Social influence Revision Notes

What are Situational Explanations?

Situational explanations for social influence suggest that our behaviour is primarily determined by external factors and the immediate social environment, rather than by our individual personality traits (dispositional factors). This means that the context, roles, group dynamics, and presence of authority figures can powerfully shape how we think, feel, and act. For instance, an individual might behave very differently in a classroom compared to a party, or when under direct orders from an authority figure versus making their own decisions.

Key Studies Supporting Situational Explanations

Famous psychological studies provide strong evidence for the power of the situation. Philip Zimbardo's Stanford Prison Experiment demonstrated how assigned social roles and the created prison environment caused ordinary students to adopt tyrannical or submissive behaviours. Guards became authoritarian and abusive, while prisoners became distressed and passive. Stanley Milgram's obedience experiments showed that many participants would administer what they believed to be painful electric shocks to another person when instructed by an authoritative experimenter, highlighting the influence of perceived authority and the setting on obedience. These studies suggest that situational pressures can override individual moral compasses.

Evaluating Situational Explanations

A strength of situational explanations is their practical application; understanding how situations influence behaviour can help design environments that promote positive actions and prevent negative ones. They also challenge the fundamental attribution error, which is the tendency to overestimate personal factors and underestimate situational factors when explaining others' behaviour. However, a weakness is that they can sometimes underestimate individual differences; not everyone behaves the same way in a given situation. Some people resist social pressure, indicating that dispositional factors still play a role. Also, ethical concerns are prominent in some key studies, as they subjected participants to distress.

What are Dispositional Explanations?

Dispositional explanations attribute social behaviours, like obedience and conformity, to internal characteristics of an individual. These are traits, attitudes, or personality types that are stable over time and predispose someone to act in a certain way, regardless of the situation. This contrasts with situational explanations which focus on external environmental factors.

The Authoritarian Personality (Adorno et al., 1950)

A key dispositional explanation is the Authoritarian Personality. Individuals with this personality type are prone to obeying authority and showing prejudice. They are characterised by: a belief in conventional values, obedience to authority, hostility to those of lower status, and a rigid adherence to social rules. It's thought to develop from strict, harsh parenting in childhood.

Characteristics of Authoritarianism

Key characteristics include: rigid beliefs, intolerance of uncertainty, respect for authority, hostility towards 'out-groups', and an uncritical attitude towards in-group authority. They tend to be conformist and conventional. Adorno used the F-scale (F for Fascism) to measure these traits, identifying a correlation between authoritarianism and prejudiced attitudes.

Evaluation of Dispositional Explanations

Strengths: Offers an individualistic perspective, helping explain why not everyone conforms or obeys in a given situation. Weaknesses: Often criticised for being reductionist, simplifying complex behaviours to personality traits. It can also overlook the powerful influence of situational factors, which have been shown to be significant in many studies (e.g., Milgram). The F-scale has also been criticised for methodological flaws and potential response bias.