PSY124 Conformity, compliance, obedience

conformity

tendency to change our thoughts, beh/opinions to be consistent w/social or group norms

key studies on conformity

sherif - people in a dark room started agreeing on how much dot moved, creating shared group opinions

asch - People had to pick which line matched another. When confederates gave wrong answers, most participants went along showing how strong group pressure can be

informational influence

you want to be right → private conformity (inward)

normative influence

you want to be liked → public conformity (outward)

factors influencing conformity

size of group (up to 3-4ppl)

norms (powerful if we’re aware of them)

ally (a dissenter of your side reduces conformity)

minority influence

a dissenter can produce change in a group

likely to cause private conformity 

Individualism values

independence, autonomy

collectivism values 

interdependence, group cohesion

Triandis (1995) factors influencing cultural orientation

complexity - more often individualistic

affluence - wealthier societies more often individualistic

heterogeneity - diverse = individualistic

homogenous cultures

tight w/soc rules, intolerant of dissent

heterogeneous cultures

loose w/rules, more permissive of dissent

compliance 

change in beh caused by direct request

norm of reciprocity

we should treat others as they have treated us

compliance techniqes

F – Foot in the door Start small, then ask for bigger

L – Lowballing Get agreement, then add costs.

D – Door in the face Start big, then ask for smaller.
T – That’s not all Offer something, then add extra to make it sound better

obedience 

beh changed by the commands of authority 

can lead to extreme beh (destructive obedience)

Milgram's Research

Participants (“teachers”) gave electric shocks to a “learner” for wrong answers. P protests but told they must continue, 65% went lethal dose

Why Milgram matters

E – Ethics

A – Ability (proved humans are capable of)

B – Boundaries (limits of authority’s influence)

factors influence obedience 

the person - autoritarian personality obey

the authority - prestige, soc role

the context - chain of command, speed and degree of escalation 

soc impact th

the effect on a target depends on the strength, immediacy and number of others

strenght

status, ability, relationship to target

immediacy

proximity in time and space

number 

up to 3-4