SCLOA Learning Outcomes

General Learning Outcomes

Outline principles that define the SCLOA (8)Principles are the building blocks of that way of explaining human behaviour

1) Human being are social animals and we have a basic need to belong2) Social and cultural environment influences behaviour3) Because humans are social animals, we have a social self4) People’s views of the world are resistant to change

Explain how principles that define the SCLOA may be demonstrated in research (8)

- (1) Conformity Paradigm, Asch (1951)o People conform due to the fact that humans are social animals and

have a basic need to belong- (2) Bobo Doll [SLT], Bandura (1961)

o The environment in which the child is in can affect his behaviour- (3) Intergroup Discrimination [SIT], Tajfel (1979)

o Social Identity Theory suggests that humans have a social self- (4) Audience and game show experiment [FAE], Ross et al. (1977)

o The audiences opinion on the game show host is resistant to change- Stereotypes

o The participants opinions on people are resistant to change

Discuss how and why particular research methods are used at the SCLOA (22)Different methods have different data, quantitative and qualitative

Research methods include:- Experiments- Observations- Interviews- Case Studies

Experiments (Strengths)- Can be repeated, results tend to be more reliable- Controlled environment, removes confounding variable- Isolation of IV and DV give a clear cause and effect relationship- Can always be generalised to a certain extent- Data easily measured

Experiments (Weaknesses)- Lab environment, low in ecological validity- May break ethical guidelines- Lower generalising potential

- [Natural experiment] No control over variables, unpredictable- Possibility of demand characteristics

o Case study would be a better option

Observations (Strengths)- High in ecological validity- Higher generalising potential- Qualitative data- Natural environment

Observations (Weaknesses)- Cannot be repeated, but large sample size compensates for the reliability- Data is not standardised, makes it difficult to measure- Confounding variable might affect the results of observations- Time consuming

Essay Plan:Introduction – introduction to different research methods

- SCLAO looks at social behaviours in humans- Experiments

o Naturalo Fieldo Lab

- Observationso Coverto Overt

- Interviewso Unstructuredo Semi-structuredo Structured

Paragraph 1 – Experiments- Types of experiments

o Naturalo Fieldo Laboratory

- Natural experiment- Field experiment- Laboratory experiment- Strengths

o Can be repeated, results tend to be more reliableo Controlled environment, removes confounding variableo Isolation of IV and DV give a clear cause and effect relationshipo Can always be generalised to a certain extento Data easily measured

- Weaknesseso Lab environment, low in ecological validity

o May break ethical guidelineso Lower generalising potentialo [Natural experiment] No control over variables, unpredictableo Possibility of demand characteristics

Case study would be a better option

Paragraph 2 – Observation- Types of observations

o Coverto Overt

- Covert observationo Participants are not aware that they are being observedo Prepared to collect irrelevant data

Provides in-depth knowledgeo Focus on social process and interactionso Primarily descriptiveo Hard to record data efficiently (while undercover)

- Overt observationo Participants are aware that they are being observed

Hawthorne Effecto Data may not be accurateo

- Strengthso High in ecological validityo Higher generalising potentialo Qualitative datao Natural environment

- Weaknesseso Cannot be repeated, but large sample size compensates for the

reliabilityo Data is not standardised, makes it difficult to measureo Confounding variable might affect the results of observations

-

Paragraph 3 – Interviews- Types of interviews

o Unstructuredo Semi-structuredo Structured

- Unstructured interviewo Able to gather more information

Information may be irrelevant to the studyo Flexible, responsive and sensitive to participantso Relaxed and natural for those taking parto Highly detailed and ecologically valid qualitative datao Difficult to replicate

o Inability to generalise the results to a wider populationo Possible interviewer bias in 'selective' use of leading and spontaneous

questions- Semi-structured interview

o Standardisation of most questions can give quantifiable datao Replication of interview is easyo Data is therefore reasonably reliableo Ability to ask some spontaneous questions is sensitive to participants

need to express themselveso Use of an occasional spontaneous question make these answers

difficult to quantify and analyseo Spontaneous questions asked out of some but not others may be seen

as bias/unfair Especially in personnel selection

- Structured interviewo Standardisation of all questions can give quantifiable datao Replication of the interview is easyo Data is more reliable as the issue is being investigated in a consistent

wayo Allows generalisation of results/conclusions to the population from

which the sample was drawno Restrictive questions can lead to restrictive answerso Incentive to participants' need to express themselveso Validity of questions asked

