Feedback from conformity Essay common errors Too much information on procedures, although you must give enough so that the findings make sense Some students did not describe the explanations, or gave very brief details, which meant they would not gain any AO1 credit Exact findings are not being stated. All students need to practise giving clear and precise findings Lots of students are not using the correct psychological terminology when outlining the explanations Wider evaluations should relate to the explanations, not the studies – be clear about what question you are answering Factors that affect conformity are not relevant in this essay – make sure you are answering the question! Be careful when giving applications that what you are saying is correct.

Feedback from conformity Essay common errors You do not need to give definition of conformity at the beginning If giving an example, keep it short When discussing wider evaluation, e.g. individual differences, don’t forget to say why this is a problem for the explanation “so what?” Don’t use the ‘I’ word. No one cares what you think. All point should be based on a consideration of the research evidence

Exam feedback Paragraph 1 and 2 A study that supports normative influence on conformity is ………….. What research could you describe that supports normative influence on conformity? You must explain why it supports. Use the technique below: The ‘Burger Technique’ A study that supports normative influence is…. Describe procedure and findings of a relevant study. This supports normative influence on conformity because….

Exam feedback Paragraph 3 Do these explanations offer any practical applications? How are they useful to us? Paragraph 4 Could individual differences be a problem for both explanations? Why? Paragraph 5 Is it always possible to be sure when NSI or ISI are influencing our behaviour? Could both processes be operating at the same time?

Example of how to report the findings of a study when evaluating a theory A study that supports the normative explanation of conformity was carried out by Asch. He found that when confederates unanimously gave the same wrong answer to an easy line matching task, participants conformed to the obviously wrong answer in 32% of the critical trials. 74% of participants conformed at least once in their 12 critical trials. This supports the view that people conform to be liked, because in the control condition, where there were no confederates, there was a very low error rate, suggesting that the task was easy, and therefore that the participants conformed to fit in, as the normative explanation would predict. This view was further supported by the participants’ responses in the post-experimental interviews, where some reported that they conformed because they did not want to appear different, or be made to look a fool Burger analogy

Get yourself a highlighter/coloured pen. Activity 1 Get yourself a highlighter/coloured pen. Annotate your essay: Underline the key words in the question. Check: has every paragraph you make got the key words in (does each paragraph relate to the question). If it does put a star by the paragraph. Have you got 5/6 separate paragraphs. If you haven’t what else could you include. Identify your ‘PEE’ in each paragraph you make.

DIRT TIME Now its your turn. Choose one of the following activities based on your essay 1.) Create a P E E paragraph for the informational explanation of conformity (without too much description) 2) Include an additional evaluation point 3) 13 or above: answer the following exam question: Discuss one or more explanations why people resist the pressure to conform (8 marks)

Social change

Aim of the lesson To be able to- Recall the 6 stages of social change through minority influence Relate the process of social change to conformity and obedience research Apply the process of social change to real life examples from history

What makes a successful minority? Re-Cap What is Minority Influence again? What makes a successful minority?

Features of a successful minority… Consistency (makes others rethink their own views – minority view gains more interest) Commitment (sacrifices – helps gain attention) Flexibility (balance consistency and flexibility so not to appear rigid – accept reasonable counter-arguments) Process of Change – Snow ball effect: faster the rate of conversion once the majority change over to the minority The process leads to INTERNALISATION

Social Change? Have these acts of social change come about because of majority influence, minority influence or obedience?

Social Change usually comes from Minority Influence! Why? Fill out the steps of minority influence bringing about social change. While you do this use an example to illustrate – in this case the Civil Rights Movement.

How Minority Influence leads to Social Change… Drawing Attention providing social proof of the problem How Minority Influence leads to Social Change… Consistency …of message and intent Now try to apply this to the suffragettes by filling out the table on your hand out Deeper Processing think instead of accepting status quo Augmentation principle no. of incidents to demonstrate point Snowball Effect change from minority to majority Social Cryptomnesia (individuals have memory that change has occurred but don’t remember how it happened

AO1 1. Drawing Attention… The minority must draw attention to the issue through social proof! If we are exposed to the views of a minority then this draws our attention to the issue. If the minority’s view is different to our own, this causes a conflict which we want to reduce. For example – a vegan uploading a video to Facebook about a meat processing factory!

