Conformity and Obedience

What are the 3 types of conformity?

• Compliance

• Identification

• Internalistaion

What is compliance? (+ example)

• Conforming to majority opinions and behaviour in public, but having different opinions and behaviour in private

• For example, wearing only one pair of earrings in school but privately wanting to wear more tan one pair

What is identification? (+ example)

• Taking on the majority opinions and behaviour both in public and in private, but not maintaining this when the group is removed

• For example, listening to a certain band/artist’s music when in public and in private, but leaving the group and listening to different music

What is internalisation? (+ example)

• Taking on the majority opinions and behaviour both in public and in private, and maintaining this when the group is removed

• For example, becoming vegan and remaining vegan when leaving the group because it becomes part of your own personal value system

What are the individual factors which affect conformity?

• Gender

• Self-esteem

What are the situational factors which affect conformity?

• Normative influence

• Informational influence

• Group size

• Group unanimity

• Task difficulty

What are the cultural factors which affect conformity?

• Collectivist cultures

• Individualistic cultures

Factor affecting conformity: Gender

• Women are usually more conformist than men

• Eagly and Carli, 1981 - Women are expected to promote group harmony more than men, men are socialised to be more independent than women

Factor affecting conformity: Self-esteem

• People with low self-esteem are usually more conformist than those with high self-esteem

• Asch, 1956 - People with low self-esteem are more likely to conform because they are more likely to fear rejection

Factor affecting conformity: Normative influence

• People conform to be liked and accepted in a group

• For example, going along with the fashion in a group in order to be liked and accepted

Factor affecting conformity: Informational influence

• People conform because they believe that the majority opinions and behaviour is correct

• For example, conforming because you believe that the majority has superior knowledge and are more informed about a certain issue

Factor affecting conformity: Group size

• People in larger group sizes are usually more conformist than those in smaller group sizes

• Asch, 1956 - People in groups of 3 or more people are more likely to conform than those in groups of 2 or fewer people

Factor affecting conformity: Group unanimity

• People are more likely to conform if the group is completely unanimous than if the group is not completely unanimous

• Asch, 1956 - People in completely unanimous groups are more likely to conform because they have no support and therefore they are less likely to resist the pressure to conform

Factor affecting conformity: Task difficulty

• People are more likely to conform if the task is difficult than if the task is easy

• Asch, 1956 - People are more likely to conform when the answer is less obvious because the uncertainty causes them to look to others for guidance

Factor affecting conformity: Collectivist cultures

• People are more likely to conform in collectivist cultures than individualistic cultures

• Conformity is seen as a positive thing in collectivist cultures in which interdependence is more highly valued than independence

Factor affecting conformity: Individualistic cultures

• People are less likely to conform in individualistic cultures than collectivist cultures

• Conformity is seen as a negative thing in individualistic cultures in which independence is more highly valued than interdependence

What are the individual factors which affect obedience?

• Socialisation

• Authoritarian parenting

• Autonomous levels of behaviour

• Agentic levels of behaviour

What are the situational factors which affect obedience?

• Perceived legitimate authority

• Proximity

• Location

• Wearing a uniform

Factor affecting obedience: Socialisation

• People who have had rules and regulations drilled into them from a very young age are more likely to obey

• Milgram, 1963 - The fear of questioning an authority figure keeps people in an agentic state

Factor affecting obedience: Authoritarian parenting

• People who have experienced authoritarian parenting are more likely to obey

• Milgram, 1963 - Authoritarian parenting teaches children to follow strict rules without questioning authority figures, keeping them in an agentic state

Factor affecting obedience: Autonomous levels of behaviour

• People in an autonomous state are less likely to obey

• Milgram, 1963 - People in an autonomous state act according to their own values, therefore they are less likely to obey an authority figure

Factor affecting obedience: Agentic levels of behaviour

• People in an agentic state are more likely to obey

• Milgram, 1963 - People in an agentic state act according to somebody else and are not responsible for their own actions, therefore they are more likely to obey an authority figure

Factor affecting obedience: Perceived legitimate authority

• People are more likely to obey someone who they view as legitimate authority

• Milgram, 1963 - Obedience dropped significantly when the authority figure was not present

Factor affecting obedience: Proximity

• People are more likely to obey when they are close to the person giving the order

• Milgram, 1963 - Obedience dropped significantly when the instructions were given by telephone rather than in-person

Factor affecting obedience: Location

• People are more likely to obey when they are in a prestigious location

• Milgram, 1963 - Compared to a less prestigious location, (e.g. an office in the city centre) prestigious locations such as universities make authority figures appear more important/trustworthy

Factor affecting obedience: Wearing a uniform

• People are more likely to obey someone wearing a uniform than someone in casual clothing

• Bickman, 1974 - People are more likely to obey instructions coming from someone in a uniform (e.g. a security guard outfit) because it shows legitimate authority