Are they the right questions to ask?- Strengths- Weaknesses

Conclusion – Triangulation of methods- Triangulation of methods should be used

o Define triangulation- Allow the most reliable and valid conclusions

Discuss ethical considerations related to research studies at the SCLOA (22)Overt Observation

- The participants of the group know that they are being observed by an experimenter

- Usually the experimenter has to gain the trust of the group they are observing

o They would speak more freely

Example 1: O’Reilly (2000)O'Reilly found that British ex-pats were not unhappy with their life in Spain, contrary to the common belief at the time. In order to obtain her results she spent a significant amount of time with the subjects.

Covert Observation- The researcher does not inform the participants that they are being observed

o These are usually used with groups that would be hostile with an outside intrusion (for example, drug users or street gangs)

- The researchers must attempt to remember details from memoryo This could be distorted or bias

This breaks the ethical guidelines:- Deception- Right to withdraw from the study- Protected from physical or mental harm

Essay Plan:Introduction – Importance of ethical considerations

- What are the ethical considerationso Ethical guidelines

-

Paragraph 1 – Ethics in observations- O’Reilly (2000)

oo Is it ethical to observe participants without their informed consent or

debriefing?

Paragraph 2 – Ethical guidelines being broken- Zimbardo- Milgram

Sociocultural Cognition Learning Outcomes

Describe the role of situational and dispositional factors in explaining behaviour (8)

Dispositional FactorWhen attributing the cause of people’s behaviour to their internal characteristics

- Referring to someone’s beliefs, attitudes and personality

Example 1: Dispositional CauseIf a guy is late to meet a girl on a date, she will say, “he is late because he is forgetful and doesn’t care about her”

Situational FactorWhen attributing the cause of people’s behaviour to external factors

- Referring to environmental factors such as traffic etc.

Example 2: Situational CauseIf a guy is late to meet a girl on a date, she will say, “he is late because he was stuck in traffic on the way”

Example 3: Game Show Study, Ross et al. (1977)AimTo see if the participants would make a fundamental attribution error, even thought they knew that all the actors were simply playing a roleProcedure

- Participants were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 roleso Game show hosto Contestantso Members of the audience

- The game show hosts were told to design their own questions- The audience watched the show as the host asked the contestants questions- At the end of the show, the audience was asked to rank intelligence of the

people taken partFindings

- The participants consistently ranked the game show host to be the most intelligent

o Failed to failed to attribute the role of the person’s situationo Attributed the person’s performance to dispositional factors

Evaluation- Unable to generalise

o Only university students were used as participantso Not representative of the general population

- Low ecological validity- Low cross-cultural validity

o All participants were American- No triangulation of results- Ethical considerations

Discuss two errors in attribution (22)Attribution errors are factors that affect the interpretation of observations

- People do not passively observe their own and other’s actions

Actor-observer effectWhen people attribute behaviour whether they perform it themselves or observe others doing it.

The types of errors:- Fundamental Attribution Error- Self-serving Bias- Modesty Bias- Illusory Correlation- Self-fulfilling prophecy

Fundamental Attribution ErrorWhen the role of the disposition is overestimated and the affect of the situation is underestimated.

Self-serving Bias [SSB]The tendency to attribute success to internal factors and failure to external factors.

Modesty Bias [MB]The tendency to attribute success to external factors and failure to internal factors.

