Transcript Experimental Psychology PSY 433

Experimental Psychology
PSY 433
Chapter 13
Social Psychology
Midterm Results
Score
Grade
N
29-34
A
10
26-28
B
8
22-25
C
6
19-21
D
0
0-18
F
1
Top score = 34 (2 people)
Top of curve = 32.5
Social Psychology
 Social Cognition -- how we perceive others:


Stereotypes, prejudice, attraction, liking.
Attitudes and beliefs, identity, sense of self,
and how these are changed.
 Social Influence -- how others influence our
behavior:

Conformity, compliance, and obedience.
 Aggression, violence, altruism,
cooperation.
Conformity
 Sherif’s (1935) work on social norms using
the autokinetic effect.
 Autokinetic effect – a stationary spot of light
in a dark room appears to move.
 What others say affects an observer’s
perceptions –it appears to move in an arc if
other people saw it move in an arc.
Conformity
 Asch’s (1951, 1956, 1958) work on
conformity using line judgments.
 Subjects were told the study was on visual
discrimination, but it was actually on
conformity.
 The task – identify which of 3 lines matches a
standard.
 Asch expected that people would follow the
evidence of their own eyes – but they didn’t.
Standard
A
B C
Asch’s Paradigm
 Six confederates & 1 subject
 Each responded out loud
 Experimental manipulation:

Confederates respond correctly on 6 trials &
incorrectly on 12
 Most subjects conformed on 1 or more of the
12 incorrect trials
 Control: Confederates always responded
correctly (only 5% of subjects erred).
Compliance and Obedience
 Milgram (1963, 1964, 1965) obedience task
 Paid subjects volunteered for a study of the
effects of punishment on learning/memory.
 Involved 3 people:



Authority – the experimenter
Victim – the “learner” (a confederate)
Subject -- the “teacher”
Milgram’s Shock Panel
15 30 45 60 75 90 105 120 135 150 165 180 195 210 225 240 255 270 285 300
Slight
Shock
Moderate
Shock
Strong
Shock
Very Strong
Shock
315 330 345 360 375 390 405 420 435 450
ExtremeIntensity
Shock
Danger:
Severe
Shock
XXX
Intense
Shock
Learner Responses
15 30 45 60 75 90 105 120 135 150 165 180 195 210 225 240 255 270 285 300
Slight
Shock
Moderate
Shock
Grunts
&
Moans
Strong
Shock
“Let me
out!”
Very Strong
Shock
“I can’t
stand the
pain!”
Intense
Shock
“I refuse
to
answer!”
Conditions Affecting Obedience
 The setting – did Yale foster obedience
because it was well-known, Ivy League?


Replication in a sleazy part of Bridgeport
48% gave max shock, compared to 65%
 Presence/absence of peers also showing
defiance or conformity:

Conforming peers encouraged greater shock.
 Proximity to the “victim”: 74% when hear
victim, 40% when see victim, 30% when
touch victim
Interpreting Conformity Results
 Perhaps subjects trusted that no harm would
really come to the subjects – treated the
context as “make believe”.
 Perhaps results underestimate conformity,
since the experimenter truly has no authority
over the subject.
 Obedience is not necessarily bad – society
would not function if people ignored laws and
persons in authority.