Social Influence Essay Plans
By Study HQ
,Social influence essay plans included:
Describe and Evaluate Asch’s research into conformity
Describe and evaluate informational social influence and normative social influence
as explanations for conformity
Discuss research into conformity to social roles
Describe and evaluate Milgram’s research into obedience
Describe and evaluate two situational variables that have been shown by Milgram to
affect obedience to authority
Outline and evaluate one or more explanations of obedience
Discuss the authoritarian personality as an explanation for obedience
Describe and evaluate two explanations of resistance to social influence
Describe and evaluate research into minority influence
Discuss the role of social influence processes in social change
, Discuss the dispositional explanation as an explanation for obedience, referring to the
Authoritarian Personality
Knowledge
Like Milgrim, Adorno and his colleagues wanted to understand the antisemitism of the
holocaust.
Adorno et al: Authoritarian - Adorno et al: people with an authoritarian personality
Personality and Obedience (AP) have an extreme respect for authority - an
obedience to it.
- They have an inflexible outlook and disrespect for
‘inferiors’
Origins of Authoritarian - Harsh parenting (conditional love) results in bitter anger
Personality but it cannot be expressed to parents so is displaced
onto ‘weaker’ others.
Adorno et al’s research - Over 2000 white middle class Americans and their
unconscious attitudes to ethnic groups.
Used the F - scale - Agree/Disagree with statements e.g. ‘Obedience and
respect for authority are the most important lessons
children should learn.’
Findings - High F - scale scores: identification with the ‘strong’,
disrespect for the ‘weak’.
- Very conscious of social status and
Submissive/respectful to higher status.
- Strong correlation between authoritarian personality and
prejudice.
Evaluation
P - Strength. Research support.
E - Milgram found correlation between obedience in Milgram study and a high scale on the F -
scale
A - Suggests there is a correlation between personality and obedience
C - Correlation doesn’t equal causation; could be due to other factors (lack of education)
P - Weakness. Politically biased.
E - F - scale implies left wingers expected to be disobedient, but this is not the case.
A - LW regimes such as Stalin demand total obedience, similar to RW regimes like the Nazis.
C - Adorno’s theory cannot account for obedience across the whole political spectrum.
By Study HQ
,Social influence essay plans included:
Describe and Evaluate Asch’s research into conformity
Describe and evaluate informational social influence and normative social influence
as explanations for conformity
Discuss research into conformity to social roles
Describe and evaluate Milgram’s research into obedience
Describe and evaluate two situational variables that have been shown by Milgram to
affect obedience to authority
Outline and evaluate one or more explanations of obedience
Discuss the authoritarian personality as an explanation for obedience
Describe and evaluate two explanations of resistance to social influence
Describe and evaluate research into minority influence
Discuss the role of social influence processes in social change
, Discuss the dispositional explanation as an explanation for obedience, referring to the
Authoritarian Personality
Knowledge
Like Milgrim, Adorno and his colleagues wanted to understand the antisemitism of the
holocaust.
Adorno et al: Authoritarian - Adorno et al: people with an authoritarian personality
Personality and Obedience (AP) have an extreme respect for authority - an
obedience to it.
- They have an inflexible outlook and disrespect for
‘inferiors’
Origins of Authoritarian - Harsh parenting (conditional love) results in bitter anger
Personality but it cannot be expressed to parents so is displaced
onto ‘weaker’ others.
Adorno et al’s research - Over 2000 white middle class Americans and their
unconscious attitudes to ethnic groups.
Used the F - scale - Agree/Disagree with statements e.g. ‘Obedience and
respect for authority are the most important lessons
children should learn.’
Findings - High F - scale scores: identification with the ‘strong’,
disrespect for the ‘weak’.
- Very conscious of social status and
Submissive/respectful to higher status.
- Strong correlation between authoritarian personality and
prejudice.
Evaluation
P - Strength. Research support.
E - Milgram found correlation between obedience in Milgram study and a high scale on the F -
scale
A - Suggests there is a correlation between personality and obedience
C - Correlation doesn’t equal causation; could be due to other factors (lack of education)
P - Weakness. Politically biased.
E - F - scale implies left wingers expected to be disobedient, but this is not the case.
A - LW regimes such as Stalin demand total obedience, similar to RW regimes like the Nazis.
C - Adorno’s theory cannot account for obedience across the whole political spectrum.
