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Student input on aesthetics rsch.Student input on aesthetics rsch.
Social Influence Social Influence
Social InfluenceSocial Influence
Social Influence and Social Influence and ConformityConformity
Social Influence:Social Influence: How individual behavior is influenced by other How individual behavior is influenced by other
people and groupspeople and groups
Conformity:Conformity: Tendency to change our Tendency to change our
behavior/beliefs/perceptions in ways that are behavior/beliefs/perceptions in ways that are consistent with group normsconsistent with group norms
Norms: Accepted ways of thinking, feeling, Norms: Accepted ways of thinking, feeling, behavingbehaving
1) Informational influence1) Informational influence Look to others for informationLook to others for information
EXAMPLE: Sherif's (1936) EXAMPLE: Sherif's (1936) autokinetic effect studies autokinetic effect studies
Why Do We Conform to the Why Do We Conform to the Group?Group?
Conformity with the
Autokinetic Task
What’s Going On?What’s Going On?
People need to be certain + confident in the People need to be certain + confident in the correctness of their actionscorrectness of their actions
The situation was ambiguous and uncertainThe situation was ambiguous and uncertain
People looked to others to help define People looked to others to help define “reality”“reality”
Once developed, the norm persists beyond Once developed, the norm persists beyond the immediate situationthe immediate situation
Ambiguity and the Desire to Ambiguity and the Desire to be Accuratebe Accurate
High motivation to be accurate: Increases conformity in people who are
uncertain about their judgments or opinions.
Decreases conformity in people who are certain.
Ambiguity and the Desire to Ambiguity and the Desire to be Accuratebe Accurate
Baron, Vandello, & Brunsman (1996): asked groups of students to choose a criminal suspect from a line-up.
Some saw the pictures so quickly it was hard to be certain about their judgments. Others had ample time.
In addition, some students were motivated to be accurate with the promise of a $20 prize; others had no incentive (were not motivated to be accurate).
Baron et al. (1996)
Conformity (or not) to an incorrect majority opinion as a function of motivation and task- difficulty (uncertainty)
NewcombNewcomb
All conformity experiments are not artificialAll conformity experiments are not artificial Newcomb’s Bennington College StudyNewcomb’s Bennington College Study
Women at Bennington college in Vermont during Women at Bennington college in Vermont during the 1930s the 1930s
Assess “conservatism” vs. “liberalism” Assess “conservatism” vs. “liberalism” Women became increasingly more liberal as they Women became increasingly more liberal as they
progressed from freshmen to senior year progressed from freshmen to senior year Attitude change was particularly strong in women Attitude change was particularly strong in women
who strongly identified with college groups (e.g., who strongly identified with college groups (e.g., faculty, upperclassmen) faculty, upperclassmen)
Newcomb– Bennington Newcomb– Bennington Political NormsPolitical Norms
50
55
60
65
70
75
80
1st yr 2nd yr 3rd yr 4th yr
Class
Mean AttitudeScore
More conservative
More liberal
Newcomb– Bennington Newcomb– Bennington Political NormsPolitical Norms
60
62
64
66
68
70
72
74
76
78
80
1st yr 2nd yr 3rd yr 4th yr
sophomores juniors seniors
Mean AttitudeScore
More conservative
More liberal
Informational Social Informational Social InfluenceInfluence
Informational influence likely to lead Informational influence likely to lead to to private acceptance (conversion)private acceptance (conversion) of of what is correctwhat is correct
When Will People Conform to When Will People Conform to Informational Social Influence?Informational Social Influence? 1. Ambiguous Situation1. Ambiguous Situation 2. Crisis Situation2. Crisis Situation 3. Others Are Experts3. Others Are Experts
"Do as most do, and [people] will "Do as most do, and [people] will speak well of thee" speak well of thee"
-Thomas Fuller -Thomas Fuller
2) Normative influence2) Normative influence We want to be liked, accepted and to fit inWe want to be liked, accepted and to fit in
We don’t want to look foolishWe don’t want to look foolish
EXAMPLE:EXAMPLE: Asch’s (1950s) conformity studiesAsch’s (1950s) conformity studies
Why Do We Conform to the Why Do We Conform to the Group?Group?
