Conformity Flashcards
What is conformity?
A change in a person’s behaviour or opinions as a result of real or imagined pressure from a person or group of people
What is the Asche Line study
ONe person is the participant, they conformed to the wrong answer because its what everyone else was saying
why is conforming to the group ‘beneficial’?
Ensures order and safety
Ex. Wearing shoes to class
Ex. stopping at red lights
If people break these unspoken rules people respond with a lot of anger
what is Groupthink?
A kind if thinking in which maintaining the agreement of the group overrides a careful consideration of the facts in a realistic manner
Why do people conform?
- We become convinced our original ideas were wrong
If everyone is going along with it maybe they know something I do not - We still believe our original ideas are the right ones, but we want to be accepted by the group
We are constantly having to balance two goals
Being correct
Being accepted
In some situations these ideas are inc conflict
What is unamity?
If you are the sole dissenter, you are more likely to conform
No one wants to be the one person who stands out
Even if the group is small this is the case
Just as likely if there is three than if there is 16
If even a single person shares your opinion before you that goes against the group, you are less likely to conform
What is commitment?
If you in some way have made some type of public statement, you are less likely to conform to the group
You stay committed to your opinion
Ex. Purity pledges
What is accountability?
If you are held accountable to the group you are more likely to conform to the group
Accountability of the group increases conformity
However, if you are oriented towards accuracy and later need to justify your opinion, you are less likely to conform
what is security?
Largely in terms of self esteem
Those with low self esteem are more likely to conform
Those who feel less confident with their status in the group more likely to conform
What are the 4 factors that made people more likely to conform
Considered expert
High status
similar to individual
person of authority
What was the Schachter and Singer experiment
Look at the effects of Ambiguity on conformity
Participants injected with a new vitamin called “suproxin”
See how it effects you
IN reality as synthetic adrenalin
Half the participants were warned about the vitamin. Would cause heart palpitations and tremors
Other half not told anything
People given it then brought to another waiting room
Participants asked to fill out surveys with a confederate who had received the vitamin
Those told about the drug effects behaved calmly and filled out surveys
Those not told about the drugs effects mimicked the confederates behaviour, either:
Laughing gleefully and goofing off
Thought it was pure delight
Angry behaviours; angrily refusing to do the surveys
What is contagion
A rapid spread of emotions or behaviors through a crowd
What are Social Norms?
Implicit or explicit rules a group has for acceptable behaviours, values, and beliefs of its members
What are the three responses to Social Pressure
Compliance
Identification
Internalization
What is compliance
The behavior of a person who is motivated by a desire to gain a reward or avoid punishment’
Lowest form on conformity- effects tend to be short lived
Similar to operant conditioning in animals
Ex. Walking a dog; motivation with treats
What is Identification
A response to a social influence brought about by an individual’s desire to be like the influencer
A person may start to begin to change their beliefs or attitudes because they want to be like the person, create a satisfying relationship
Oni their own they may go back to their individual ways
What is Internalization
A deeply rooted response in which a person is internalizing the attitude out of a desire to be right
The most likely to cause a long term change
Becomes an intrinsic part of their beliefs system
Resistant to change
What is open social pressure
It is well known to everyone
What is closed social pressure
Only a select group knows about it
What is direct social pressure
Someone says you have to do it or you will be excluded
What is indirect social pressure
do it to get praise from others
