1. Experimental Psychology PSY 433
Chapter 13
Social Psychology

2. Midterm Results Score Grade N 30-34 A 13 27-29 B 4 24-26 C 3 21-23 D
0-20 F
Top score = 34/34 Top score for curve = 34

3. 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.

4. Conformity

5. 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.

6. 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.

7. Standard A B C

8. 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).

9. 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”

10. Milgram’s Shock Panel Slight Shock Moderate Shock Strong Shock
Very Strong Shock
IntenseShock
Extreme-Intensity Shock
Danger: Severe Shock
XXX

11. “I can’t stand the pain!”
Learner Responses
Slight Shock
Moderate Shock
Strong Shock
Very Strong Shock
IntenseShock
Grunts & Moans
“Let me out!”
“I can’t stand the pain!”
“I refuse to answer!”

14. 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

15. 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.