Factors affecting conformity to majority influence Flashcards
Conformity
Matching the behaviour and beliefs of others in order to fit in or because we dont know how to behave in an unusual situation
Compliance
Going along with majority even though you privately disagree
Normative social influence
Compliance because of the need to fit into a group
Internalisation
Going along with the majority because we do not know how to behave in a situation- we adopt the beliefs of the group
Informational social influence
The change in opinions or behaviour that occurs when we conform to people who have accurate information
Identification
Temporarily adopting the behaviours of a role model or group
Asch (1951, 1955) procedure
Tested conformity by showing participants two white large cards at a time. One card was a standard line and the other was three comparison lines. One of the comparison lines matched the standard line. Participants were asked which of the lines matched the standard. Confederates (Actors for the study) were asked to give the wrong answer.
Asch (1951, 1955) findings
Approximately 32% of the participants conformed to the wrong answer
Situational factors affecting conformity
Size of majority
Unanimity of majority
Task difficulty/ ambiguity
Size of majority
When there was one confederate in Asch’s study, conformity was 3%
When there was 2, conformity was 13%
The optimal number for majority influence appears to be 3-4 people (32% conformity)
Unanimity of majority
In Asch’s study, if most confederates picked the wrong line but one picked the right line, the participant was less likely to conform
Task difficulty/ambiguity
In Asch’s study, when all three lines were similar to the standard line, he found a higher rate of conformity as the task was more ambiguous
Personality factor
Locus of control
What is locus of control
Locus of control is the part of our personality that refers to how much control we believe we have over our own behaviour
External locus of control
Someone with an external locus of control is more likely to obey because they are less likely to take responsibility for their own actions and blame it on someone else