Lecture 08-1 Conformity Flashcards
Conformity
when our attitudes, judgments, or behavior change to become more consistent with:
- the attitudes, judgments, or behavior of OTHER people
- or the NORMATIVE standards of a situation or group
Reasons to Conform
- to UNDERSTAND what to do in an ambiguous situation
- to get APPROVAL (or avoid disapproval) from others
- in obedience to the pressure we feel from AUTHORITY figures
Informational Social Influence
Rely on other people as a source of information to guide their behavior
- Believe that others’ interpretations of ambiguous situations are correct
Sherif (1963)
- light estimation experiment
- suggests participants changed their estimates
- because they were using others as a source of information
- not to avoid embarrassment
Private Acceptance
Internalize what they learn from others and accept it as correct
Nolan et al (2008)
The 4th message informational social influence (conformity):
- Participants learned that most of their neighbors conserved electrical energy
- Measured actual energy usage from homes’ electrical meters.
- Result: The 4th message reduced participants’ energy usage the most.
Baron et al (1996): Importance & Conformity
- Ambiguous: more likely to rely on others as sources of information in important situations
- Because they think others’ answer are correct - Unambiguous: conformed less to an obviously wrong answer when the situation was important
People are more likely to conform to informational social influence when…
- A situation is AMBIGUOUS
- A situation is a CRISIS (under pressure)
- Other people are EXPERTS
Normative Social Influence
Conform in UNAMBIGUOUS situations where other people are behaving in ways that are potentially dangerous or inappropriate
- Want to be liked and ACCEPTED by other people
Why is normative social influence so powerful?
Other people are important to our sense of well-being and physical and mental health.
- ACCEPTANCE by others and belonging are incredibly important to us.
- Furthermore, failure to conform can lead to PUNISHMENT, ridicule, or even rejection by other group members
Normative social influence leads to…
- PUBLIC COMPLIANCE with the group’s beliefs and behaviors
- But NOT always private acceptance
The Asch Line-Judgment Studies
Asch’s hypothesis that people would not conform was wrong.
- People still conformed when the answer was obviously wrong, and they would (probably) never see their group members again
Asch Vs. Sherif
The situation was NOT AMBIGUOUS, so participants did not need help from others
- AVOID social disapproval
- PUBLIC COMPLIANCE: The participant knew the answers they gave were wrong
fMRI of Conformity
When participants chose to disagree with the group’s answer by giving the right answer
- The visual and perceptual areas were less active.
- More activation in the AMGDALA: negative emotion and modulating social behavior
- Social influence occurs because people have negative feelings such as
discomfort, tension, and anxiety when they go against the group
The Consequence of Resist Normative Social Influence
- Group members try to GET the person to CONFORM
- Increase communication: TEASING or discussion to understand the weird behavior
- Say negative thing
- AVOIDING
- No place in the group
The Consequence of Follow Normative Social Influence
Idiosyncrasy credits: Members are less likely to upset with one-time non-conformity
When do people conform to normative social influence?
- Social impact theory
- When the group is in agreement (1 vs. 8)
- When the culture is collectivistic
Social Impact Theory
Conforming to social influence depends on the group’s
- IMORTANCE/strength
- IMMEDIACY: physically closer
- The NUMBER of people in the group: but additional members affect less when the group is already big (3 vs. 5)
Cultural Differences and Normative Social Influence
- Individualistic: cowardice
- Collectivistic: a means to promote harmony and supportive
- Japanese: not conform to group that they don’t identify with
Majorities Influence Minorities
Normative social influence
- leads to public compliance
Minorities Influence Majorities
Consistency
Informational social influence
- leads to private acceptance
2 Types of Social Norms
- Descriptive norms
- Injunctive norms
Descriptive Norms
How people TYPICALLY feel, think, and behave in a situation.
- Perceptions of what most people normally do in a situation.
- e.g. Walking on the left side of a hallway
Injunctive Norms
How people SHOULD feel, think and behave in a situation
- These norms are more moral in nature
- Violation of injunctive norms results in negative emotions disapproval from others.
- e.g. Not littering.
Descriptive Norms Vs. Injunctive Norms
Descriptive norms: increase target behavior when the context is consistent
Injunctive norms: increase target behavior without the effect of context
The Boomerang Effect of Descriptive Norms
Using Descriptive Norms (average) affect
- Low target behavior members -> average: Good
- High target behavior members -> average: Bad
Norm - Conformity Model
- Descriptive Norms -> Informational Function -> Private Acceptance
- Descriptive Norms -> Normative Function
- Injunctive Norms -> Normative Function -> Public Compliance
Practice Questions:
A student is studying in the library near other students. Her phone rings. Instead of leaving the library, she loudly discusses her vacation plans with her best friend in the middle of the library. People around her look really annoyed.
1. Is she violating a descriptive or injunctive norm?
2. Do people usually conform to this norm because of normative or informational social influence?
3. Is it an example of public compliance or private acceptance?
- Injunctive norm
- Normative social influence
- Public compliance
Obedience to Authority
A CHANGE in one’s BEHAVIOR due to direct influence from an authority figure (someone with power)
- We INTERNALIZE this norm of obedience and continue to obey authority figures when they are NOT PRESENT.
- e.g. Stopping at red lights when there is no police nearby
The Milgram studies
Test if everyday people could commit immoral acts
- Shock a person if the given answers are incorrect
Explanations for the Obedience
- Normative social influence: People don’t want to be criticized
- Informational social influence: Ambiguous -> use others’ information
- Adhering to the wrong norm and difficult to change
- Cognitive dissonance: Self-justification
- Loss of personal responsibility
What are factors that reduce obedience to authority?
- Physical location
- Proximity between the actor and subject
- Proximity of authority
- Norms (Rebel)
- Choices of action
Practice questions:
1. Can you imagine other versions of Milgram’s study that would reduce the likelihood that participants reach the highest level of shock?
2. Can you think of ways to increase the number of participants that administer the highest levels of electric shock?
- Physical location
- Proximity between the actor and the participant
- Proximity to the authority figure
- Normative social influence
- Choices of action