Illusory CorrelationCorrelating data that has a seemingly convincing connection, but in reality have no link between them – not connected at all.

Self-fulfilling ProphecyBelieving and acting like what you have been told.

Essay Plan:Introduction - what is attribution?

- How people interpret and explain relationships in the world- The process of deciding what caused the behaviour

o Dispositional causeo Situational cause

Paragraph 1 – fundamental attribution error- Game Show Host, Ross et al. (1977)- The participants consistently ranked the game show host to be the most

intelligento Failed to failed to attribute the role of the person’s situationo Attributed the person’s performance to dispositional factorso Unable to generalise

Only university students were used as participants Not representative of the general population

o Low ecological validityo Low cross-cultural validity

All participants were Americano No triangulation of resultso Ethical considerations

Lack informed consent Deception was used Possible feelings of embarrassment Psychological distress Experiment was debriefed

o Students may have learned that the authoritative figure is the more knowledgeable person

Listening to their professors educate them- Fidel Castro Study, Jones & Harris (1967)

o Participants naturally rated the people who spoke in favour of Castro as having a more positive attitude towards Castro

o Even when they were told the writer’s position was determined by a coin toss, they still gave the same rating

o Able to demonstrate FAEo Unable to generalise

Only university students were used as participantso Low cross-cultural validityo Low ecological validity

Not a usual task

Paragraph 2 – self-serving bias/modesty bias- [SSB] The tendency to attribute success to internal factors and failure to

external factors- [MB] The tendency to attribute success to external factors and failure to

internal factors- American Football Study, Lau & Russell (1980)

o American football coaches and players credit their wins to dispositional and stable factors

Being in good shape and putting in hard worko They attribute their failures to situational and unstable factors

Injuries and weathero Reliability of the reported data might be an issue

- Attribution in Teachers, Johnson et al. (1964)o Participants attributed pupil B’s improved performance to their

abilities as a teachero Participants attributed pupil B’s failure to the pupil’s lack of abilityo Low ecological validity

Lab experiment Artificial environment

o Unable to generalise to a larger population Participants are psychology students They are not representative of the whole population

o

Conclusion – Why is the understanding of attribution important?- Studies provide greater understanding on attribution

o Knowledge of attribution allows us to identify certain errors- Greater understanding on human behaviours

Evaluate social identity theory, making reference to relevant studies (22)The assumption that individuals try to improve their self-image by enhancing their self-esteem, through their personal identity or their social identities.

- Can boost self-esteem through personal achievements or being part of a successful group

Social Identity Theory, Tajfel (1979)1) Social Categorization2) Social Identity3) Social Comparison4) Positive Distinctiveness

Social CategorisationDividing the social environment into “in-groups” and “out-groups”

- In-group, individuals that belong (us)- Out-group, individuals that do not belong (them)

Increases perceived variability between the “in-groups” and the “out-groups”- We are different from them

Example 1: Intergroup Discrimination, Tajfel (1979)AimTo test Social Identity TheoryProcedure

- 48 boys were assigned at random to 2 groups based on their preference between Klee or Kandinsky’s art work

- Asked to rate in-group and out-group based on traits e.g. like-abilityFindingsTajfel found that the out-group was rated less likeable, but never actually dislikedConclusion

- Preference of the in-group over out-groupo Not clear that they make social comparisons to enhance either self-

esteemEvaluation Points

- High levels of control in this study- There were no confounding variables- Low ecological validity- Deception was used when categorizing the participants in order to create the

in and out-groups- Because they were divided into groups, participants may feel the need to

discriminate

Example 2: Stanford Prison Experiment, Zimbardo (1973)AimTo see if participants will conform to their social roles under the influence of an authoritative figureProcedure(Check SCLOA key studies)Findings(Check SCLOA key studies)Evaluation Points(Check SCLOA key studies)

Social IdentityPart of our identity is based on the knowledge of our membership to the group

- What makes you belong

Example 1: Fiske (2008)A pair of individuals can compete either as individuals or as members of rival teams

People can have several social and personal identities, reflecting the groups they identify with and the close relationships and personal characteristics that define them as individuals.

