such as collectivist cultures, Neto argued women are more likely to conform

Question 2

Normative social influence - Ao3

Answer 2

Asch’s participants conformed to to fear of disapproval

Question 3

Informative social influence - Ao3

Answer 3

Lucas et al participants conformed when the task was difficult (fear of being wrong)

Question 4

Zimbardo Standford Prison experiment - Ao3

Answer 4

• Control over key variables, the participants were emotionally stable alongside being allocated random roles meaning there was no bias
• Lacked realism of a real prison, Banuzzi argued ps were play acting and acting off of stereotypes
• Zimbardo exaggreate the rate as to where guards were brutally behaved toward the prisoners, only a 1/3 acted brutally, overstating the study

Question 5

Milgrams obedience study - Ao3

Answer 5

• In a french tv show participants were asked to give electric shocks, 80% gave max shock but they presented very similar anxiety to intital findings found by Milgram
• Orne and Holland argued the participants were play acting, Perry observed clips and found only half actually believed the shocks were real
• Ethical issues no informed consent could be given and it could damage the repuatations of psychologists

Question 6

Situational variables as to obedience - Ao3

Answer 6

• Bickams confederates NY, people were twice as likely to take orderes from the ‘security guard’ showing uniform has a positive affect on obeience
• Cross-cultural replication, Duch paticiants wee told to say stressful comments to interviewees, 90% obedience when in the same room which dropped significantly when proximity increased
• low internal validit, Orne and Hollan argued the participants were suspicious in the studies and displayed demand characteristics

Question 7

Adorno et al Authoritarian personality - Ao3

Answer 7

• Research evidence Elms and milgram interviewed 20 fully obedient participants, which score significantlly higher on the F- scale than a comparison of 20 disobedient participants
• cannot explain a whole countries behaviour, millions of germans displayed obedient behaviour but they could not of all hade the same personality, social identity theory may be a better explanation
• F-scale politically biased does not show left - wing authoritarianism at all