4. Conformity

Question 1

Define social influence

Answer 1

How people affect one another, including changes in attitudes, beliefs, feelings and behaviours resulting from the comments, actions, or even the mere presence of others

Question 2

Define conformity

Answer 2

Change in beliefs, opinions and behaviours as a result of explicit or implicit pressures from others

Question 3

Define compliance

Answer 3

Responding favourably to an explicit request by another person (you may not necessarily change your beliefs)

Question 4

Define obedience

Answer 4

In an unequal power relationship, submitting to the demands of the person in authority

Question 5

Define automatic mimicry

Answer 5

Mimicking the actions or behaviours of others without even thinking about it

Question 6

Which research outlines automatic mimicry?

Answer 6

Chartrand & Bargh (1999)

Question 7

Describe Chartrand & Bargh’s research

Answer 7

• P’s took part in 2 10 minute sessions with a confederate
• In some situations, the confederate rubbed his/her face or continuously shook his food
• P’s mimicked the behaviour but noticed nothing unusual about the confederate

Question 8

Define ideomotor action

Answer 8

Phenomenon whereby merely thinking about a behaviour makes performing it more likely (James, 1890)

Question 9

Describe the impact that mimicry has on establishing a good interaction

Answer 9

• People prefer those who mimic their actions, in comparison to those who do not
• Mimicry is strong in those who have a desire to affiliate
• Mimicry is stronger when the person in question in well liked
• People who have been mimicked engage in more prosocial behaviour
• We expect people to mimic us, and can deplete self-regulatory resources when they do not

Question 10

What was the aim of Sherif’s (1935) Autokinetic Effect Experiment

Answer 10

Demonstrate that people conform to group norms when they are put in an ambiguous situation

Question 11

Describe Sherif’s (1935) method

Answer 11

Utilised the auto kinetic effect - a visual illusion whereby the absence of a reference points makes a stationary light appear to move. P’s were presented with the light on a number of trials and estimated how much the light moved. P’s tested both alone and in groups

Question 12

Outline Sherif’s (1935) findings

Answer 12

Individual-to-group: P’s started with a personal norm but in groups began to converge to a group norm
Group-to-individual: P’s converged to a group norm, and then alone used the norm as a personal guide

Question 13

When in ambiguous situations, people look for guidance, give an example of an ambiguous situation

Answer 13

If we go to a new country

Question 14

Define informational social influence

Answer 14

Change in opinions of behaviour that occurs when we conform to people who believe have accurate information

Question 15

Define a descriptive norm

Answer 15

Perception of what most people do in a given situation

Question 16

Describe Asch’s (1951) method from his conformity experiment

Answer 16

• Male college student participating in a study on ‘testing visual abilities’
• Series of trials whereby P’s had to match a single line to another line of same length
• Confederates on the first two trials provide the correct answer, but on the third and 11 other trials were instructed all to provide the same incorrect answer
• Asch measured how often P’s will give the incorrect answer

Question 17

Outline Asch’s findings

Answer 17

• 75% gave at least one response that was incorrect
• 37% of the overall responses were conforming (to the incorrect answer)
  Large variation: 25% never conformed, 5% conformed on all trials

Question 18

Why did P’s conform in Asch’s experiment?

Answer 18

• All reported experiencing uncertainty and self doubt
• Some believed that the majority were wrong, but went along to avoid being ridiculed
• Some believed that the majority must be right, as they were the only one to see the task differently

Question 19

Why did P’s not conform?

Answer 19

• Some felt entirely confident in their own judgement

- Some felt emotionally affected by guided any a belief in individualism (a right to our own opinions)

Question 20

Outline 3 conditions of the modified Asch experiment

Answer 20

1. Face-to-face: P’s with 3 confederates who made incorrect judgements
2. Face-to-face & group goal: Provided explicit group goal to be as accurate as possible (& therefore wrong answer would let the team down)
3. Private & anonymous: isolated in cubicle & answered privately, lights would flash up to display answers of other P’s

Question 21

Outline the uncertainty manipulation from the modified Asch experiment

Answer 21

Half respond while the stimuli were present

Half respond after the stimuli is removed

Question 22

Outline the findings from the modified Asch experiment

Answer 22

Decreasing uncertainty and decreasing group pressure reduced conformity
People still conformed 23% even when uncertainty was low and responses were private and anonymous

Question 23

Describe normative social influence

Answer 23

A process where people conform to avoid disapproval and other social sanctions (rejection & isolation - we have strong fears of this and have a strong need for belonging even though we may not actually change our opinion - we just conceal it by changing our actions)

Question 24

When we engage in conformity due to normative social influence we conform …

Answer 24

Social influence we conform to social norms - socially accepted beliefs about we should do in particular contexts

Question 25

Outline Sherif in terms of informational social influence

Answer 25

Difficult task; unsure of answer
Ambiguous
Use others’ responses to form an opinion
Believe what others say and internalise it

Question 26

Outline Asch in terms of normative social influence

Answer 26

Clear/easy task; sure of answer
Not ambiguous
Own beliefs clearly conflict with those of the group
Conform on the outside but not on the inside

Question 27

Conformity due to informational social influence is normally due to a desire for what?

Answer 27

A desire to reduce uncertainty

• Involves accepting info from others as evidence of reality
• Involve real change in individual opinion

Question 28

Conformity due to normative social influence is due to a desire for what?

Answer 28

Social approval/acceptance

• Conform to expectations/behaviours of others
• Superficial change, private opinion remains

Question 29

How does group size as a situational factor affect conformity?

Answer 29

• As the group size increases, conformity increases

- Increasing group size increases both informational and normative conformity