Social ComparisonWe continuously compare our “in-groups” with the “out-groups”

- Linked with positive distinctiveness

Positive DistinctivenessThe motivation to show the superiority of one’s “in-group” compared to an “out-group” on valued dimensions

- By establishing superiority in our “in-groups” our social identities (self-esteem) increase

Example 1: Football Game Observation, Cialdini et al. (1976)AimDemonstrate social comparison with college football supportersProcedure

- Observed what college students wear to school the next day after their football game

FindingsStudents wore apparel with the representative colour of their school the day after the football game if the school wonConclusion

- Result of positive self-concept results in a bias intergroup comparison- Having a positive representation of your social group

o Positive distinctiveness

Essay Plan:Introduction – introduction to SIT

- Assumes that people try to improve their self-image by trying to enhance their self-esteem through their personal identity or various social identities

- Social categorization- Social identity- Social comparison- Positive distinctiveness

Paragraph 1 – social categorization- Dividing the social environment into “in-groups” and “out-groups”

o In-group, individuals that belong (us)o Out-group, individuals that do not belong (them)

- Increase variability between “in-groups” and “out-groups”o We are different from them

- Intergroup Discrimination, Tajfel- Stanford Prison, Zimbardo

Paragraph 2 – social identity- Part of our identity is based on the knowledge of our membership to the

groupo What makes you belongo Humans are social beings, therefore we have a social identity

Paragraph 3 – social comparison & positive distinctiveness- We continuously compare our “in-groups” with the “out-groups”

o Linked with positive distinctiveness- The motivation to show the superiority of one’s “in-group” compared to an

“out-group” on valued dimensionso By establishing superiority in our “in-groups” our social identities (self-

esteem) increase- Football Game Observations, Cialdini

Conclusion – evaluating limitations of SIT- Does not accurately predict human behaviour- Sometimes personal identity is stronger than group identity- Cultural expectations, rewards (as motivators), societal constraints (poverty)

may affect behaviour rather than group identity- Assumes people strive to improve their self image by enhancing their self

esteem

Explain the formation of stereotypes and their effect on behaviour (22)

Example 1: Stereotypes, Aronson et al. (2007)Generalising a group of people

- Similar characteristics are assigned to all members of the group, despite the fact that they may vary from one another

Example 2: Gatekeepers, Campbell (1967)The media are the gatekeepers

- Having a black actor acting as a gangster in a movieo Making it believableo Reinforcing the stereotype

Formation of stereotypes:- Grain of Truth Hypothesis- Confirmation Bias- Cognitive Schema

Grain of Truth Hypothesis“There are a lot of black gangs”“There are gangsters”There is some truth to the statement

- Problem comes when the small truth is generalized to everybody- Creating a correlation between the two things

o Illusory correlation

Confirmation BiasOnce an illusory correlation is made, people tend to seek / remember information supporting the relationship

- People overlook information that contradicts what they believe- Pay attention to behavior that confirm what they believe about a group- Ignore behavior contrary to beliefs- Confirmation bias makes stereotypical thinking resistant to change

Cognitive SchemaPackage in our brain that holds previous knowledge to be used when needed

- Suggest that we can predict the outcome based on past experiences

Example 1: Cognitive SchemasSomeone robbed me and he was in a hoodie, my height, maleWhen I go to the police to report this, I would say “in a hoodie, my height, male, teenager”

- Our cognitive schema placed the assumption that he is a teenager

Essay Plan:Introduction – what are stereotypes?

