Conformity & Obedience

Social Psychology - Module 3

Social Influence

The process by which individuals’ thoughts, feelings, or behaviors are shaped by the presence or actions of others.

Conformity

Changing one’s behavior, attitudes, or beliefs to match perceived group norms.

Why Conformity Occurs

People conform to gain social approval, avoid rejection, and obtain accurate information about reality.

Acceptance

A type of conformity in which individuals publicly and privately agree with the group.

Compliance

A type of conformity in which individuals publicly go along with the group but privately disagree.

Internalization

A form of social influence in which group norms become personally accepted and guide behavior even without social pressure.

Norms

Shared expectations about how members of a group should think, feel, or behave.

Social Norms

Unwritten rules that guide behavior in social situations.

Normative Social Influence

Conforming in order to be liked, accepted, or avoid social rejection.

Informational Social Influence

Conforming because others are believed to have accurate information, especially in ambiguous situations.

Situations Increasing Normative Influence

Public responding, strong group identity, and fear of social exclusion.

Situations Increasing Informational Influence

Ambiguous tasks, crises, uncertainty, and reliance on perceived experts.

Group Size and Conformity

Conformity increases with group size but levels off after about three to five people.

Unanimity and Conformity

Conformity drops significantly when even one group member disagrees.

Public vs Private Responses

People conform more when responses are public rather than anonymous.

Task Difficulty and Conformity

Conformity increases when tasks are difficult or unclear.

Cultural Differences in Conformity

Collectivist cultures show higher conformity than individualistic cultures.

Descriptive Norms

Beliefs about what most people actually do in a situation.

Injunctive Norms

Beliefs about what behaviors are socially approved or disapproved.

Difference Between Descriptive and Injunctive Norms

Descriptive norms describe behavior, while injunctive norms prescribe behavior.

Social Proof

The tendency to use others’ behavior as a guide for one’s own actions.

Heuristics

Mental shortcuts that simplify decision-making.

Authority Heuristic

The tendency to comply with requests from perceived authority figures.

Scarcity Heuristic

The tendency to value things more when they are perceived as limited.

Obedience

Following direct commands from a legitimate authority figure.

Authority

A person or institution perceived as having the power to give orders.

Legitimacy of Authority

The belief that an authority figure has the right to exert control.

Milgram’s Obedience Study

A classic experiment demonstrating that ordinary people will obey authority figures even when it causes harm.

Purpose of Milgram’s Study

To examine how far individuals would go in obeying authority commands.

Procedure of Milgram’s Study

Participants were instructed to administer increasing electric shocks to a learner for incorrect answers.

Confederates in Milgram’s Study

The learner and experimenter were confederates.

Main Findings of Milgram’s Study

A majority of participants obeyed authority and delivered the maximum shock level.

Ethical Issues in Milgram’s Study

Deception, extreme psychological distress, and lack of informed consent.

Situational Factors Increasing Obedience

Proximity of authority, institutional prestige, and gradual escalation of demands.

Agentic State

A psychological state in which individuals see themselves as instruments executing authority’s wishes.

Asch’s Line Judgment Study

A classic study demonstrating conformity in unambiguous tasks.

Procedure of Asch’s Study

Participants judged line lengths while confederates intentionally gave incorrect answers.

Main Findings of Asch’s Study

Participants conformed to incorrect group judgments even when the answer was obvious.

Role of Confederates in Asch’s Study

Confederates created social pressure to conform.

Factors Reducing Conformity in Asch’s Study

The presence of a dissenter and private responding.

Zimbardo’s Stanford Prison Experiment

A study examining conformity to social roles in a simulated prison environment.

Main Finding of Zimbardo’s Study

Situational roles and power dynamics can strongly shape behavior.

Ethical Problems in Zimbardo’s Study

Psychological harm, lack of informed consent, and researcher bias.

Difference Between Conformity and Obedience

Conformity involves peer pressure, while obedience involves authority pressure.

Real-World Applications of Conformity

Explains behavior in social media trends, peer pressure, and group decision-making.

Real-World Applications of Obedience

Helps explain behavior in military, workplace hierarchies, and institutional settings.