Week 2 Flashcards
What is conformity?
The tendency to align one’s behaviors or beliefs to a perceived social norm.
What are the key characteristics of classic conformity?
Oldest studied form of social influence.
Completely passive.
What was Sherif’s (1935) dot study about?
It studied how people conform to social norms using the autokinetic effect, where participants’ guess of how much the dot moved, converged to a shared value in a group setting
Why do people conform, according to Sherif’s study?
Informational influence: Using the group to find the “right” answer.
Epistemic motivation: Seeking guidance from others when unsure.
What was Asch’s (1951) line study about?
Participants were shown a target line, and then asked to choose one of three lines which most closely resembled the target. When participants performed the task individually, they chose the correct answer almost all the time. However, when placed in a room of actors, who were told beforehand to choose an incorrect answer, roughly 75% of participants conformed at least once by choosing a clearly incorrect answer.
What did Asch’s (1951) line study test?
It tested whether people conform even when they know the right answer, showing that 74% of participants conformed at least once in a group setting
Why do people conform, according to Asch’s study?
Normative influence: Conforming for social approval.
Avoiding social consequences like exclusion.
Norms can make people question their ability to do a task.
What is Social Impact Theory?
Three factors influence the strength of social influence:
Strength: Importance of the situation or credibility of the source.
Immediacy: Physical or psychological closeness to the group.
Number of sources: More sources usually mean higher conformity.
What increases conformity under Social Impact Theory?
High stakes or credible sources.
Unanimity in group opinions.
Public responses.
Groups or a need for social approval.
What is the role of ostracism in conformity?
Perceived exclusion triggers a threat to belonging.
Leads to physical pain and negative health outcomes.
Motivates individuals to seek social approval.
What did the Cyberball experiment demonstrate?
Exclusion in a virtual game caused feelings of exclusion and a desire for social approval.
Higher exclusion led to increased conformity.
What does the “Looking Up” study (Milgram, 1969) show?
More people looking up increased conformity in passersby.
Up to 86% of people looked up when groups were larger.
What is behavioral mimicry?
The subconscious tendency to mimic the non-verbal behavior of another person.
What factors increase behavioral mimicry?
Pre-existing rapport, prosocial orientation, good mood, similarity, and the goal to affiliate.
What are the consequences of behavioral mimicry?
Increased liking, prosocial behavior, creativity, consumer purchases, and sometimes discomfort in excessive cases.