- The world is very complex and has too much informationo We simplify this by using stereotypes to group people

- Aronson et al. (2008), Generalising a group of people, similar characteristics are assigned to all members of the group

- How are stereotypes made?o Social identity theoryo Grain of truth hypothesis

o Illusory correlation

Paragraph 1 – Social identity theory- Development of Stereotypes, Tajfel (1971)

o Natural process of social categorization and positive distinctivenesso People are categorized by their traits and characteristics

Humans views on the world are resistant to change We keep these stereotypes

o

Paragraph 2 – Grain of truth hypothesis- A small truth is generalized to everybody in the group- Illusory correlation is formed- Use black gangs example- Gatekeepers, Campbell (1967)

o Stereotypes are formed from personal experiences and gatekeepers Personal experiences with groups and people we stereotype Media are the gatekeepers

o Experiences are generalized and passed on to groups Experiences first formed by an individual in the group

o Errors in attribution are common and reject this theory

Paragraph 3 – Illusory correlation- When people make a correlation between 2 variables when there isn’t a

correlation at all- Illusory correlation and group size, Hamilton & Gifford (1976)

o There was no real correlation between group size and their behaviouro Participants seem to attribute more undesirable behaviours to group

B- The findings are based on the idea that distinctive information draws

attention-

Conclusion – effect on other people’s behaviour- Creates spotlight anxiety- Self-fulfilling prophecy- Others will also stereotype, conformity due to positive distinctiveness

Social Norms Learning Outcomes

Explain social learning theory, making references to two relevant studies (8)Bandura suggested that human behaviour are learnt through observational learning

- People learn by watching role models- Sometimes the model is trying to have a direct impact on the learner

o Teacher trying to teach students how to solve a problem- Usually people learn indirectly

Social Learning Theory requires these factors:- Attention

o Paying attention to the model- Retention

o Retain the behaviour of the model that was observed- Reproduction

o Replication of the behaviour of the learning model- Motivation

o Learners must want to display what they have learnt from the learning model

Factors that influence SLT:- Consistency

o The model must act in a consistent way across situations.- Relevance

o Behaviours are more likely to be learnt if relevant and socially appropriate to the learner

- Powerfulnesso Models with more power and control are more likely to be learnt

from- Identification

o The ability of the learner to identify with the model, e.g. age, gender- Reward

o If the model was rewarded, the learner is more likely to learn from the model

o If the learner is rewarded, they will more likely repeat the behaviour that was learnt

- Friendlinesso Friendly models are more likely to be imitated

Example 1: Bobo Doll, Bandura (1961)AimTo demonstrate that learning can occur through observation of role modelsProcedure

- 36 boys and 36 girls from age 3 to 6 were divided into groups according to their aggression evaluation from their parents and teachers

- Group 1 was exposed to adult models who showed aggression by beating up a Bobo Doll

- Group 2 observed an adult model who displayed no aggression- Group 3 was a controlled group who did not see any model (Control)- The children were then placed into the room with a Bobo doll after 10

minutes of watching the model- Models were of both genders

Findings- Children who observed the aggressive model showed significantly more

aggression both physically and verballyo Boys were more likely to imitate physical aggressiono Girls were more likely to imitate verbal aggression

ConclusionSLT was demonstrated because the children showed signs of observational learningEvaluation Points

- Unethical study: Induced aggression- Oversimplification of the learning process- Low ecological validity, lab conditions- Confounding variable: children unfamiliar with doll were 5 times more likely

to imitate aggressive behaviour

Example 2: Observational Learning, Gergely et al. (2002)AimTo investigate if younger children can learn/acquire behaviour through observational learning, as young as 14-month old infantsProcedure

- Experiment used 14-month old infants- 2 conditions:

o Hands-Free Condition: Where the infants observed an adult place her hands on a

table Following this, she used a strange action to light up/illuminate

a light box by bending over and pressing the box with her forehead

o Hands-Occupied Condition: Where the infants observed the adult perform the same action

to illuminate the box However, the model was using her hands to hold a blanket

around her shouldersFindings

- Hands-free condition

o After a week, infants were given an opportunity to play with the boxo 69% used their head to illuminate the light

