As Level Psychology Unit Two: Social Psychology Case Studies. (Aqa)

Front 1

Define 'compliance'.

Back 1

Where you go along with the majority, just to seem normal. You don't necessarily agree with their views.

Front 2

Define 'internalisation'.

Back 2

Following along with the majority and not agreeing with their views at first but then coming to have them as your own views.

Front 3

Define ' identificaton'.

Back 3

Acting in a certain way whilst you are within a group, and then changing back to normal habits afterwards.

Eg. A nurse takes on a social role whilst at work.

Front 4

Define 'normative influence'.

Back 4

Being influenced by your peers to act in a certain way because you want to be liked.

Eg. Dressing a certain way.

Front 5

Define 'informational influence'.

Back 5

Acting in a cetain way because you think it is the right way to act, and the rest of the group act this way.

Front 6

What was Asch's (1951) study into conformity?

Back 6

Carried out a lab experiment with an independent groups design. Each group contained only one realy participant, always seated in the seventh or eighth place. They were all shown a standard line, and then three comparison lines. They had to say out loud one at a time which line they thought matched the standard line.

Front 7

What were the results of Asch's (1951) study into conformity?

Back 7

Control trials: Participants gave the wrong answer 0.7% of the time.

Critical trials: Participants conformed 37% of the time.

75% conformed at least once.

Afterwards, some participants said they didn't really believe their answers, but didn't want to look different.

Front 8

What are the conclusions and evaluations for Asch's (1951) study into conformity?

Back 8

Conclusion: The participants conformed to the majority - normative social influence.

Evaluation: Lab experiment - good control of variables. Easy repeatability.

Unnatural situation: lacks ecological validity.

Ethics: Participants were deceived and may have been embarrassed when they found out the true nature of the study.

Front 9

What was Sherif's (1935) study into informational influence?

Back 9

A lab experiment with repeated measures design. Used a visual illusion where a spot of light would be shone on a wall in the dark, and it appears to move. In the first phase participants individually made repeated estimates. In the second phase, they were put into groups of three, where they made their estimates with the others present. In the final phase, they were retested individually again.

Front 10

What were the results of Sherif's (1935) study into informational influence?

Back 10

Phase one: Participants developed their own stable estimates, which varied widely between participants.

Phase two: The estimates tended to converge and become more alike.

Phase three: The estimates were more like the group estimates than the originals.

Front 11

What were the conclusions and evaluations of Sherif's (1935) study into informational influence?

Back 11

Conclusion: A group norm develped - affected by informational social influence.

Evaluation: Lab experiment - controlled variables

Repeated measures - participant variables kept constant

Artificial situation - lacks ecological validity

Limited sample - can't be generalised

Ethics - participants decieved.

Front 12

What was Zimbardo et al's (1973) study into conformity to assigned roles?

Back 12

Male students were randomly given the roles of a guard or a prisoner. The 'prisoners' were arrested at home, taken to 'prison' and given uniforms and numbers. The behaviour of the prisoners and the guards was then observed.

Front 13

What were the results of Zimbardo et al's (1973) study into conformity to assigned roles?

Back 13

Initially, guards tried to assert their authority and prisoners resisted by sticking together.

The prisoners became more passive and obedient, whilst the guards invented worse punishments. The experiment was abandoned early because some prisoners became very distressed.

Front 14

What were the conclusions and evaluation of Zimbardo et al's (1973) study into conformity to assigned roles?

Back 14

Conclusion: Seemingly well-balanced men became unpleasant and aggressive in the role of a guard. Social role can influence our behaviour.

Evaluation: Controlled observation - control of variabes BUT can't be generalised. (lacks ecological validity)

Ethics - very distressing

Observer bias - Zimbardo ran the prison.

Front 15

What was Reicher and Haslam's (2006) study into developing Zimbardo's idea?

Back 15

A controlled observation in a mock prison, filmed for TV. 15 male volunteers: 5 guards and 10 prisoners. The prisoners knew one of them, after three days, would become a guard. Participants had daily tests to measure levels of depression, stress, and compliance with rules.

Front 16

What were the results of Reicher and Haslam's (2006) study into developing Zimbardo's idea?

