Sweets in a Jar! Around the room are some glass jars with some small objects in. Please complete your table to show your estimated guesses for how many

Sweets in a Jar!

• Around the room are some glass jars with some small objects in.

• Please complete your table to show your estimated guesses for how many objects are in each jar.

• Please don’t discuss your answers with each other!

??

? ?

In pairs discuss:

1) Did you change your answer the second time?

2) If so, why did you change your answer?

3) What did you base your second answer on?

4) How did you feel whilst you were making your guesses?

5) What do you think the experiment is trying to show?

Social Influence Lesson 1

ConformityWhat you think conformity might

mean?

To define Conformity


To describe the three types of conformity

To outline and evaluate 3 classic studies of Conformity (link to research methods and ethics- unit 1)

To use skills of independent enquiry to design and carry out a study into conformity.

Objectives

This is where the sweets in a jar experiment comes in!

• In pairs use the situation cards to formulate a first definition of conformity.

• Write a 1st definition of Conformity in your notes.

• Share your ideas with other pairs on your table. Which ones are not conformity?

What is conformity?


Social Influence

So what is ‘Social Influence?’

…the ways in which external social factors alter our behaviour.

Conformity: a type of social influence where we choose to go along with the majority (Majority Influence). E.g. Peer Pressure or Fashion TrendsWe can yield publicly orprivately.

• 3 types of conformity: What do they mean?

Mini Plenary- IWB Drag and Drop Activity

Types of conformity

To define ConformityTo describe the three types of conformity

Three types of conformity (Kellman, 1958)

1. Compliance2. Identification3. Internalisation

Complete 3 definitions in your notes

What is conformity?


What is conformity?

• Mini Plenary- Sort the situation cards into the three groups.

1. Compliance2. Identification3. Internalisation






Objectives

Classic Studies

• Compliance

• Internalisation

• Identification

Asch (1951) Lines Task

Sherif (1935)

Jenness (1932)


Zimbardo

http://www.psychexchange.co.uk/videos/view/21001/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ieAdEgx4EX

0


http://www.psychexchange.co.uk/videos/view/21001/

http://www.psychexchange.co.uk/videos/view/21001/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ieAdEgx4EX

A CB



A CBTo outline and evaluate 3 classic studies of Conformity (link to research methods and ethics- unit 1)

Asch (1951)


• Aim: To investigate if people will conform to a group when there is clearly a right and wrong answer.

• Procedure: Carried out an experiment using groups of between 6 and 9 people. Only one was a true participant (naïve participant). The others were confederates. He showed the groups pictures of lines of differing lengths.

• They had to say which of the line was the same length as the test line.

• Results: When the confederates gave the same wrong answer, the mean conformity rate was 32%. On average, participants agreed with the wrong answer on about a third of the 12 trials.

• Conclusion: People will conform to a majority even when the majority is clearly incorrect.

Asch (1956) Line Experiment

What type of conformity does it demonstrate?

1. Compliance?2. Identification?3. Internalisation ?

Asch (1951)

• Displayed compliance i.e. although they went along with the majority view they still believed that they were correct.

• PPs reported conforming for different reasons including:– Genuinely doubted own judgement– Didn’t want to ‘upset the experiment’– Fear of rejection by confeds (compliance)


Variation on original experiment Effect on conformity (higher or lower)

WHY?

The size of the majority was increased to sixteen confederates against one participant.

The task was made more difficult by using lines that were much closer in length to each other and the comparison line.

Participants give their answers in private, rather than calling them out in front of the group (Deutsch &Gerard,1955)

The participants are Maths and Science students, rather than Social Science students (Perrin &Spencer,1981)

The participants are young offenders and the confederates are all probation officers (Perrin &Spencer, 1981)

Variations of Asch (1951)For each study, suggest whether the rate of conformity would be higher or lower than the % found in the Asch study. You should also write a brief explanation of why you think the rate of conformity would change. Use textbooks and internet to find out the actual results and compare with your own.