- Hands-occupied conditiono One week later, infants were given the box to play witho Only 21% illuminated the light using their head and the rest used their

hands to press the lightConclusionDemonstrated that very young infants have the ability to observe a model’s behaviour and infer his or her intentions and constraints on his or her behaviour

Example 2: St. Helena TV Violence, Charlton et al.AimTo investigate the effect of the introduction of television on the aggression in childrenProcedure

- TV was introduced to St. Helena Island, violent content shown on the TV was equal to UK

- Cameras were set up in playgrounds of two primary schoolsFindings

- After 5 years, aggression of children did not increase- Good behaviour evident prior the introduction of TV were maintained

ConclusionWithout correct and complete SLT process (ARRM), social learning could not be achieved. AGAINST BOBO DOLL

Discuss the use of compliance techniques (22)Compliance is the result of a direct pressure to do something

Types of compliance techniques:- Door in the face

o Offer a large offer and then scaling the offer downo Juvenile day trip, Cialdini

- Low ballingo Not revealing the hidden cost

- Foot in the door (Commitment)o Feeling of commitment to a certain thingo Shorter showers, Dickerson

- Reciprocityo Subjects were given something beforehand will be more likely to

comply with requests

Factors affecting compliance techniques:- Authority

o Feeling of having the need to obey to authorityo Study on obedience to authority, Milgram

- Scarcityo Feeling the need to get limited items

- Likingo Feeling of copying an idolised figure

Example 1: Juvenile day trip, Cialdini (1975)AimInvestigate the effect of compliance (reciprocity) on behaviourProcedure and Findings

- Experimenters pretended they were from a “County Youth Counseling Program”

- They stopped at different university campuses recruiting students to look after a group of juvenile on their day trip

o 83% refused this job- On another day, the experimenters asked if the students would be willing to

be part of a counseling program for two hours a week for two yearso Everyone refused the job

- Then, the experimenter asked them to look after a group of juvenile on their day trip

o 50% agreedConclusionStudents felt the need to accept the second offer to return the favour for declining the first offer

Example 2: Take shorter showers, Dickerson (1992)AimTo investigate the effect of compliance (commitment) on behaviourProcedure

- Students from the university were asked to sign a poster saying “Take shorter showers, if I can do it, so can you!”

- Then the students were asked to do a survey that was designed to make them think about their water wastage

- The shower times of students were monitoredFindings

- Participants who signed the poster averaged a shower time of 3.5 minutes- This is significantly lower than the average time across the dormitories- Could argue that students signed the poster because they are already

committed to the causeConclusionStudents felt that they are committed to the cause

Example 3: Study on obedience to authority, Milgram (1963)AimInvestigating the effect of authority on compliance and obedienceProcedure(Check SCLOA key studies)Findings(Check SCLOA key studies)Evaluation Points

(Check SCLOA key studies)

Essay Plan:Introduction – what is compliance?

- Different types of complianceo Foot in the door (commitment)o Door in the faceo Lowballingo Reciprocity

- Factors affecting complianceo Scarcityo Likingo Authority

Paragraph 1 – Foot in the door (commitment)- Shorter Showers, Dickerson (1992)

o University students were asked to sign a petition to take shorter showers

o Found that showers were shorter for people who signed the petition Taking shorter showers are more likely to happen if they sign a

petitiono

Paragraph 2 – Reciprocity- Juvenile Day Trip, Cialdini (1975)

o

Paragraph 3 – Authority influence- Obedience to authority, Milgram (1963)

Conclusion

Evaluate research on conformity to group norms (22)Conformity is how society or culture passes down its values and behaviors to its members through an indirect form of social influence

- The tendency to adjust one's thoughts, feelings, or behavior in ways that are in agreement with those of a particular individual or group