Back 16

Guards: Failed to unite and identify with their role. Said they felt uncomfortable with the inequality of the situation.

Prisoners: After one was promoted, they became a much stronger group.

Unequal system collapsed due to the unwillingness of the guards and strength of prisoners.

Front 17

What were the conclusions and evaluations of Reicher and Haslam's (2006) study into developing Zimbardo's idea?

Back 17

Conclusion: Roles are flexible - participants did not fit into expected social roles.

Evaluation: Prisoners were a strong group, guards not as empowered.

Made for TV - elements may have been staged.

Can't be generalised to real life

Good ethics - informed consent, protection and debriefing all occurred.

Front 18

What was Milgram's (1963) study into obedience?

Back 18

40 male participants were told the study was about punishment in learning. Participants had to administer an electric shock every time the learner (a confederate) said a wrong answer. Learners acted in pain but no shocks were actually given. The teacher (participant) was encouraged to continue when the learner protested.

Front 19

What were the results of Milgram's (1963) study into obedience?

Back 19

All participants administered 300V.

Most participants found it stressful and wanted to stop.

65% of participant administered 450V.

Front 20

What were the conclusions and evaluations of Milgram's (1963) study into obedience?

Back 20

Conclusion: Ordinary people will obey orders to hurt someone else.

Evaluation: Internal validity - Participant may have just shown demand characteristics and known the shocks weren't actually real.

Artificial - lacks ecological validity.

Ethical issues - participants were deceived, and not protected. But they were debriefed extensively.

Front 21

What was Hofling et al's (1966) study into obedience to authority?

Back 21

Dr Smith (confederate) phoned 22 real nurses on 22 seperate occasions and asked them to administer 20mg of a drug to a patient Mr Jones, and that he would sign authorisation papers later. The max dose was 10mg, and the nurses broke three hospital rules: accepting instructions over the phone; using unauthorised medicine; doubling the maximum stated dose.

Front 22

What were the findings of Hofling et al's (1966) study into obedience to authority?

Back 22

21 out of 22 of the nurses were easily influenced into carrying out the orders.

Front 23

What were the conclusions and evaluations of Hofling et al's (1966) study into obedience to authority?

Back 23

Conclusion: Hofling demonstrated that people are very unwilling to question supposed 'authority', even with good reason to.

Evaluation: Real life environment - high ecological validity

Ethics - the nurses were deceived, as neither the doctor nor drug were real.

Front 24

What was Bickman's (1974) study into uniform creating obedience?

Back 24

Bickman used three male actors, dressed in either normal clothes, as a milkman, or as a security guard.

The actors asked passersby to do things like pick up a paper bag or give them a coin for the parking metre.

Front 25

What were the results of Bickman's (1974) study into uniform creating obedience?

Back 25

Passersby were most likely to obey the actor dressed as a security guard, and least likely to help the actor dressed in normal clothes.

Front 26

What are the conclusions and evaluations of Bickman's (1974) study into uniform creating obedience?

Back 26

Conclusions: People are more likely to obey when they think they are helping an authorative figure.

Evaluation: A field experiment - high ecological validity.

Opportunity sample - makes results difficult to generalise beyond the people that just happened to be passing by.

Front 27

What was Moscovici et al's (1969) study into minority influence?

Back 27

A lab experiment, using 192 women. In groups of 6, the participants were asked to judge the colour of 36 slides. All slides were blue, but the brightness varied. Two of the 6 were confederates - in one condition they called all the slides green, and in another condition called some green and some blue. A control group with no confederates was also used.

Front 28

What were the results of Moscovici et al's (1969) study into minority influence?

Back 28

Control group: Participants called the slides green 0.25% of the time.

Consistent condition: 8.4% of the time participants adopted the minority position. 32% of participants called the slides green at least once.
Inconsistent condition: Participants moved to calling the slides green only 1.25% of the time.

Front 29

What are the conclusions and evaluations of Moscovici et al's (1969) study into minority influence?

Back 29

Conclusion: Minority appeard to influence real participants. Consistency gave more influence.

Evaluation: Lab experiment - lacks ecological validity

Participants - only carried out on women, no gender differences.

Control group - valid comparison of minority actually influencing participants.