Sherif (1935) Autokinetic Effect Study: Informational Social Influence

What is the Sherif (1936) study about?

Informational social influence in an ambiguous situation

What did participants have to do in Sherif's study?

Estimate how far the light moved

Why was the task important for studying conformity?

There was no correct answer (ambiguous)

What happened in the 'alone' condition?

Participants made individual estimates of the light's movement. Participants gave very different estimates.

What happened in the 'group' condition?

Participants conferred and their estimates converged to a common point, demonstrating conformity.

What was the main finding of Sherif's study?

Participants changed their estimates to align with group norms, illustrating the impact of informational social influence on conformity.

What does 'converged' mean?

became more similar over time.

Why did participants conform in Sherif's study?

They were unsure about their answers and used others as a guide (isi)

What type of social influence explains Sherif's results?

Informational social influence

What role does uncertainty play in conformity?

More uncertainty → more conformity

Sherif vs Asch — key difference?

Sherif = ambiguous task; Asch = clear correct answer

Sherif vs Asch — type of influence?

Sherif = informational; Asch = normative

Sherif vs Asch — belief change?

Sherif = real belief change; Asch = often just compliance

What does Sherif (1936) prove?

In ambiguous situations, people use others to determine reality and truly change their beliefs.

What was the main objective of Sherif's 1935 experiment?

To show that people conform to group norms when performing an ambiguous task.

What phenomenon did Sherif use in his experiment?

The autokinetic effect, which is an illusion where a pinpoint of light appears to move in a dark environment.

How many male participants were involved in the individual experiment?

19 male participants.

How many male participants were involved in the group experiments?

40 male participants.

What were the three phases of the experiment?

Phase 1: Individual guesses; Phase 2: Group guesses; Phase 3: Individual guesses again.

What was observed in Phase 1 of the experiment?

Individual guesses varied significantly (by 20cm - 80cm).

What happened to participants' guesses in Phase 2?

Participants' guesses tended to converge to a common estimate.

What was the outcome of Phase 3?

Individuals made guesses closer to the common group estimates than their initial estimates.

What does the term 'informational social influence' refer to?

The phenomenon where individuals look to others for guidance in ambiguous situations.

What conclusion did Sherif draw from his experiment?

People conform to a group norm in ambiguous situations due to informational social influence.

What does it mean that the variables were strictly controlled in the experiment?

It implies that a third variable shouldn't have influenced results, allowing for cause and effect to be established.

What limitation did the narrow (male only) sample of participants present?

It reduced the generalizability of the results since only males participated.

What is a criticism regarding the ecological validity of the experiment?

The artificial situation of estimating the movement of a stationary light does not reflect real-life scenarios.

How did participants' estimates change when starting as individuals?

Estimates converged quickly in the second session when judgments were made as a group.

What was the effect of starting as a group on participants' estimates?

Convergence happened rapidly within the first session and remained constant in subsequent sessions.

What was the duration for which the pinpoint of light was shown to participants?

Two seconds on each trial.

What did participants establish during the first session of individual guesses?

Each person established their own median and range of values.

What was the role of the signal system in group sessions?

It allowed participants to indicate to the experimenter who was responding.

What was a key finding regarding group norms in Sherif's experiment?

Group norms formed as participants were influenced by others' estimates.

What did the experiment demonstrate about human behavior in ambiguous situations?

People look to others for information when they lack sufficient data.

What year did Sherif's autokinetic study take place?

1935