- Peer pressure is another way to describe conformity

As humans we want to be right- Informational social influence

As humans we have the need to belong- Normative social influence

o Desire to be liked

Example 1: Line length, Asch (1951)

AimInvestigate the existence of conformityProcedure

- Subject was placed into a room with 6 confederates and the experimenter- The subject was placed on the second last seat so they will be the second last

to give an answer- The group of subject and confederates were asked to select the line on the

second card that matched the line on the first card- There were 18 sets of cards in total, some of which had lines that were

completely different in length, others are similar in length- Confederates were instructed to answer correctly on some of the cards but

answer incorrectly for mostFindings

- 75% of the participants agreed with the confederates’ incorrect responses at least once during the trails

- 32% of the participants agreed with incorrect responses in half or more of the trails

- 24% of the participants did not conform to any of the incorrect responses given by the confederates

Conclusion- Conformity was present- Those who did not confirm sparked further research

Evaluation Points- Low ecological validity, lab conditions- Controlled environment removed confounding variables- Meaningless stimuli- Gender bias, only male participants were used- Culture bias, only US participants were used- Cannot be generalized- Unethical study: Deception was used, but subjects were debriefed

Example 2: Light distance, Sherif (1935)AimInvestigate the existence of conformityProcedure

- Sherif used the autokinetic effect – where a small spot of light (projected onto a screen) in a dark room will appear to move, even though it is still (visual illusion)

- He then asked each participant how far the light moved- He then grouped the participants with very opposite estimates and told them

to say aloud how far they thought the light movedFindings

- The group converged to a common estimate (middle of both estimate)ConclusionWhen in an ambiguous situation, a person will look to others for guidance, known as informational conformityEvaluation Points

- Low ecological validity, lab experiment- Confounding variables- Bad methodology

Example 3: Stanford Prison, Zimbardo (1973)AimTo see if participants will conform to their social roles under the influence of an authoritative figureProcedure(Check SCLOA key studies)Findings(Check SCLOA key studies)Evaluation Points(Check SCLOA key studies)

Example 4: Line length with different cultures, Bond & Smith (1996)AimTo see if people can be pressured to conform to group standardsProcedure

- Meta-analysis of Asch’s experiment in 17 different countrieso Repeated the same experiment

Findings- Average level of conformity is 31.2% including students- Individualist cultures such as North America and North-west Europe (25.3%)

have a lower rate of conformityo Levels of conformity for Belgian students is 14%

- Collective cultures such as Africa, Asia, Oceania and South America (37.1%) have a higher rate of conformity

o Levels of conformity for Indian teachers in Fiji is 58%ConclusionParticipants displayed the effect of culture on conformityEvaluation Points

- Emic approach: took care of the cultural differences around the world individually

- Evaluative points from Asch’s experiment apply

Essay Plan:Introduction – What is conformity

Paragraph 1 –

Paragraph 2 –

Paragraph 3 –

Conclusion –

Discuss factors influencing conformity (22)Factors that affect conformity

- Personalityo Confidence

Individuals will feel more competent to make decisions in their field of expertise

People with higher rankings (doctors) will not conformo Self-esteem

Participants with high self-esteem will be less likely to conform to incorrect response

- Cultureo Collectivist cultures see conformity as a positive traito Individualistic cultures see conformity as a negative trait

Individualistic personalities implies a strong personal identity (personal self)

Collectivist personalities implies commonality and interconnections with others (interdependent self)

o Bond & Smith (1996)- Group size

o 1 confederate, 3% conformo 2 confederates, 15% conformo 3 confederates, 32% conformo Larger groups

No increase in conformity, sometimes it decreased conformity- Normative social influence

o Humans are social animals, therefore we have a need to belongo Conform to avoid rejection, gain social approval

Even if you don’t like music, you say you do to fit in- Unanimity

o Conformity increases when all confederates agrees to a pointo Asch (1951)

- Minority influenceo If the minority is large enough, it can influence the bigger group

