Higher Psychology Support Pack © Joe Walker 2011

Liberton High School

Higher Psychology

Support Pack & Distance Learning

Programme

Unit 3a

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Higher Psychology Support Pack © Joe Walker 2011

Conformity and Obedience

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Higher Psychology Support Pack © Joe Walker 2011

The purpose of this packThis pack has been designed for the following purposes:

To allow Higher Psychology students to be more independent learners To allow students to study the subject “out of column” To support students who may be absent through illness or school closure To support students in developing the necessary independent learning skills for

higher education such as University

The materials you will need The Higher Psychology book by Williamson, Cardwell and Flanagan Access to the internet with the ability to download adobe acrobat documents and

watch video materials Success Guides: Higher Psychology. Leckie and Leckie Your scholar log-in and password the site is at http://courses.scholar.hw.ac.uk Access to the school website to download powerpoints etc

www.liberton.edin.sch.uk You would also be advised to set up a username and password for the following

websites where necessaryo http://www.psychexchange.co.uk/ o http://www.psychlotron.org.uk/ o http://www.gerardkeegan.co.uk/ o http://www.holah.co.uk/page/home/

This pack is not designed so that you don’t need a teacher (!) but it is designed to help you learn more independently and to make use of the incredible amount of materials there are out there on the topics you will explore.

How it worksThe materials are modelled on Open University-style study and will require you to help your learning through:

Reading and analysis of texts Personal reflection on psychological topics Using external sources for film footage of psychological topics Referring to online sources of research journals etc Encouraging you to put what you learn in class into practice and so notice more

about the world around you

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Higher Psychology Support Pack © Joe Walker 2011

Week

Topic Area Planned Actual Research HW

NAB

1a Unit 3: The Individual in the Social Context Social Psychology: Conformity & Obedience; Conformity; Types; Majority/minority influence; Informational/Normative social influence

Sherif (1935)Asch (1955)Zimbardo et al (1973)

1

2a Compliance; Internalisation; Situational & Individual factors

2

3a Obedience; Individual / Situational / Psychological ExplanationsResisting Social Pressure : Moral reasoning

Milgram (1963)Hofling et al (1966)Kohlberg (1969)

3

4a Resisting Social Pressure: Role models: Questioning Motives

Gamson et al (1982) 4

5a Conformity & Obedience Revision/Exam questions/NAB

5

When you are working on your own, it is often difficult to pace yourself – either rushing on too quickly or falling behind. This table indicates what you should cover in the first five weeks of your course. Try to stick to this pattern as carefully as you can.

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Higher Psychology Support Pack © Joe Walker 2011

Unit 1 (SQA Unit 3)The Individual in the Social Context

Conformity

This section of the unit explores why people conform in life. Why do people follow the rules? Why do people obey orders? What is good and bad about this? What benefits and dangers can doing so bring society and individuals?

Introductory ideas1. List as many situations as you can where you do what you are told or conform – for example stop at traffic lights.

2. Now, for each one, explain why you do this. Try to identify as many reasons as possible why you conform to certain behaviours

3. From your study of Intermediate 2, write as much as you can remember about Social Learning Theory. What does this theory say about our behaviour? What does it tell us about the influences in our everyday lives?

4. List what you think are the possible benefits and drawbacks of conforming (or doing what you are told) Come up with as many as you can

ScholarWork through section 3.1

Textbook work5. Now read the first two paragraphs of H Psych page 190 and write a definition, in your own words of

Conformity Social influence Minority influence

6. Before you look at the Asch study, think about how you might study why people conform using an experimental set-up. Write down a rough plan for what you might do and think about any ethical issues you might face in doing your research.

