Conformity
What are the two main types of social influence that lead to conformity?
Normative Social Influence (NSI) and Informational Social Influence (ISI).
What percentage of participants in Milgram's original study administered the full 450 volts?
Answer: 65%
According to Moscovici, what characteristic must a minority have to influence the majority?
Answer: Consistency
Name one historical example of social change resulting from minority influence.
The Civil Rights Movement in the USA.
What is meant by “social support” in resisting social influence?
The presence of others who resist conformity or obedience helps individuals resist as well.
What percentage of participants conformed at least once in Asch's original study?
75%.
Name one situational variable that affected obedience in Milgram's study.
Answer: Proximity, such as when the learner was in the same room, obedience dropped to 40%.
In Moscovici’s study, what percentage of participants conformed to the consistent minority in the blue-green slide task?
8.42%
What role does the augmentation principle play in social change?
When a minority takes risks or makes sacrifices for their cause, they are seen as more committed and credible.
How does having an ally affect conformity?
It reduces conformity as the ally provides social support and breaks unanimity
How does group size affect conformity, according to Asch’s research?
Conformity increases with group size, but levels off once the group reaches 3-4 people.
How does the proximity of the authority figure influence obedience, according to Milgram?
When the authority figure was farther away (e.g., giving instructions by phone), obedience dropped to 21%.
Why is flexibility important for a minority to influence the majority?
Being too rigid can make the minority seem dogmatic; flexibility shows willingness to compromise, making them more persuasive.
How do social norms interventions reduce undesirable behaviors?
By correcting misperceptions about what is normal, e.g., “Most people don’t drink excessively.”
Define the locus of control and its role in resisting social influence.
Locus of control is the extent to which individuals believe they control events in their lives; high internal locus of control is linked to greater resistance.
Name one ethical issue raised by Asch’s conformity study.
Deception, as participants were misled about the true purpose of the study.
What is the authoritarian personality, and how is it linked to obedience?
It is a personality type characterized by submissiveness to authority and hostility towards lower-status groups, linked to higher obedience.
What is the snowball effect, and how does it relate to minority influence?
It is when a minority gradually gains support until the viewpoint becomes accepted by the majority.
What is meant by "gradual commitment," and how does it contribute to social change?
Once people agree to small changes, they are more likely to agree to larger ones over time.
Why do people with a high internal locus of control resist pressure to conform or obey?
They believe they are in control of their actions and are less influenced by external pressures.
Explain the difference between compliance, identification, and internalisation.
Compliance is outward agreement but internal disagreement, identification is conforming to fit in with a group, and internalisation is adopting beliefs both publicly and privately.
Describe two criticisms of Milgram’s research methodology.
Ethical concerns (e.g., deception, stress on participants) and lack of ecological validity as the lab setting might not reflect real-world obedience.
Compare and contrast minority influence and conformity.
Minority influence leads to internalisation (private change), while conformity often leads to compliance (public change without private agreement).
Explain how minority influence leads to deeper processing.
The minority’s consistent message causes individuals to think more deeply about the issue, which can lead to lasting change.
How can disobedient role models influence resistance to social influence?
Observing others disobey authority gives individuals the confidence to do the same.