03/16 - Conformity/Obedience

Students who come from wealthy backgrounds

Use campus spaces more

Mesmerize

• like being hypnotized by someone

• Come from the Franz Mesmer who tried to cure women from hysteria with vibes

• Ppl were actually convinced by it

Social norms

Rules or guidelines in a group or culture about what behaviours are proper and improper

• play a huge role

• implicit or explicit

  • We model the behaviours of ppl around us

Why are we afraid to violate norms?

• Worried about reactions of others

• We usually don’t like norm violators

Conformity

People changing their perceptions, opinions, and behaviour to be consistent with group norms

• We adapt in relation to norms

Information influence

ppl conform because they want to be correct, and when everyone else agrees, it is likely they are correct

• Associated with ambiguous situations

  • Ppl are convinced by what they think others think (even if eye-witness testimony)

Normative influence

Ppl conform because they fear the consequences of appearing deviant (and thus being excluded from a group or ridiculed)

• associated with clear/obvious situatons

• we want to be accepted by groups

• Stems from wanting to be liked

  • Ppl express prejuidice against groups it is socially accepted to do so against

Sherifs Autokinetic Paradigm

• participants brought into a dark room, shown a single point of light

• Participants estimate how much the point of light moves

  • The light is actually stationary, but you have no point of reference

Sherifs Autokinetic Effect

• First ppl do the task alone, then with others in the room

• When other ppl were present, they changed their answers and converged them (to create a shared group norm)

• Example of informational influence

Beep example

• When everyone stands up after hearing a beep, ppl will join them without knowing why, and them exhibit behaviour even when alone

Solomon Asch Line Test

Have ppl sit together at a table, present a line, have participant estimate which line is the longest

• 37% of the time, participants agreed on what was obviously the incorrect answer bc the other ppl at the table said it was

  • They think they know the right answer and second guess themselves

  • Normative influence

Solomon Asch Line Test Results

• 25% would never conform

• 25% would conform sometimes

• 50% of ppl would conform half the time

Private conformity

• true acceptance or conversion

• Being truly persuaded others are correct

  • More likely a result of informational influence

  • Associated with ambiguous situations

Public conformity

• superficial change in behaviour

• State something to avoid criticism/bc its advantageous

  • More likely to be caused by normative influence

  • Associated with obvious situations

Can some groups not conform?

Yes

Do collectivist societies tend to conform more overall?

Yes bc tolerance for norm deviance is lower

Cultural tightness/looseness

• looseness = tolerate ppl who deviate from a clear norm

• Tightness= minor deviations face punitive social exclusions

Group size and conformity (and allyship)

• Group sizes increase with conformity, UP TO A POINT

  • Evidence for groups of 4 from Asch

  • Dif btwn 100 and 200 is basically none

• When another person doesnt conform, you are more likely to not conform

Strength of norms and conformity

• ppl are more likely to deviate from weak norms then very strong ones

  • Can even happen for norms that aren’t made explicit

Gender and conformity

• Asch concluded that women conformed more than men

• Modern studies disprove this

• Depends on subject matter, when its an issue they are familiar with, they dont conform (equal to how men conform)

  • Amount of expertise relates to level of conformity

How do people feel about non-conformers and how do they view them

• we dont like non-conformers as a species

• We see it as a criticism of the self

• Still seen as confident/honest, we sometimes respect them

• We end up killing a lot of non-conformers

How to be a convincing minority voice of dissent? (Ways to achieve minority influence)

• Consistent, unwavering

• Appear flexible + open minded

  • Causes ppl to reexamine their own views, maybe result in change

• More influence if ur part of ingroup

minority influence

form of social influence where a small group or individual persuades the majority to adopt their beliefs, attitudes, or behaviors, often leading to deep, internal shifts in opinion (conversion)

Compliance

• version of conformity

• Somebody explicitly asks you to go along with their norms

  • Like asking to cut a line

What makes ppl more likely to comply

• a unique justification

• Even if ppl dont actually have a unique justification, but they word it as if they do, ppl are still more likely to comply (esp when were on autopilot)

Norm of reciprocity

• if given something, we feel compelled to give something back

  • If a server writes ‘thank you’ on the receipt, ppl are more likely to get bigger tips

• Gift giving cultures have a long history and are ancient

Sequential Request Strategies

• Start with one request and then proceed with another request that is slightly different to get someone to comply with you

  • Goal is never first part

• Foot-in-the door

• Door in the face

• Low-balling

• Thats not all

  • All rely on norm of reciprocity

Foot in the door technique

• Small initial request that targets cant easily refuse, larger requests later on are more likely to be accepted

  • Related to self-perception theory

Door in the face technique

• initial request is very high and unreasonable, second then appears reasonable

  • Reinterpret current offer based on first offer

  • Agreement is significantly lower when you only receive second request

• Relates to norm of reciprocity: by reducing request, the person is “giving“ you something can you are more likely to comply

Low-balling

After you’ve agreed to something, coming back and saying the price is higher then originally agreed

• Adding little things (like more money for leg room)

• Ask someone to do something (they agree), then ask them to do it at 7 AM

• Dif from foot in the door bc its not a dif request, but changing terms of agreement

Thats not all strategy

• Initial offer is improved before person can reject it

• Discount shown immediately below normal price

Resisting these techniques

• Knowing these techniques reduces their effectiveness

Obedience

• explicit requests for conformity from POSITIONS OF AUTHORITY

  • Compliance from positions of authority

Milgrams Obedience Studies

• interested in how SS guards did what they did

• Wanted to see how many normal people would obey authority to harm others

• Ppl would do it even tho they were visibly uncomfortable

Milgrams Obedience Studies Conclusions

• 65% of ppl would have killed the learner with prodding

• Still a small sample size

Variations of Milgram Experiement

• Distance

  • Closer ppl were to authority figure, more likely to comply

  • Closer to victim, less likely to comply

• Legitimacy + presence of authority

  • When percieved status of professor or learner is higher/lower

• Institutional prestige

Social impact theory

Total social impact is a function of 3 things

• Strength of source: status, ability, authority

• Distance: proximity in space and time

• Number: how many source