7. Now read through the study by Asch (1955) pages 190-191. Re-write this information in your own words as far as possible using the format: Aims Method and procedure Results Conclusions Ethical issues Evaluation of the research

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Higher Psychology Support Pack © Joe Walker 2011

Further Study8. Visit: http://www.gerardkeegan.co.uk/resource/seminalstudies.htm and http://helpingpsychology.com/conformity-the-solomon-asch-experiments and make your own further notes about conformity and the Asch study from the materials on this site.9. Success Guides book page 62

ScholarWork through section 3.2

Textbook work10. Read H Psychology book page 191 and make your own notes about the research carried out by:

Jenness (1932) Sherif (1935) Schachter (1951) Burger & Cooper (1979) Eagly & Carli (1981)

For each piece of research, explain what it adds to our understanding of conformity

Further Study11. Visit the following sites which will give you further information about each of these pieces of research:

Jenness (1932) http://goatrobotics.wordpress.com/2009/03/04/an-investigation-into-the-effects-of-conformity-in-a-socially-influenced-task/

Sherif (1935) http://www.psywww.com/intropsych/ch15_social/sherif_1936_group_norms_and_conformity.html

Schachter (1951) http://www.psychexchange.co.uk/videos/view/20087/ Burger & Cooper (1979)

http://www.bgs.bucks.sch.uk/school_info/departments/Psychology/psya2_conformity1.ppt#257,3,CONFORMITY

Eagly & Carli (1981) http://psychology4a.com/Social%20influence.htm ScholarWork through section 3.3

Textbook work12. Now summarise what you have learned about conformity and write your own notes using the four headings in bold on page 191 of the Higher book.

13. Explain, in your own words what is meant by normative and informational social influence using the information on page 192 – give an example from your own experience of each.

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Higher Psychology Support Pack © Joe Walker 2011

14. Now, using the same page, write your own notes on compliance, identification and internalisation.

15. Use the information on pages 192-193 to explain the difference between individual and situational factors in conformity

Further Study16. Visit the following site http://www.psychologistworld.com/influence_personality/authoritarian_personality.php and describe the theory of Adorno et al (1950) and authoritarian personality. You can also try out a version of the F-Scale test at http://www.anesi.com/fscale.htm

17. Success Guides Book p[age 63

Textbook work18. Majority influence refers to where people conform because “everybody else does it”. Page 193 Explain some of the factors involved in this. Make your own notes about:

Cultural factors Group cohesiveness Importance of task Size of the majority

19. Once you have done this, think through why some people do not follow the majority into conformity. What reasons might there be for this?

20. Now read through the study by Zimbardo et al (1973) pages 193-194. Re-write this information in your own words as far as possible using the format: Aims Method and procedure Results Conclusions Ethical issues Evaluation of the research

Further Study21. You can watch a video about Zimbardo at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmwSC5fS40w and there is a website about the research at http://www.prisonexp.org/ . A good website for all things psychological is http://www.holah.karoo.net/zimbardostudy.htm (this is specifically on Zimbardo’s study) Note down any additional information which adds to your understanding of the topic.

22. Success Guides book p 64-65ScholarWork through sections 3.4 and 3.12

Summary Assessment Tasks

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Higher Psychology Support Pack © Joe Walker 2011

23. Answer the following assessment questions and hand them in to Mr W for marking:

a. What do psychologists mean by conformity? KU8b. Explain the difference between normative and informational social influence

KU8c. Identify two individual and two situational factors in conformity KU8d. Describe and evaluate the research carried out by Asch (1955) KU8 AE4e. Describe and evaluate the research carried out by Zimbardo et al (1973) KU8

AE4f. With reference to research, discuss the factors involved in conformity KU12

AE8

Introductory ideas24. Minority influence is all about the way in which we sometimes conform, not to the majority, but to a much smaller minority. List as many famous people as you can who “changed the world” What did they do? Why did people follow him/her? Where did their “power to influence people” come from? Textbook work25. Read pages 198-199 and make your own notes on the differences between majority and minority influence: head your notes up as The effects of numbers Innovation (change) vs status quo (things staying the same) Imitation (copying) vs originality (new ideas) Compliance vs conversion

ScholarWork through section 3.5

Further Study26. Find out more about the dual-process model in psychology at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dual_process_theory and make your own notes about what you find.

Textbook work27. Make your own notes about the research carried out by Moscovici et al (1969) as explained on page 196 which shows how behavioural style affects conformity.

28. Now do the same for the research carried out by Nemeth et al (1974) and Nemeth and Brilmayer (1987) showing how non-situational factors contribute to conformity

29. Even something like seating position – which is a situational factor can affect conformity as Moscovici and Nemeth (1974) found. Make your own notes on what they did and what they found.

30. Sometimes minority and majority influence can work together – as can happen in a court jury. Make your own notes about what Clark (1994) found.