- Informational social influenceo Based on the way that people cognitively process information about a

situationo People evaluate own opinions ad ideas through social comparison,

looking at what others doo Cognitive dissonance: When one notices that others are not behaving

the same way or they think differently, it causes anxiety Friends all like a type of music and you don’t so you feel odd First you may begin to listen to the music and conform to your

group Or you rationalise your opinion, developing the confidence

that your opinion is acceptable

Cultural Norms Learning Outcomes

Define the term “culture” and “cultural norms” (8)Culture is a dynamic set of rules established by a social group

Example 1: Shiraer and Levy (2004)Culture is a set of attitudes, behaviours and symbols ashared with a group of people

- Passed on through generation

Example 2: Matsumoto and Juang (2008)Culture is a unique meaning and informational system to meet basic needs for survival to produce and communicate

- Passed on through generation

Example 3: Triandis (2000)Breaking down culture into objective and subjective culture

- Objective cultureo Consciously learnt, easily measurableo Cuisine, clothing, music

- Subjective cultureo Unconsciously learnt, hard to measureo Habits, values, assumptions

Cultural norms are typical behaviours associated to a specific group- Gatekeepers keep the cultural norms in place

o Media, parents, teachers, religious leaders- Rules and expectations within the culture

Examine the role of two cultural dimensions on behaviour (22)Cultural dimensions, Hofstede (1973):

- Individualistic vs. Collectivist- Masculinity vs. Femininity- Low Power Distance vs. High Power Distance- Low Uncertainty Avoidance vs. High Uncertainty Avoidance- Short-term Orientation vs. Long-term Orientation

Individualistic vs. Collectivist – having different ideals that will affect your overall personalityIndividualistic: Personal success, loose individual ties, less likely to conformCollectivist: Group success, strong bonds between individuals, more likely to conform

- Western countries tend to be more individualistic- Asian countries tend to be more collectivist

Masculinity vs. Femininity – associating traits towards masculinity and femininity, and associating them with a countryMasculine traits: Assertiveness, competition, material (real) successFeminine traits: Quality of life, relationships, caring for the weak

- Hong Kong is seen to be a more masculine country, as it’s population are more assertive

Low Power Distance vs. High Power Distance – accepting (or not) the fact that people have more power than youLow Power Distance: Idea of equalityHigh Power Distance: Respect for people with higher authority

- Thailand is seen to have a high power distance country, as people understand the inequality in power and accepting it

Low Uncertainty Avoidance vs. High Uncertainty Avoidance – if a culture feels threatened (or not) by uncertaintiesLow Uncertainty Avoidance: Relaxed, accepting risks, tolerantHigh Uncertainty Avoidance: active, aggressive, seeking security

- Greece is seen to have a high uncertainty avoidance, as they are more aggressive and seek security

Short-term Orientation vs. Long-term Orientation – the idea of being dedicated, motivated or responsible with a sense of commitmentShort-term Orientation: Keeps up with social pressure, fast resultsLong-term Orientation: Encouraging perseverance, savings, willingness to subordinate someone (for their culture)

- China is seen to have a long-term orientation, as they encourage perseverance, savings and willingness to subordinate someone for a purpose in their culture

Using one or more examples, explain “emic” and “etic” concepts (22)The emic and etic approach is the concept of how we understand culture

Etic approach:- Emphasizes the similarities between cultures- Assumes behaviour patterns are universal- Discovers what all humans have in common

o Addresses universal human behaviourso Rules that can be applied to all cultures around the world

- Outside perspective- Objective- Usually used in cross-cultural studies- Relies on theories and techniques developed in their own culture to study

another culture

Emic approach:- Emphasises the differences between cultures- Behaviour patterns are unique to a culture

o Challenges psychologists to re-examine their ideas of truth behind a culture

o Psychologists must recognise cultural variations- Inside perspective- Subjective- Does not rely on theories and techniques developed from another culture