Lecture 7: Social Influence Flashcards
Conformity
=attitude or behaviour is influences by the presence of others
Obedience
=attitude or behaviour change in response to a direct or explicit order
Sherif (1935)
Norms as group attitudes:
• Sherif’s study shows how individual attitudes can change and adapt to form a set of beliefs that define a group.
• Learn information by sharing beliefs
• Group attitudes = social norms
Role of uncertainty:
• Sherif’s participants were uncertain
• So, when uncertain, other people’s judgements are useful to help us be accurate (the majority is right…)
• Less of an impact when you are certain on your views
When private and public views diverge: Asch (1951)
- When on their own – only 1% participants made errors
- 76% of participants conformed on at least one trial
- Participants conformed to incorrect majority on 37% of trials
Explaining conformity: Normative influence
conformity to group norms occurs due to desire to gain acceptance and praise and avoid exclusion
Explaining conformity:
Information influence
conformity to group norm occurs as a way of gaining information
Factors affecting conformity
- group cohesiveness
- group size
- social support
Moderators of conformity
- Self-confidence: less likely to comply
- Task difficulty: more difficulty leads to conformity
- Cultural differences: collectivist countries more compliant
Minority influence
Consistency and confidence: Moscovici et al (1969)
A minority can shift the views of the majority if they are consistent and confident
• Is the slide green or blue? (it was always blue, just different level of intensity)
• 4 real participants, 2 confederates
• Asch expt would lead us to think the minority (confederates) would have very little influence on the majority (the participants).
• Consistent minority (2 confederate) much more conformity
• \consistent minority can have impact on behaviour however impact much smaller than majority influence
Why?
• The minority are going against the majority and therefore getting a hard time for it (normative consequence) and forgoing informational advantages of going along with the consensus so they must know something we don’t…
• Consistency and confidence is key to being credible (they know something we do not)
How minorities exert influence: Moscovici, 1980
- Minorities who are consistent and confident will encourage majorities to think and change. However, majority still subject to normative influence so only private conformity: (half conversion as no change in public attitude).
- Change what you do but not necessarily what you think
Divergent thinking: Nemeth, 1986
• Minorities encourage more cognitive processing = better judgement (not necessarily towards the minority view):
- Encourage divergent thinking
- Broader range of thoughts
- Question the majority view.
Obedience: Milgram (1963)
*65% people obeyed to the end
Explaining obedience: Cultural norms
Cultural norm to obey authority – people are generally rewarded for obeying authority and expect authority figures to be trustworthy and legitimate
• Gradual change in instructions
• Shift in agency
-people no longer regard themselves as personally: no longer think its you, as you’re being told to do it
Explaining obedience
- Gender differences: appear no difference
- Status of context: low status context= less obedience
- Status of experimenter: higher obedience if experimenter wears lab coat: prepared to comply with them if they’re look like they’re in authority
- Proximity: drops if they’re in close proximity
- Social support: drops if someone else says I don’t want to do it
Social Impact Theory: Latane (1981)
attempt to explain conformity and obedience in terms of:
• Number – more people/sources is more impact!
• Strength – status, expertise, power lead to more impact.
• Immediacy – closer in time and space lead to more impact.