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Higher Psychology Support Pack © Joe Walker 2011

Further Study31. Visit the following sites to help you further your understanding of the topics Moscovici et al (1969)

http://www.psychlotron.org.uk/resources/social/AS_AQA_socinf_moscovicistudy.pdf

Nemeth et al (1974) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minority_influence Nemeth & Brilmayer (1987)

http://socialscience.stow.ac.uk/psychology/psych_higher_new/social_context/conformity_files/frame.htm#slide0016.htm

Moscovici and Nemeth (1974) http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=1giK8vyEz_cC&pg=PA171&lpg=PA171&dq=Moscovici+and+Nemeth+(1974)&source=bl&ots=92dQBQPfYF&sig=zUZ8j1u8yk4FsA7teq7szn-LKHI&hl=en#v=onepage&q=Moscovici%20and%20Nemeth%20(1974)&f=false

Clark (1994) and others http://www.brain-freeze.co.uk/files/Social%20Influence.pdf

The movie Twelve angry men clip http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTDhgR3p12w

Textbook work32. Use the information on page 197 to explain what is meant by conflict rethinking and social cryptoamnaesia

Further Study33. Visit http://www.enotes.com/topic/Minority_influence and http://www.slideshare.net/psychexchange.co.uk/psychexchangecouk-shared-resource-7092388 for further information about conformity generally and cryptoamnaesia in particular

ScholarWork through section 3.6 and then produce your own mindmap or revision summary table

Summary Assessment Tasks34. Answer the following assessment questions and hand them in to Mr W for marking:

a. With reference to research, explain what is meant by minority influence KU6 AE4

b. Describe and evaluate one piece of research which explains the effect of minority influence on conformity KU6 AE4

c. With reference to relevant research, discuss factors affecting conformity KU12 AE8

Unit 1 (SQA Unit 3)The Individual in the Social Context

Obedience

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Higher Psychology Support Pack © Joe Walker 2011

This section of the unit explores why people obey. Why do people follow orders? Do they use this to avoid taking responsibility for their own actions? Is obedience something which is necessary and what happens when it goes too far? Do you always obey – or only obey some people or only in some situations?

Introductory ideas35. When is it right to obey instructions? What would happen in society if people stopped obeying the law? Should we obey all laws? When should we not obey? What happens when someone is too ready to obey? Why do we obey anything anyway?! What kinds of people are we more/less likely to obey? In what kinds of situations are we more/less likely to obey?

Textbook work36. Read page 197 and make your own notes on what is meant by obedience

37. Read pages 198-199 and make your own summary of the research carried out by Milgram (1963) using the standard format.

Further Study38. Visit http://www.holah.karoo.net/milgramstudy.htm and http://www.experiment-resources.com/stanley-milgram-experiment.html and make your own notes on more of the detail in Milgram’s study39. Visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BcvSNg0HZwk and watch a modern-day re-enactment of the Milgram Study. Why is it surprising that this study was allowed to go ahead?40. Visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2TAqBbFJtfE where you can find original footage of Milgram’s study. In what ways was this similar to/different from the modern re-enactment above?41. You should now make yourself some revision pointers about Milgram’s study. Note! The ethics of this study can be asked about not only in this Unit, but also in the Investigating Behaviour Unit too!

42. Success Guides Book page 66.

ScholarWork through sections 3.7 – 3.10 , carrying out the activities as you proceed.

Textbook Work43. Read pages 200-201 and answer the following fully:a. How was Milgram’s lab experiment changed by others and what did they find this did to the outcome of the experiment?b. What did Bickman (1974) do and what did he find?c. What did Hofling et al (1966) do and what did they find?d. How does the study carried out by Rank and Jacobsen (1977) challenge Hofling’s findings?e. What does the research by Mandel (1998) add to our understanding of obedience?