Asch's (1955) Conformity Studies
1 2 3
Standard Line Comparison Lines
Trial 1
1 2 3
Standard Line Comparison Lines
Trial 2
Asch's (1955) Conformity Studies
1 2 3
Standard Line Comparison Lines
Trial 3
Asch's (1955) Conformity Studies
Procedures:Procedures: One subject, six or more One subject, six or more
confederatesconfederates Which line is the same Which line is the same
length as the standard?length as the standard? People reported answers People reported answers
out loud, one at a timeout loud, one at a time Subject always lastSubject always last
On 12 of 18 trials, On 12 of 18 trials, confederates answered confederates answered incorrectly incorrectly
Results:Results:
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
Averageconformity
Conformedevery time
# conformedat least once
Asch's (1955) Conformity Studies
Normative Social Normative Social InfluenceInfluence
The group exerts The group exerts normative normative influence influence by instilling a fear of by instilling a fear of appearing deviant appearing deviant
Likely to leads to Likely to leads to public conformity public conformity (compliance)(compliance) (surface behavior (surface behavior change) in peoplechange) in people
Two Types of Social Two Types of Social InfluenceInfluence
Informational influenceInformational influence A person uses his or her peers as a source of informationA person uses his or her peers as a source of information Interprets events in the light of social reality Interprets events in the light of social reality Often seen in ambiguous situationsOften seen in ambiguous situations EG: Sherif, Newcomb EG: Sherif, Newcomb
Normative influenceNormative influence A person adopts the behavior of his or her peers A person adopts the behavior of his or her peers
to secure social acceptance or avoid social rejection to secure social acceptance or avoid social rejection EG: AschEG: Asch
Proposed that conformity in Sherif situation resulted from Proposed that conformity in Sherif situation resulted from ambiguity of stimulusambiguity of stimulus
Hence, created unambiguous test situation in which conformity Hence, created unambiguous test situation in which conformity should be unlikelyshould be unlikely
Factors that Influence Factors that Influence ConformityConformity
Group characteristicsGroup characteristics SizeSize
Conformity increases as “majority” increases Conformity increases as “majority” increases from 1-4from 1-4
Little if any further increase for majorities of Little if any further increase for majorities of 5-125-12
0
20
40
0 2 4 6 8 10
Group Size
Confo
rmit
y re
sponse
s %
Conformity as a Function of Group Size in Asch’s Paradigm
Factors that Influence Factors that Influence ConformityConformity
Group characteristicsGroup characteristics An ally in dissent:An ally in dissent:
One “correct dissent” reduces conformity rates One “correct dissent” reduces conformity rates markedlymarkedly
Even one “incorrect dissent” is as effective Even one “incorrect dissent” is as effective
Factors that Influence Factors that Influence ConformityConformity
Sex differencesSex differences Early evidence: women conformed more than Early evidence: women conformed more than
menmen In general, sex differences are weak and In general, sex differences are weak and
unreliable unreliable Depends on type of taskDepends on type of task
Stereotypically male or femaleStereotypically male or female Observed or not observed taskObserved or not observed task
Reinterpreting “Non-Reinterpreting “Non-Conformity” in MalesConformity” in Males
Eagly et al. (1981):Eagly et al. (1981): Conformity is in part a form of impression Conformity is in part a form of impression
managementmanagement Men, rather than simply being more independent, Men, rather than simply being more independent,
desire to be perceived as independent by othersdesire to be perceived as independent by others Suggests men will be more sensitive than women Suggests men will be more sensitive than women
to being observed by othersto being observed by others Use informational conformity taskUse informational conformity task
Answers observed or not observed by othersAnswers observed or not observed by others
Eagly et al. (1981)Eagly et al. (1981)
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
No Surveill. Surveillance
women men
% showing conformity
Tentative interpretation:Men’s apparent non-conformity is a way of conforming to social expectations for males.
Experimental Condition
Factors that Influence Factors that Influence ConformityConformity Cultural Differences in ConformityCultural Differences in Conformity
Cultural orientations: Cultural orientations: IndividualismIndividualism: :
emphasizes independence, autonomy, and emphasizes independence, autonomy, and self-reliance self-reliance
CollectivismCollectivism: : emphasizes interdependence, cooperation, emphasizes interdependence, cooperation,
and social harmony and social harmony Conformity rates are generally higher in Conformity rates are generally higher in
collectivist cultures collectivist cultures Berry (1967): Cultures differ Berry (1967): Cultures differ
in the degree to which individual judgment is valuedin the degree to which individual judgment is valued and in the consequences for non-conformityand in the consequences for non-conformity
““Western individualistic” (Scotland)Western individualistic” (Scotland) ““Non-western individualistic” (Baffin Island Innuit)Non-western individualistic” (Baffin Island Innuit) ““Non-western collectivist” (Temne of Sierra Leone)Non-western collectivist” (Temne of Sierra Leone)
Note: Note: used variant of original Asch line-judgment task used variant of original Asch line-judgment task
Cross-Cultural Differences in Cross-Cultural Differences in Conformity (Berry, 1967)Conformity (Berry, 1967)
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Western Non-western
Indiv.
Non-western
coll.
Mean # of Conforming Trials
Related evidence:
Conformity for Chinese > American (Huang & Harris, 1973)
Conformity for Japanese > American (Matsuda, 1985)
Culture
Class DiscussionClass Discussion
Sometimes we value conformity, Sometimes we value conformity, encouraging people to be a good team encouraging people to be a good team player and criticizing nonconformists player and criticizing nonconformists as deviants or rebels. Sometimes we as deviants or rebels. Sometimes we complain about conformity, complain about conformity, encouraging people to stand up for encouraging people to stand up for themselves and criticizing conformists themselves and criticizing conformists for going along with the crowd. Use for going along with the crowd. Use specific examples to discuss the pros specific examples to discuss the pros and cons of conformity.and cons of conformity.