social influence model answers
Social influence research helps us to understand how it is possible to change people's behaviour: for
example, understanding how to persuade people to eat more healthily.
With reference to this example of social change, explain how psychology might affect the economy. -
correct answers Social influence research tells us how behaviour and attitudes can be changed: eg how
minority influence can be exerted or how people tend to conform to perceived norms
• In this case, the resulting change of eating more healthily means that people should be more healthy.
• Economic implication: eg saves health service / care resources; means less time off work sick.
Briefly outline and evaluate the findings of any one study of social influence. - correct answers
MILGRAM'S baseline findings:
> every participant went up to 300v
>12.5% STOPPED AT 300V
>65% went all the way to 450v
evaluation:
P-lacks internal validity
E-Martin Orne argues that participants behaved as they did because they didn't believe the set-up, so
they were play acting further support from Perry as she agrees and says that 50% of the participants id
not think the shocks were real when you watch the video tapes
C- suggests the participants were responding to demand characteristics and trying to fufill the aim of the
study.
Outline two explanations for obedience - correct answers Possible explanations:
Authoritarian personality: a collection of traits/dispositions developed from strict/rigid
parenting; examples of traits - conformist towards
people of perceived higher status
Agentic state: person 'unthinkingly' carries out orders; diffusion of responsibility.
, Briefly evaluate one of the explanations that you have outlined in your answer. - correct answers
authoritarian personality
P-cannot explain instances of disobedience in a hierarchy where the legitimacy of authority is clear and
accepted.
E- Minority of Milgram's participants obeyed despite recognising the experimenter's scientific authority.
C- suggests that some people may just be more or less obedient then others.
it's possible that innate tendencies to obey or disobey have a greater influence on behaviour than the
legitimacy of an authority figure.
Outline the procedures and findings of Zimbardo's research into conformity to social roles - correct
answers set up mock prison in the basement of the psychology department at Stanford University.
>selected 21 men- were tested as 'emotionally stable'
>the students were randomly assigned to play the role of the prisoner or the guard.
>encouraged to take on their social roles
>within 2 days prisoners rebelled , the guards responded by spraying them with fire extinguishers.
>prisoners became subdued, depressed and anxious one being released as a result, 2 more the next day-
one went on hunger strike , after he refused to be force fed they put him in 'solitary confinement'- the
guards became more aggressive and Zimbardo ended the experiment on the 6th day out of the ordinal
14 days.
Briefly discuss two criticisms of Zimbardo's research into conformity to social roles. - correct answers
Ethical issues: lack of informed consent, whether or not the consent gained was sufficiently informed;
deception; lack of protection from psychological harm - whether or not the distress should have been
anticipated.
Methodological issues: sample bias- all white american university students- the sample has beta bias, so
cannot generalise towards both men and women
A small environmental group wants to encourage people to use public transport or bicycles instead of
using their cars.
Using your knowledge of the role of minority influence in social change, what advice would you give the
environmental group? - correct answers For a minority to be successful in bringing about social change,
it needs to be consistent, flexible and non-dogmatic. It helps if the members of the minority have an
internal locus of control and can show that they have the skills with which to challenge the beliefs and
attitudes of the majority. So the advice to the environmental group would be to remain consistent in
their views when talking to members of the majority. Moscovici's research demonstrated that
consistency was an effective strategy. It would also help if the environmental group could demonstrate
that they were not acting out of self-interest, but because they believe that using public transport or
Social influence research helps us to understand how it is possible to change people's behaviour: for
example, understanding how to persuade people to eat more healthily.
With reference to this example of social change, explain how psychology might affect the economy. -
correct answers Social influence research tells us how behaviour and attitudes can be changed: eg how
minority influence can be exerted or how people tend to conform to perceived norms
• In this case, the resulting change of eating more healthily means that people should be more healthy.
• Economic implication: eg saves health service / care resources; means less time off work sick.
Briefly outline and evaluate the findings of any one study of social influence. - correct answers
MILGRAM'S baseline findings:
> every participant went up to 300v
>12.5% STOPPED AT 300V
>65% went all the way to 450v
evaluation:
P-lacks internal validity
E-Martin Orne argues that participants behaved as they did because they didn't believe the set-up, so
they were play acting further support from Perry as she agrees and says that 50% of the participants id
not think the shocks were real when you watch the video tapes
C- suggests the participants were responding to demand characteristics and trying to fufill the aim of the
study.
Outline two explanations for obedience - correct answers Possible explanations:
Authoritarian personality: a collection of traits/dispositions developed from strict/rigid
parenting; examples of traits - conformist towards
people of perceived higher status
Agentic state: person 'unthinkingly' carries out orders; diffusion of responsibility.
, Briefly evaluate one of the explanations that you have outlined in your answer. - correct answers
authoritarian personality
P-cannot explain instances of disobedience in a hierarchy where the legitimacy of authority is clear and
accepted.
E- Minority of Milgram's participants obeyed despite recognising the experimenter's scientific authority.
C- suggests that some people may just be more or less obedient then others.
it's possible that innate tendencies to obey or disobey have a greater influence on behaviour than the
legitimacy of an authority figure.
Outline the procedures and findings of Zimbardo's research into conformity to social roles - correct
answers set up mock prison in the basement of the psychology department at Stanford University.
>selected 21 men- were tested as 'emotionally stable'
>the students were randomly assigned to play the role of the prisoner or the guard.
>encouraged to take on their social roles
>within 2 days prisoners rebelled , the guards responded by spraying them with fire extinguishers.
>prisoners became subdued, depressed and anxious one being released as a result, 2 more the next day-
one went on hunger strike , after he refused to be force fed they put him in 'solitary confinement'- the
guards became more aggressive and Zimbardo ended the experiment on the 6th day out of the ordinal
14 days.
Briefly discuss two criticisms of Zimbardo's research into conformity to social roles. - correct answers
Ethical issues: lack of informed consent, whether or not the consent gained was sufficiently informed;
deception; lack of protection from psychological harm - whether or not the distress should have been
anticipated.
Methodological issues: sample bias- all white american university students- the sample has beta bias, so
cannot generalise towards both men and women
A small environmental group wants to encourage people to use public transport or bicycles instead of
using their cars.
Using your knowledge of the role of minority influence in social change, what advice would you give the
environmental group? - correct answers For a minority to be successful in bringing about social change,
it needs to be consistent, flexible and non-dogmatic. It helps if the members of the minority have an
internal locus of control and can show that they have the skills with which to challenge the beliefs and
attitudes of the majority. So the advice to the environmental group would be to remain consistent in
their views when talking to members of the majority. Moscovici's research demonstrated that
consistency was an effective strategy. It would also help if the environmental group could demonstrate
that they were not acting out of self-interest, but because they believe that using public transport or