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Higher Psychology Support Pack © Joe Walker 2011

Further Study44. Visit the following websites and add to your notes about the research into obedience:a. Hofling http://www.virtualpsychology.co.uk/word/social%20Study%206.doc http://www.psychexchange.co.uk/_hotpotatoes/7558712041232210679.htm http://www.smartpsych.co.uk/evaluation-of-the-hofling-et-al-1966-study http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hofling_hospital_experiment b. Bickman http://scienceaid.co.uk/psychology/social/obedience.html http://psychology4a.com/Social%20influence.htm c. Rank and Jacobsen http://www.psypress.com/common/sample-chapters/9781848720183.pdf d. Mandel https://www.school-portal.co.uk/GroupDownloadFile.asp?GroupId=79990&ResourceId=368264#272,17,Other research

45. NOTE: The Zimbardo prison study can also be used to illustrate aspects of obedience. Now go back over all of your work on Zimbardo and explain the ways in which this demonstrates why people obey.

ScholarWork through section 3.11

Summary Assessment Tasks46. Answer the following assessment questions and hand them in to Mr W for marking:

a. Describe and evaluate the research carried out by Milgram (1963) KU12 AE8b. Explain what psychologists mean by obedience KU6c. Describe and evaluate the research carried out by Hofling et al (1966)d. Describe two modern ethical safeguards which were not adhered to in Milgram’s research KU4 AE4e. What does psychology research tell us about why people obey? KU6 AE4

Textbook Work47. Read pages 201 – 202. Explain how the following situational factors affect levels of obedience:a. proximity of victimb. Proximity of authorityc. Presence of allies

48. Explain what Goldhagen (1996) argued about the role of situational factors in the obedience of Nazi soldiers.

Further Study49. Visit the following websites and add to your understanding of the factors involved in obedience:a. Proximity of victim http://psychology4a.com/social%207.htm

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Higher Psychology Support Pack © Joe Walker 2011

b. Proximity of authority figure http://www.psych.yorku.ca/davidw/courses/4050E/documents/obedience_presentation.ppt#297,22,Milgram After 35 years c. Presence of allies http://suzpsych.files.wordpress.com/2011/02/social-influence-booklet-2-09-complete-tjc1.doc d. Gamson et al http://www.ngfl-cymru.org.uk/vtc/2009-10/psychology/ageorge/milgram-summary.doc http://www.psychlotron.org.uk/newResources/social/AS_AQB_social_studiesDiscussingSpectacles.pdf

Textbook Work50. Read page 202. Explain how the following individual factors affect levels of obedience:a. Experienceb. gender

51. Read pages 202-203. Explain how the following Psychological processes affect levels of obedience:a. Socialisationb. Gradual Commitmentc. Agentic behaviourd. Autonomous behavioure. The role of buffers

Further Study52. Visit the following websites:a. Socialisation http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socialization b. Gradual Commitment (foot in the door technique) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foot-in-the-door_technique c. Agentic behaviour http://www.psychlotron.org.uk/resources/social/AS_AQB_social_obedienceSituationDisposition.ppt d. Autonomous behaviour http://psychology4a.com/Social%20influence.htme. The role of buffers http://beauchpsych.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/evaluation-of-obedience-explanations.doc

53. Success Guides Book pages 68-69

Summary Assessment Tasks54. Answer the following assessment questions and hand them in to Mr W for marking:a. Describe and evaluate three factors which affect levels of obedience. You must refer to research evidence in your answer. KU12 AE8b. Discuss two individual factors which affect levels of obedience KU4 AE4

Resisting Social Pressure

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Higher Psychology Support Pack © Joe Walker 2011

This section of the unit explores how many people are able to resist strong social pressures to conform or obey. How can some people do this and others can’t? How is it that some people seem to obey everything while others are able to stand up for themselves? Is it to do with different personality types? Is it to do with the different situations people find themselves in? Can you learn to resist - through social learning processes for example? You have seen the harm which can be caused by conforming or obeying too easily – can people learn to resist it and so avoid the problems it can cause?

