Student individual and the group reading

Essential Understandings

• Influence of Behavior

  • Our behavior is shaped by others, often subconsciously.

• Dual Identity

  • Individuals possess both a personal and social identity, each affecting behavior.

• Learning Behaviors

  • Behaviors are acquired through social interactions and observations.

• Impact of Stereotypes

  • Stereotypes play a significant role in influencing behaviors.

The Sociocultural Approach

• Understanding Behavior

  • Behavioral understanding requires considering the social context.

• Basic Need to Belong

  • Humans are inherently social and depend on group belonging for survival.

• Interrelationships

  • Individual biological and cognitive systems exist in a broader context involving relationships with others.

Cultural Influence on Behavior

• Definition of Culture

  • Culture comprises norms and values that characterize a group or society.

• Multicultural Society

  • Recognizing cultural effects fosters appreciation of diversity.

• Social vs. Individual Identity

  • Individuals identify with various groups, impacting their behaviors significantly.

  • Examples include collective mourning and celebration across communities.

• Bidirectional Relationships

  • Individuals influence and are influenced by group dynamics (reciprocal determinism).

Social Comparison and Influence

• Role of Social Comparison

  • New participants gauge behavior by observing others in the group, leading to compliant actions.

• Types of Social Influence

  • Informational Social Influence: Seeking clarity on expected behaviors (e.g., new settings).

  • Normative Social Influence: Adapting behavior to fit in, indicating a desire for acceptance.

  • Conformity: Adjusting behavior to align with group norms.

Solomon Asch's Study on Conformity

Study Overview

• Methodology

  • Conducted a lab experiment with male student participants under the guise of a vision test.

  • Examined conformity through group pressure with confederates providing incorrect answers.

• Independent/Dependent Variables

  • Independent: Number of confederates giving incorrect responses.

  • Dependent: Participant conformity (agreement with incorrect answers).

Findings from Asch's Experiment

• Trial Setup

  • Participants faced 18 trials with confederates giving wrong responses in 12 of them.

• Results

  • 36.8% of naive participants conformed in more than half of the trials.

  • 24% maintained independence with no conformity.

  • The presence of one dissenting confederate reduced conformity significantly (to around 5%).

Post-Experiment Reflections

• Participant Experiences

  • Participants expressed self-doubt about their answers, often conforming due to group pressure and fear of misunderstanding.

• Critical Thinking

  • Varying textbook presentations may misrepresent the study's results and implications.

Variables Influencing Conformity

Key Factors

• Group Size

• Response Mode: Public vs. private answers.

• Self-Esteem Levels

• Gender of Participants

Research Findings

• Focus should not just be on conformity but also the factors that enable resistance against group pressure.

Strengths and Limitations of Asch’s Study

Strengths

• The Asch paradigm allows for easy replication due to standardized procedures.

• Utilized control groups to ensure clarity regarding task ambiguity.

Limitations

• Lack of personal connection and emotional significance in the task.

• Low ecological validity due to artificial setup compared to real-life scenarios of conformity.

• Ethical considerations regarding deception and possible embarrassment.

• Challenges in isolating variables, considering group dynamics (e.g., in-group identification, cultural influences).