AO1 2. Consistency… The minority must express their views consistently! Minorities are more influential when fighting for social change, if they are consistent. They express their arguments consistently over time and with each other. This means they are taken more seriously as they are seen to truly believe in the cause. For example – the vegan repeatedly sharing anti-meat literature on social media and reaching out to other vegan activists!

AO1 3. Deeper Processing… The minority must inspire people to seriously consider their views! As a result of the conflict they feel, people who may have previously accepted the status quo, begin to examine the minority’s argument more deeply. For example – the vegan’s friends on Facebook start reading about animal slaughter and feel uneasy about their love of bacon!

AO1 4. The Augmentation Principle… The minority must appear willing to suffer for their cause! If there are risks involved for the minority in putting forward their argument, they are taken more seriously. The minority often risks abuse and media attention but in some more extreme cases imprisonment or death! For example – the vegan staged a protest in Trafalgar Square and pours fake blood into the fountain! Will they be arrested?

AO1 5. The Snowball Effect… The minority must spread their message widely, to as many people as they can! The minority has a relatively small impact to begin with but this then spreads as more and more people consider their position until it reaches a ‘tipping point’ which leads to wide-scale change. For example – the vegan gives talks at a number of schools until one day they agree to stop serving meat.

AO1 6. Social Cryptomnesia… Acceptance of values promoted by the minority accompanied by an apparent forgetting of the crucial role played by the minority group. The minority’s view is ‘the norm’ and the majority cannot remember a time before the change! People have the knowledge that a change in attitude has taken place but cannot recall how it happened. For example – the vegan is speaking to a teacher at the school who says “it’s been so long since I’ve eaten meat, feels like it’s always been this way” test each other on the 6 processing

Summary Fill out the gaps in the summary of how minority influence leads to social change

But what about obedience and conformity? How do they lead to social change? Think about what we studied last lesson on resistance to social influence… Also think about Asch and Milgram… Now research and fill out the lessons learned from obedience and conformity section of your booklet!

What does conformity research teach us about social change? As we have already learned… Asch found that conformity rates were lower when a dissenting confederate was present amongst his participants. This dissent has the power to create social change... For example - Environmental and health campaigns often use conformity processes by appealing to normative social influence and by providing information on what other people are doing. Such as, advertising recycling by showing others doing it correctly. Or advertising a “walk to work” day by saying “everyone is doing it!” to promote physical activity. This technique is known as a social norm intervention.

What does obedience research teach us about social change? Zimbardo suggested that obedience can be used to create social change through a process of ‘gradual commitment’. Once a small instruction has been obeyed, it is harder to refuse a bigger instruction. As such, people ‘drift’ into new attitudes and behaviours. Why might this be dangerous? In Milgram’s research, participants were first instructed to shock the ‘learner’ at 15v and this then gradually increased to an extremely dangerous level… people blindly obey! So…for positive social change, we need disobedient, positive role models to enable us to think independently and resist the gradual commitment to obey.

Evaluate Consider the research evidence. Decide: Which are supporting and which are contradicting social influence causing social change. Explain why it is a strength or weakness.

Apply It… Everyone agrees that Britain in is an obesity crisis – 65% en and 58% women are now overweight or obese. Heart disease certain cancers and especially type 2 diabetes are all on the increase, costing the NHS billions of pounds every year Experts agree that any improvement in the situation is going to require significant changes in attitudes and behaviours across the whole of society. You have been asked to advise a government department worried about the developing obesity crisis. Using your knowledge of both Conformity and Obedience and processes that can influence social change, explain what advice you would give the government. Make sure you refer to social influence research in your advice.

Exam corner

Highlight any areas you are unsure of… And that’s all folks… Social influence is finished  Read your social influence checklist and tick areas you feel you are ok with…. Highlight any areas you are unsure of…