Textbook Work55. There are two ways in which people resist social pressure - intrapersonal processes – which are about what goes on “inside your own mind” and interpersonal – which is about what goes on between you and others. Read pages 203-205 which is all about the intrapersonal processes and make your own notes on:a. Taking responsibility for one’s own actions: Moral Controlb. Taking responsibility for one’s own actions: Agentic shift/displacement of personal responsibilityc. Taking responsibility for one’s own actions: Increasing personal responsibilityd. Moral reasoning and awareness of own values: Kohlberg’s theory of moral reasoninge. Moral reasoning and awareness of own values: resisting obedience in real-life conflictsf. Moral reasoning and awareness of own values: Humanisation and dehumanisation

Further Study56. Visit the following websites and add to your notes.a. Moral control http://www.perthhigh.co.uk/uploads/Conformity%20Power-point.ppt#264,11,Conformity/Compliance b. Agentic shift http://getrevising.co.uk/resources/subjects/psychology/topics/obediance,milgram,legitimate+authority,agentic+shift,gradual+commitment,dehumanisation,social+psychologyc. Increasing personal responsibility http://logicallearning.net/obedience.html d. Kohlberg’s Moral reasoning http://www.simplypsychology.org/kohlberg.htmle. Awareness of own values http://www.newscientist.com/blog/shortsharpscience/2007/07/how-adolescents-resist-peer-pressure.htmlf. Humanisation/dehumanisation http://alevelpsychology.co.uk/a2-psychology-aqa-a/unit-3/social-psychology/aggression/social/psychological-factors/social-psychological-explanations-of-institutional-aggression.html

57. Success Guides Book p70-71

Scholar

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Higher Psychology Support Pack © Joe Walker 2011

Work through section 3.14 - 3.17

Textbook Work57. Read pages 205 – 207 which are all about the interpersonal processes. Make your own notes as you go along on Modelling disobedience.

58. Explain how Milgram’s experiment showed how obedience levels change when disobedient role models are present.

59. What does the case study of Reserve Police Battalion 101 tell us about obedience which contrasts with Milgram’s findings?

60. Explain the difference between disobedience and dissent and show how Zimbardo’s Prison study shows this difference.

61. Make your own summary of the research carried out by Gamson et al (1982)

Further Study62. Visit the following websites and add to your understanding of the role of disobedient role models.Disobedient role models http://revision-notes.co.uk/Detailed/1891.html Battalion 101 http://psychology4a.com/social%207.htm Gamson et al http://www.psychlotron.org.uk/newResources/social/AS_AQB_social_studiesDiscussingSpectacles.pdf

ScholarWork through section 3.18

Textbook Work63. Read pages 208-209 which are all about the principle of Questioning Motives. This is where you resists the pressure to conform by challenging the claims that others make (and so their persuading you to accept these claims). Before you begin, you might like to think about how much you are influenced by what you see on TV. Are you “taken in” by claims of advertisers and the like? How well can you resist the pressure to buy?Your notes should be based around the following ideas:

Advertisinga. the importance of developing media literacyb. research on developing alcohol-specific media literacy

Politiciansc. How trustworthy do politicians appear to be to the general public? How do they persuade people to believe in them? In what ways can you question their claims?

Cults and Mind Controld. “Black and white simplistic reasoning”e. dramatic shifts of values or beliefs

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Higher Psychology Support Pack © Joe Walker 2011

f. Disruption of family ties

The role of educationg. the research carried out by Graham (1991)

Further Study64. Visit the following websites and add to your understanding:Questioning motives: http://www.brain-freeze.co.uk/files/Social%20Influence.pdf Advertising http://www.psypress.co.uk/smithandmackie/resources/topic.asp?topic=ch07-tp-03Politicians http://www.ukpublicmonitor.org/assets/files/UKPOM%20results%203.pdfCults and mind control http://www.cultinformation.org.uk/pdf/article_1.pdfRole of education http://www.ias.org.uk/btg/conf0604/papers/babor.pdf

65. Success Guides Book page 70

ScholarWork through section 3.19

Summary Assessment Tasks66. Answer the following assessment questions and hand them in to Mr W for marking:

a. Describe and evaluate two techniques which psychologists think might help you to resist social pressure. You should refer to research evidence in your answer. KU12 AE8b. Discuss one intrapersonal and one interpersonal technique for resisting social pressure KU12 AE8c. Describe and evaluate the research carried out by Gamson et al (1992) KU 6 AE6d. How might a person resist the pressure exerted by the media OR a cult group according to psychology research? KU12 AE8

End of Unit TasksYou have now completed this half of the Unit “The Individual in the Social Context” and are now about to do your NAB. Make sure that you have got from Mr W the sample exam questions and answers for this part of the course. You should also make sure that you visit the SQA website and look at the Psychology Higher Past Papers and marking schemes available there so that you know the standard for answering exam questions.

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