4 markers

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1. Outline informational social influence as an explanation for conformity. (4 marks)

• Informational social influence (ISI) occurs when an individual conforms due to a need to be right.

• It typically occurs in ambiguous or unclear situations where the correct answer is unknown.

• Individuals look to others for guidance and assume the group has more knowledge, leading to long term changes in behaviour.

• Conformity through ISI often results in internalisation, meaning the behaviour or belief is accepted privately as well as publicly.

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2. Outline a study investigating informational social influence as an explanation for conformity. (4 marks)

• Lucas et al. asked participants to answer easy and difficult maths questions while placed in groups where confederates gave incorrect answers.

• Participants first rated how confident they were in their mathematical ability.

• The researchers measured whether participants conformed to the incorrect answers given by the group.

• They found that conformity was higher when the questions were difficult, suggesting people used informational social influence when they were unsure of the correct answer.

 

3. Outline normative social influence as an explanation for conformity. (4 marks)

• Normative social influence (NSI) occurs when individuals conform due to a need to be liked and/or avoid rejection from the group.

• It happens even in unambigious situations where there is a clear correct answer.

• It leads to complicance where individuals may conform publicly but privately disagree with the group

• It often leads to short term changes in behaviour.

 

4. Outline a study investigating normative social influence as an explanation for conformity. (4 marks)

• Asch asked participants to judge which comparison line matched a standard line.

• Participants were placed with confederates who deliberately gave incorrect answers.

• The task was unambiguous, yet 75% participants conformed to the incorrect majority at least once.

• 37% of all responses were conforming, suggesting conformity occurred due to normative social influence.

 

5. Outline compliance as a type of conformity. (4 marks)

• Compliance is the most superficial type of conformity.

• Individuals publicly change behaviour to match the group, but they privately disagree with the group’s views.

• Behaviour usually reverts when group pressure is removed, leading to only short term changes in behaviour.

• It is often caused by NSI which involves changing behaviour due to a need to be liked. 

 

6. Outline identification as a type of conformity. (4 marks)

• Identification occurs when individuals conform because they want to be associated with a group or person.

• They adopt behaviours and attitudes of the group.

• The change is both public and private, but only while group membership is maintained.

• If the individual leaves the group, the behaviour may stop.

 

7. Outline internalisation as a type of conformity. (4 marks)

• Internalisation is the deepest form of conformity.

• Individuals genuinely accept the group’s beliefs or behaviours. and therefore the behaviour change occurs both publicly and privately.

• The belief persists even when the group is absent.

• It is often casued by ISI which is changing behaviour based on a need to be right.

 

8. Outline the procedure of Asch’s investigation into conformity. (4 marks)

• A controlled laboratory experiment in an artifical setting

• Male student participants from the USA were placed in groups with confederates, always sitting one from the end.

• Participants viewed a standard line and three comparison lines and had to state aloud which comparison line matched the standard.

• Confederates gave identical incorrect answers on critical trials to test whether the participant would conform.

 

9. Outline the findings of Asch’s investigation into conformity. (4 marks)

• Participants conformed on approximately 37% of critical trials.

• 75% of participants conformed at least once.

• 25% of participants never conformed.

• This demonstrated that group pressure can influence individuals to give incorrect answers showing compliance and NSI.

 

10. Outline the variable of group size on conformity, as investigated by Asch. (4 marks)

• Asch varied the number of confederates in the group to measure the effect of group size on conformity.

• Conformity increased as group size increased up until 3 confederates, when it plateaued.

• Conformity rates with 1 confederate = 3%. 2 = 13%, 3 = 32%

• This is likely to be increased pressure of ISI.

 

11. Outline the variable of unanimity on conformity, as investigated by Asch. (4 marks)

• Asch introduced a dissenter who gave the correct answer.

• This broke the unanimity of the majority and therefore reduced the pressure to conform due to reducing NSI.

• Conformity levels reduced to 5% when unanimity was broken.

• This showed that social support reduces conformity.

 

12. Outline the variable of task difficulty on conformity, as investigated by Asch. (4 marks)

•  Asch made the line judgement more difficult by making the comparison lines similar in length.

• This increased ambiguity in the task.

• Conformity increased under difficult conditions.

• This suggests informational social influence becomes stronger when tasks are unclear.

 

13. Outline the agentic state explanation of obedience. (4 marks)

• The agentic state is a mental state where individuals see themselves as agents for another person.

• Individuals therefore obey orders without feeling personal responsibility.

• They move from an autonomous state (feeling independent) to an agentic state by going through an agentic shift.

• Bindings factors keep them in the agentic state which are aspects of the situation which minimise their blame.

 

14. Outline the legitimacy of authority explanation of obedience. (4 marks)

• Legitimacy of authority refers to the perceived right of a person to give orders.

• This can be through symbols such as uniform or the legal power to punish.

• When authority is seen as legitimate, individuals are more likely to obey commands.

• Society is organised in a hierarchy of authority roles - individuals are socialised to obey authority figures such as teachers or police as it helps the functioning of society.

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 15. Outline the role of proximity as a variable of obedience. (4 marks)

• When the experimenter left the room and gave instructions by phone, obedience decreased to 20%.

• When instructions were given by phone, obedience fell to around 20%.

• This shows decreased proximity to the authority figure decreases obedience.

