W5/6: Conformity

Question 1

Define social influence.

Answer 1

The ways that people are affected by the real and imagined pressures of others.

Question 2

There are three types of social influence. Name them.

Answer 2

Conformity, compliance, and obedience.

Question 3

Is social influence automatic or deliberate?

Answer 3

Automatic.

Question 4

What is the benefit of being influenced by others?

Answer 4

Mimicry enables people to communicate and interact more smoothly.

Question 5

What experiment supports this?

Answer 5

Chartrand & Bargh (1999): The Chameleon Effect. Participants were placed in a mimicry condition and control condition. Participants in the mimicry condition (confederate mimicked participants: shake foot, rub head) liked the confederate more and reported smoother interactions.

Question 6

Define conformity.

Answer 6

The tendency to change our perceptions, opinions, or behaviour in ways that are consistent with group norms.

Question 7

Define compliance.

Answer 7

Changes in behaviour that are elicited by direct requests.

Question 8

Define obedience.

Answer 8

Changes in behaviour produced by commands of authority.

Question 9

What experiment shows conformity?

Answer 9

Sherif (1936): “How far has (the dot) moved?”. Initially, participants had very different estimates. However, as they discussed, their responses converged and people conformed to the norm developed. Informational influence.

Ash (1951): Line experiment. Normative influence.

Question 10

What is the difference between normative and informational influence?

Answer 10

Normative influence occurs when people follow social norms not to be disliked and rejected. Informational influence occurs when people follow social norms to be right.

Question 11

Name the two types of conformity.

Answer 11

Private and public conformity.

Question 12

What are the differences between private and public conformity?

Answer 12

Private conformity: true acceptance and conversion, changes overt behaviour and mind, informational influence.

Public conformity: superficial change in behaviour, changes overt behaviour only, normative influence.

Question 13

Name 4 moderating factors in conformity and state its characteristics.

Answer 13

1. Group size: not a linear relationship. No more additional influence beyond 3 to 4 confederates.
2. Focus on norms: social norms are more powerful when cognitively activated.
3. An ally in dissent: any dissent can reduce normative pressures to conform.
4. Gender: women conform more than men in public situations.

Question 14

What is social norms marketing?

Answer 14

The dissemination of a single factual message documenting the incidence of desirable behaviour.

Question 15

What is the function of social norms marketing?

Answer 15

To change perceived social norms ESPECIALLY when the problem comes from pluralistic ignorance: incorrect perception of norms that is different from reality.

Question 16

Which experiment shows compliance?

Answer 16

Regan (1971): coke and raffles ticket experiment. This experiment shows how norms of reciprocity (treat others as they have treated us) can trap us into acts of compliance.

Question 17

Name four sequential request strategies and explain them.

Answer 17

1. Foot-in-the-door: small request, agreement, large request. Why? Self-perception change.
2. Lowballing: secure agreement with the request, reveal hidden costs. Why? Psychology of commitment and sense of obligation.
3. Door-in-the-face: large request, then small request. Why? Perceptual contrast (compared to large initial request, second request seems much smaller) and reciprocal concessions (when a requester backs down, people view it as a concession.
4. That’s-not-all: large request, discount or bonus given. Why? Perceptual contrast and reciprocal concession.

Question 18

What experiment shows obedience?

Answer 18

Milgram. Through this experiment, it was learned that there was no gender difference.

Question 19

Why did the people in Milgram’s experiment obey him?

Answer 19

1. Reduced personal responsibility for the victim’s welfare.
2. Gradual escalation in small increments.
3. Unknown norms in the situation.
4. Task was quickly paces, preventing participants from considering their values and options and making careful decisions.

Question 20

What are the implications of Milgram’s research?

Answer 20

1. Importance of situation.

2. Need for systems in place to prevent destructive situations.