Conformity and Influence
Conformity
Conformity is defined as a change in behavior or attitude brought about by a desire to follow the beliefs or standards of others.
Types of Influence
There are two main types of influence in conformity situations:
Informational Influence: This is based on accepting evidence about reality provided by other people.
Normative Influence: This is based on a person’s desire to fulfill others’ expectations, often to gain acceptance. It involves going along with the crowd regardless of one’s actual beliefs.
Sherif's (1936) Autokinetic Effect Study
This study demonstrated informational influence using the autokinetic effect, an optical illusion where a stationary light in a dark room appears to move:
Participants were seated in a dark room and asked to estimate how much a stationary light moved.
The next day, they returned and did the task again with two others. Each person stated their estimate out loud.
This was repeated for a third and fourth day.
The results showed that individual estimates converged over time, demonstrating how people use others as a source of information in ambiguous situations.
Asch (1955) Line Matching Task
This study focused on normative influence:
Participants were given an unambiguous line matching task where they had to state which comparison line matched the standard line.
There were two conditions:
Control Condition: Participants completed the task alone.
Group Condition: Some trials included confederates who gave the wrong response.
Asch Results
The dependent variable (DV) was the percentage of times the subject gave an incorrect answer on critical trials.
Control condition = less than 1%
Group condition = 37%
75% gave an incorrect answer at least once
Factors Influencing Conformity
There are several factors that influence when people conform:
Group Size: Conformity increases with group size, but only up to a point.
Cohesiveness of Group: The more cohesive the group, the more likely people are to conform.
Unanimity in Group: Conformity is highest when the group is unanimous.
Status of Group Members: People are more likely to conform to high-status group members.
Prior Commitment: People are less likely to conform if they have already made a public commitment to a different position.
Resisting Conformity
There are two main reasons why people resist conformity:
Reactance: This is the motive to protect or restore one’s sense of freedom. Reactance arises when someone threatens our freedom of action.
Desire for Uniqueness: People have a need to feel different from others.
Factors That Influence Minority Influence
Consistency: Minorities are more influential when they are consistent in their views.
Confidence: Minorities are more influential when they express their views with confidence.
Flexible and Open-Minded, Not Rigid: Minorities are more persuasive when they are flexible and open to considering other viewpoints.
Not Too Deviant from the Majority: Minorities are more influential when they are not too extreme in their views.
Originally Held the Majority Position: A minority that once held the majority position can be more persuasive.
Sum of Research on Majority and Minority Influence
Majority Influence: public, normative
Minority Influence: private, informational
Brainstorming
Brainstorming involves group members being encouraged to produce as many ideas as possible in an uninhibited way. While intended to boost creativity, research questions its effectiveness.
Brainstorming: Direct and Indirect Influences
Direct Influence: Often negative
Production blocking: Failure of members to express ideas due to the norm that only one person talks at a time.
Indirect Influence: May be positive in the long run.
Increased enjoyment
Increased group cohesiveness
Conformity is defined as a change in behavior or attitude brought about by a desire to follow the beliefs or standards of others. It can occur either consciously or unconsciously and can have significant implications in social contexts, influencing individual decision-making and group dynamics. Conformity can manifest in various forms, through overt actions or subtle changes in thought processes, driven by the inherent human tendency to fit in with social groups.
Types of Influence
There are two main types of influence in conformity situations:
Informational Influence: This is based on accepting evidence about reality provided by other people. In ambiguous situations where individuals are unsure of the correct response, they may look to others for cues, leading to private acceptance of the group's beliefs or behaviors. This type of influence is often observed in situations requiring judgment or decision-making in uncertain environments.
Normative Influence: This is based on a person’s desire to fulfill others’ expectations, often to gain acceptance or avoid disapproval. It involves publicly conforming while potentially holding private dissenting beliefs. This can lead to a conflict between personal values and social pressures, demonstrating the complexity of human social interactions.
Sherif's (1936) Autokinetic Effect Study
This study demonstrated informational influence using the autokinetic effect, an optical illusion where a stationary light in a dark room appears to move. The methodology included:
Participants were seated in a dark room and asked to estimate how much a stationary light moved.
Initially, estimates varied greatly among participants.
The next day, they returned and did the task again with two others. Each person stated their estimate out loud.
This was repeated for a third and fourth day, leading to convergence of estimates over multiple trials.
The results showed that individual estimates instilled a social norm, converging over time, thereby demonstrating how people use others as a source of information in ambiguous situations.
Asch (1955) Line Matching Task
This study focused on normative influence:
Participants were given an unambiguous line matching task where they had to state which comparison line matched the standard line. There were two conditions:
Control Condition: Participants completed the task alone.
Group Condition: Some trials included confederates who gave the wrong response.
Asch Results
The dependent variable (DV) was the percentage of times the subject gave an incorrect answer on critical trials. The findings revealed the following:
Control condition = less than 1% gave an incorrect answer, indicating that in isolation, people accurately perceive and convey information.
Group condition = 37% gave an incorrect answer, showing that individuals were willing to conform to the incorrect group response in instances of social pressure. Notably, 75% of participants gave an incorrect answer at least once throughout the trial, highlighting the powerful effect of group conformity.
Factors Influencing Conformity
There are several factors that influence when and why people conform:
Group Size: Conformity increases with group size, but only up to a point—typically three to five members is effective, after which, the influence may plateau.
Cohesiveness of Group: The more cohesive the group, the more likely people are to conform; strong relationships can exacerbate pressures to comply.
Unanimity in Group: Conformity is highest when the group is unanimous. The presence of a single dissenting voice can significantly reduce conformity pressures.
Status of Group Members: People are more likely to conform to high-status group members, as they may perceive them as more knowledgeable or authoritative.
Prior Commitment: People are less likely to conform if they have already made a public commitment to a different position, as this creates cognitive dissonance.
Resisting Conformity
There are two main reasons why people resist conformity:
Reactance: This is the motive to protect or restore one’s sense of freedom. Reactance arises when someone threatens our freedom of action, leading individuals to assert their independence.
Desire for Uniqueness: People have a need to feel different from others, which can lead to a rejection of group norms in favor of personal beliefs or identities.
Factors That Influence Minority Influence
Consistency: Minorities are more influential when they are consistent in their views, as this consistency can create doubt in the majority’s opinion.
Confidence: Minorities are more influential when they express their views with confidence, suggesting that they genuinely believe in their stance.
Flexible and Open-Minded, Not Rigid: Minorities are more persuasive when they demonstrate flexibility and openness to considering other viewpoints.
Not Too Deviant from the Majority: Minorities are more influential when they are not too extreme in their views, as extreme positions can alienate potential supporters.
Originally Held the Majority Position: A minority that once held the majority position can be more persuasive because members of the majority may resonate with their past views and be more receptive to reconsidering them.
Sum of Research on Majority and Minority Influence
Majority Influence: Typically associated with public compliance and normative social influence, where individuals conform to group pressures for acceptance.
Minority Influence: More often involves private acceptance and informational social influence, where individuals integrate the minority opinion into their personal belief system due to its persuasive nature.
Brainstorming
Brainstorming involves group members being encouraged to produce as many ideas as possible in an uninhibited way. While the intention is to boost creativity, research questions its effectiveness due to several factors.
Brainstorming: Direct and Indirect Influences
Direct Influence: Often negative due to production blocking, which refers to the failure of members to express ideas due to the norm that only one person talks at a time, resulting in lost contributions.
Indirect Influence: May be positive in the long run, fostering increased enjoyment and group cohesiveness as interactions can reinforce positive relationships among members and enhance collaborative spirit.