Discuss and Evaluate Informational ISI and NSI as
Explanations for Conformity? (16)
Types of Conformity AO1:
Internalisation – Private and public acceptance of group norms
Identification – Change behaviour to be part of a group we identify with
Compliance – Go along with group publicly but no private change
Explanations for Conformity AO1:
ISI – Conform to be right. Assume others know better than us
NSI – Conform to be liked or accepted by group
Evaluation AO3:
Research Support ISI – More conformity to incorrect math answers when difficult, as predicted by ISI.
Individual Differences in NSI – nAffiliators want to be liked more
ISI and NSI Work Together – Dissenter may reduce power of ISI and NSI
Discuss and Evaluate Asch’s Research into Conformity? (16)
Asch Research AO1:
Procedure – Confederates deliberately gave wrong answers to see if others would conform
Findings – Naïve participants conformed on 40% of trials. 25% never conformed
Variations – Conformity increased up to group of 4 / Dissenter reduced conformity / Conformity
increased when task was harder
Evaluation AO3:
Child of its time – Perrin & Spencer found less conformity in 1980s and 1950s
Artificial Situation and Task – Demand characteristic meant participants just played along with trivial
task
Limited Application of Findings – Research conducted on American men
Discuss and Evaluate Research into Conformity to Social
Roles (Zimbardo)? (16)
SPE AO1:
Procedures – Mock prison with students assigned as guards or prisoners
Findings – Guards became increasingly brutal, prisoners increasingly withdrawn and depressed
Conclusions – Participants conformed to roles as guards or prisoners
, Evaluation AO3:
Control – Random assignment to roles increased internal validity
Lack of Realism – Participants were play-acting roles according to media stereotypes
Dispositional Influences – 1/3 of guards were brutal so conclusions exaggerated
Describe and Evaluate Milgram’s Research into Obedience?
(16)
Milgram Obedience Study AO1:
Procedure – Participants gave fake electric shocks to ‘learner’ in obedience to instructions from
‘experiment’
Findings – 65% gave highest shock / 100% gave shock up to 300v / many showed anxiety
Evaluation AO3:
Low Internal Validity – Participants released shocks were fake. But replication with real shocks got
same result
Good External Validity – Findings generalize to other situations like hospital wards
Supporting Replication – Game of Death found 80% gave maximum shock, similar behaviour
Describe and Evaluate 2 Situational Variables that have
been shown by Milgram to Affect Obedience to Authority?
(16)
Situational Variables AO1:
Location – Obedience decreased to 50% when study moved to run-down office block
Uniform – Obedience decreased to 20% when ‘member of public’ was experimenter
Evaluation AO3:
Research Support – Blackman showed power of uniform in field experiment
Lack of Internal Validity – Some of Milgram’s procedures contrived, not genuine obedience (Orne &
Holland)
Cross-Cultural Replications – Support Milgram, but almost all studies in similar cultures to USA so not
very generalizable
Explanations for Conformity? (16)
Types of Conformity AO1:
Internalisation – Private and public acceptance of group norms
Identification – Change behaviour to be part of a group we identify with
Compliance – Go along with group publicly but no private change
Explanations for Conformity AO1:
ISI – Conform to be right. Assume others know better than us
NSI – Conform to be liked or accepted by group
Evaluation AO3:
Research Support ISI – More conformity to incorrect math answers when difficult, as predicted by ISI.
Individual Differences in NSI – nAffiliators want to be liked more
ISI and NSI Work Together – Dissenter may reduce power of ISI and NSI
Discuss and Evaluate Asch’s Research into Conformity? (16)
Asch Research AO1:
Procedure – Confederates deliberately gave wrong answers to see if others would conform
Findings – Naïve participants conformed on 40% of trials. 25% never conformed
Variations – Conformity increased up to group of 4 / Dissenter reduced conformity / Conformity
increased when task was harder
Evaluation AO3:
Child of its time – Perrin & Spencer found less conformity in 1980s and 1950s
Artificial Situation and Task – Demand characteristic meant participants just played along with trivial
task
Limited Application of Findings – Research conducted on American men
Discuss and Evaluate Research into Conformity to Social
Roles (Zimbardo)? (16)
SPE AO1:
Procedures – Mock prison with students assigned as guards or prisoners
Findings – Guards became increasingly brutal, prisoners increasingly withdrawn and depressed
Conclusions – Participants conformed to roles as guards or prisoners
, Evaluation AO3:
Control – Random assignment to roles increased internal validity
Lack of Realism – Participants were play-acting roles according to media stereotypes
Dispositional Influences – 1/3 of guards were brutal so conclusions exaggerated
Describe and Evaluate Milgram’s Research into Obedience?
(16)
Milgram Obedience Study AO1:
Procedure – Participants gave fake electric shocks to ‘learner’ in obedience to instructions from
‘experiment’
Findings – 65% gave highest shock / 100% gave shock up to 300v / many showed anxiety
Evaluation AO3:
Low Internal Validity – Participants released shocks were fake. But replication with real shocks got
same result
Good External Validity – Findings generalize to other situations like hospital wards
Supporting Replication – Game of Death found 80% gave maximum shock, similar behaviour
Describe and Evaluate 2 Situational Variables that have
been shown by Milgram to Affect Obedience to Authority?
(16)
Situational Variables AO1:
Location – Obedience decreased to 50% when study moved to run-down office block
Uniform – Obedience decreased to 20% when ‘member of public’ was experimenter
Evaluation AO3:
Research Support – Blackman showed power of uniform in field experiment
Lack of Internal Validity – Some of Milgram’s procedures contrived, not genuine obedience (Orne &
Holland)
Cross-Cultural Replications – Support Milgram, but almost all studies in similar cultures to USA so not
very generalizable
