Conformity Flashcards
What is conformity?
Tendency to adotp the behaviours attitudes and beliefs of other members of a group. It can be in response to real or imagined pressure, desire to be accepted or fear of being excluded
Who came up with the line judgement task?
Asch
What was the aim of the line judgement task?
Asch wanted to investigate whether people would conform to a majority in situations were the answer was obvious
What was the method of the line judgement task?
Participants were shown an image of lines and verbally announce their opinion, but there was only one real participant and the rest were actors. They were asked to answer incorrectly to see what the real participant would do.
What were the results of the line judgement task?
- 75% of participants aggreed incorrectly at least once
- 50% agreed incorrectly at least half the time
- 25% disagreed correcly for every trial
Explain the results of the line judgement task
Participants had to decide between their conflicting attitudes and choose whether they wanted to conform or not
What were 2 criticisms of the line judement task?
- Very baisic view of conformity, doesnt explain the complexity of conformity in society
- Sample only included men
What are the 7 factors that affect conformity?
- Normative influence
- Informational influence
- Culture
- Group size
- Unanimity
- Deindividuation
- Social loafing
Explain normative influence, and give an example
Conforming to gain social approval or avoid social rejection
eg. Buying new white shoes cos everyone is wearing them
Explain informational influence, and give an example
Conforming due to uncertainty of how to act
eg. Copying what others are doing cos u don’t know what to in in that situation
How does group size affect conformity?
The larger the group, the more likely someone will conform with the group as people dont eant to stand out.
How does group unanimity affect conformity?
Some one is more likely to conform when the whole group agree on an idea
How does culture affect conformity?
People from indidivualistic cultures (that value independence and personal goals) were less likely to conform, while people from collectivist cultures (that value achieving group goals) were more likely to conform.
What is deidividuation and how does it affect conformity?
The loss of individuality or gain of anonymity causes people to feel less accountable for their actions, meaning they may conform to a group that is behaving in ways the individual would other wise not.
What is social loafing?
The reduction of effort an individual puts in when they are part of a team