Variations of Asch (1951)

• The difficulty of the task-(made differences between the line less obvious) so that the “correct” answer was less obvious. Conformity increased.

• Size of the majority-did increase conformity but only up to a point.

• The unanimity of the majority-conformity levels dropped when confederate gave the right answer.


Asch (1951)

• Summarise Asch Study on sheet

Radio program about Asch http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00f8mzr


http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00f8mzr

Evaluating Asch’s research- AO2

• Is Asch’s study a ‘child of its time’?• Were these findings unique to ..

Males USA – individualist

culture

1950’s – McCarthyism

strong anti-communist feeling, people scared to be different.

Ethics

• Ethical Issues- Deception and lack of informed consent, Psychological harm• The procedure is very artificial in that participants are being asked to conform

when there is clearly a different and obviously correct answer.• Ecological Validity-Lab experiment.

• ‘Child of it’s time’- Unique to one culture? Found when replicating it at a different time, findings were different.

• Validity- Asking people to judge length of line is an insignificant task, so people would be more willing to conform to save face. The fact that they had to answer out loud means there were special pressures to conform.

• Only studied males (androcentric)-Eagly and Carli (1981) carried out a meta-analysis of research into conformity they found that women were more likely to conform than men.



• Elaboration ladders

To help you elaborate on A02 points to gain top marks in 12 mark essay



Complete a critical commentary, evaluating ASCH’s ‘Lines’ study. Include both positive and negative A02 points and PEE (Point, Evidence and Explain) throughout.

.

Sherif (1935) The autokinetic effectHow far does the dot move?

• Optical illusion called the autokinetic effect (if you stare at a spot of light in a darkened room it will appear to move).

• Ppts were first required to estimate how far the light moved, then estimate again but in small groups

• He found individuals tended to change their views and give estimates which resembled the group.

• Conforming to a majority view.

• Demonstrates internalisation-the task would have given them no confidence in their opinion, the ppts could readily have believed the group answer was the correct one.


Sherif (1935) Autokinetic Effect


Sherif (1935) The autokinetic effect

Discussion of AO2 points


Jenness (1932)

• Beans in a jar!In your table groups discuss/share your estimates.Come up with a group guess (guess 2)Then individually guess again (guess 3)


Jenness (1932)

• Findings

When we are unsure of an answer we look to others for help assuming that a majority figure will be more reliable.

• AO2Very artificial so lack ecological validity. Can we

generalise from this to real life situations?Ethics? Demand characteristics?


Mini Plenary- Interactive ‘Dustbin’

• http://classtools.net/widgets/dustbin_1/urjoL.htm


http://classtools.net/widgets/dustbin_1/urjoL.htm

http://classtools.net/widgets/dustbin_1/urjoL.htm

Classic Studies

Summarise Jenness and Sherif on your worksheets.


Plenary

• Past Exam Questions



To outline and evaluate 3 classic studies of Conformity (link to research methods and ethics- unit 1





Objectives

Designing your own Study

• Try carrying out a versin of Asch experiment using male and female participants.

• What are your independent and dependent variables

• What is your hypothesis• What resources will you need?• Who will your participants be?• What ethical issues might arise in this

experiment? How might you deal with them?To use skills of independent enquiry to design and carry out a study into conformity





Objectives

Homework

• Use the internet or books to find out about Zimbardo’s Stanford Prison experiment

• What kind of conformity is shown? • Give reasons for your answer.

• http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b008crhv/Mind_Changers_The_Stanford_Prison_Experiment/

• http://www.simplypsychologcy.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/zimbardo.html

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b008crhv/Mind_Changers_The_Stanford_Prison_Experiment/



http://www.simplypsychologcy.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/zimbardo.html

http://www.simplypsychologcy.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/zimbardo.html

Documents

Sweets in a Jar! Around the room are some glass jars with some small objects in. Please complete your table to show your estimated guesses for how many