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Questions and Answers
What is the primary motivation that drives people to conform to their reference group?
Which of the following factors is thought to influence conformity, according to Asch's research?
What is the term for the process by which individuals surrender their autonomy to an authority figure?
Which real-life event is often cited as an example of obedience to authority, and can be explained by the legitimacy of authority?
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According to Zimbardo, what is the term for the phenomenon where individuals conform to the expectations of a social role?
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What is the main criticism of the Stanford Prison Experiment, as argued by Banuazizi and Movahedi?
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Which of the following is an example of disobedience to authority, as described in the text?
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What is the term for the idea that people obey authority because they believe it is legitimate and has the right to make decisions?
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Which researcher found that group size and task difficulty influence conformity?
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What is the limitation of the agentic shift theory, as demonstrated by the nurse disobedience study?
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Study Notes
Social Influence
- Types of conformity: internalization, identification, and compliance
- Explanations for conformity:
- Informational social influence (ISI): people rely on others for answers due to ambiguity or uncertainty
- Normative social influence (NSI): people conform to norms and behaviors of others
- Research support:
- Lucas et al (2006): students looked to others for answers on difficult math problems, supporting ISI
- Schultz et al (2008): hotel guests reduced towel use by 25% when exposed to normative message, supporting NSI
Social Change
- The role of social influence processes in social change:
- Schultz et al (2007): the boomerang effect can occur, where social change initiatives inadvertently increase undesirable behavior in some individuals
Psychopathology
- Definitions of abnormality:
- Deviation from social norms
- Failure to function adequately
- Statistical infrequency
- Deviation from ideal mental health
- Characteristics of phobias, depression, and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
- Behavioral approach to explaining and treating phobias:
- Two-process model: classical and operant conditioning
- Systematic desensitization: relaxation and use of hierarchy
- Flooding
- Cognitive approach to explaining and treating depression:
- Beck's negative triad
- Ellis's ABC model
- Cognitive behavior therapy (CBT): challenging irrational thoughts
Conformity
- Variables affecting conformity:
- Group size
- Unanimity
- Task difficulty: Lucas et al (2006) found that students looked to others for answers on difficult math problems
- Conformity to social roles:
- Zimbardo's Stanford Prison Experiment (SPE)
- Banuazizi and Movahedi (1975): criticized the SPE for lack of realism, as participants were "play acting" roles
Obedience
- Explanations for obedience:
- Agentic state: individuals surrender autonomy to authority
- Legitimacy of authority: authority figures have the power to punish or reward
- Research support:
- Rank and Jacobson (1977): agentic shift does not fully explain obedience
- Kelman and Hamilton (1989): legitimacy of authority can explain real-life cases of obedience, such as the My Lai massacre
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Description
Test your understanding of social influence, including types of conformity, explanations for conformity, and research studies. Review key concepts and findings to prepare for your AQA Psychology exam.