• When the ppt was in the same room as the learner obedience fell to 40%.

• In the touch proximity condition when the ppt had to force the learners hand on the plate obedience fell to 30%.

 

16. Outline the role of location as a variable of obedience. (4 marks)

• Milgram moved the experiment from Yale University to a run-down office building.

• Obedience fell from 65% to around 47.5%.

• Yale University is a prestigious institution whereas the office block did not hold the same authority.

• Therefore, it reduced the perceived legitimacy of the authority of the setting.

 

17. Outline the role of uniform as a variable of obedience. (4 marks)

• Bickman tested obedience in a field experiment in New York.

• A confederate gave orders such as asking people to pick up litter.

• The confederate wore either a security guard uniform, milkman uniform, or ordinary clothes.

• People were most likely to obey the security guard and least likely to obey the milkman showing uniforms increase obedience.

 

18. Outline the role of consistency in minority influence. (4 marks)

• Consistency refers to the minority expressing the same views over time known as diachronic consistency.

• Consistency also refers to the minority expressing the same views known as synchronic consistency.

• Consistency makes the majority reconsider their own views.

• It creates social influence because the minority appears confident and certain.

• Moscovici found that the a consistent minority group were more likely (8%) to affect the majority than an inconsistent (1%)

 

19. Outline the role of commitment in minority influence. (4 marks)

• Commitment refers to the degree to which the minority shows dedication to its position.

• This may involve sacrifices or personal risk.

• Such behaviour draws attention to the minority viewpoint and gets the majority to reconsider their views.

• This is known as the augmentation principle, increasing the minority’s influence.

 

20. Outline the role of flexibility in minority influence. (4 marks)

• Flexibility refers to the minority being willing to compromise.

• If the minority is too rigid, they may be ignored as they are viewed as being dogmatic.

• If they show some adaptability, their views appear more reasonable and less stereotypical.

• This increases the likelihood the majority will consider their arguments.

 

21. Outline a study investigating consistency in minority influence. (4 marks)

• Moscovici showed participants blue slides that varied in brightness and were asked if they were blue or green.

• Groups contained six participants including two confederates - all ppts were female.

• The confederates either consistently or inconsistently stated the slides were green despite being blue.

• The consistent minority influenced the majority on 8.4% of trials, compared to 1% when the minority were inconsistent.

 

6 markers

 

1. Outline the procedure of Zimbardo’s study into conformity to social roles. (6 marks)

• Zimbardo conducted a simulated prison study in the basement of Stanford University.

• 21 emotionally stable male student volunteers were selected following psychological screening.

• Participants were randomly assigned the roles of prisoner or guard.

• Prisoners were arrested at their homes, blindfolded, deloused and given a uniform and identification number instead of a name.

• Guards were given uniforms, mirrored sunglasses and clubs and instructed to maintain order in the prison.

• The use of uniforms and glasses was intended to promote deindividuation.

 

2. Outline the findings of Zimbardo’s study into conformity to social roles. (6 marks)

• Participants quickly conformed to their assigned social roles.

• Guards became increasingly abusive and authoritarian towards prisoners.

• Prisoners initially attempted to rebel, but this was rapidly suppressed by the guards.

• After this time some prisoners experienced anxiety, depression and helplessness.

• The study was terminated after six days instead of the planned two weeks due to the participants’ behaviour.

• Zimbardo argued it was the power of the situation that makes individuals conform to social roles.

 

3. Outline the procedure of Milgram’s study into obedience. (6 marks)

• Milgram recruited 40 male participants through newspaper advertisements.

• Participants were told they were taking part in a study of learning and memory (to reduce demand characteristics).

• A rigged draw assigned the participant as the teacher and a confederate as the learner.

• The teacher was instructed to give the learner electric shocks for incorrect answers.

• Shock levels ranged from 15 volts to 450 volts on a shock generator.

• If participants hesitated, the experimenter used standardised verbal prods to encourage them to continue.

 

4. Outline the findings of Milgram’s study into obedience. (6 marks)

• All participants continued to at least 300 volts.

• 65% of participants continued to the maximum 450 volt shock level.

• Many participants showed signs of extreme stress such as sweating, trembling and nervous laughter.

• Some participants protested but continued after being prompted by the experimenter.

• The findings demonstrated that ordinary people will obey authority even when it may harm others.

 

5. Outline social support as an explanation of resistance to social influence. (6 marks)

• Social support refers to the presence of others (allys) who resist the pressures to conform or obey.

• Seeing someone else resist provides a model for independent behaviour.

• This makes individuals feel more confident about resisting social pressure.

• In conformity situations, the presence of a dissenter reduces conformity (Asch = 5%).

• In obedience situations, seeing others disobey reduces obedience as seen in Milgram in the two disobedience peer condition when obedience reduced to 10%.

• Social support increases resistance because it undermines the power of the majority or authority figure.

 

6. Outline locus of control as an explanation of resistance to social influence. (6 marks)

• Locus of control refers to the extent to which individuals believe they control events in their lives.

• Individuals with an internal locus of control believe their behaviour is determined by their own decisions.

• Individuals with an external locus of control believe events are controlled by luck, fate or other people.

• People with a high internal locus of control are more confident and independent.

• Internals are therefore more likely to resist pressures to conform or obey.

• Externals are more likely to conform or obey because they feel less personal control over events.

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