Social Influence

Types of Conformity

Compliance

• Weakest type of conformity where a person changes behavior and beliefs publicly to fit a group but does not accept them privately.

• Example: Pretending to like a film to avoid standing out.

• Historical Context: Asch conformity experiments highlighted the impact of group pressure on conformity.

Identification

• Stronger than compliance, involves both public and private change to fit a desired group.

• Example: Adopting music tastes of a friendship group temporarily.

• Historical Context: Solomon Asch's research on conformity levels in group settings.

Internalisation

• Strongest type where behavior and beliefs are changed permanently both publicly and privately.

• Example: Genuine religious conversion leading to sustained beliefs.

• Historical Context: Asch's experiments on conformity and group influence.

Solomon Asch: Conformity Experiments

Procedure and Results

• Asch's experiments aimed to measure conformity to an incorrect majority consensus.

• 123 male participants were placed in groups with confederates who gave wrong answers.

• Participants conformed to the incorrect group consensus 32% of the time.

Factors Affecting Conformity

• Unanimity: Conformity declined when one confederate gave the correct answer.

• Group Size: Increasing group size increased conformity up to a certain point.

• Difficulty: Harder tasks increased conformity rates.

• Historical Context: Asch's findings influenced subsequent research on conformity.

Variables Affecting Conformity

Mood and Gender

• Mood: Studies show correlations between mood and conformity.

• Gender: Research suggests women may be more likely to conform.

• Historical Context: Jenness and Maslach's studies on gender differences in conformity.

Culture and Explanations

• Culture: Conformity rates vary across collectivist and individualist cultures.

• Explanations: Deutsch and Gerard identified informational and normative social influence.

• Example: Conforming in a formal restaurant due to informational social influence.

Conformity to Social Roles

Social Roles and Examples

• Different social situations have specific expectations for behavior.

• Example: Playing the role of an employee or a customer in different settings.

• Historical Context: Zimbardo's Stanford prison study explored conformity to social roles.

Stanford Prison Experiment

Aim and Procedure

• Aimed to investigate conformity to social roles of prisoner and guard in a simulated prison environment.

• Zimbardo and team converted Stanford University's basement into a fake prison.

• 21 male students selected as participants, randomly divided into guards and prisoners.

• Guards became increasingly sadistic, enforcing degrading tasks on prisoners.

• Experiment halted after 6 days due to extreme behavior, contrary to participants' usual character.

Results and Implications

• Guards exhibited sadistic behavior, while prisoners became submissive.

• Some prisoners rebelled, challenging the extent of conformity to social roles.

• Participants expressed shock at their behavior, supporting situational hypothesis over dispositional.

• Individual dispositions and situational factors both influence behavior.

• Replication studies have questioned the emphasis on social roles in behavior.

Evaluation and Critique

• Stanford Prison Experiment highlights the impact of social roles on behavior.

• Raises ethical concerns regarding psychological harm to participants.

• Demonstrates the power of situational factors in shaping behavior.

• Individual differences in response to authority and social roles.

• Influenced further research on obedience and conformity in social psychology.

Milgram Obedience Experiments

Aim and Procedure

• Investigated obedience to authority figures, inspired by Nazi obedience during WWII.

• Participants believed they were administering electric shocks to a 'learner' under authority instruction.

• Majority of participants obeyed commands to administer shocks up to 450 volts.

• Physical and emotional distress observed in participants during the experiment.

Findings and Implications

• 65% of participants administered shocks up to the maximum voltage.

• Participants displayed discomfort and stress symptoms during the experiment.

• Study challenges the notion of a uniquely obedient disposition in certain populations.

• Highlights the influence of authority figures on behavior even against moral beliefs.

• Provides insights into obedience and moral decision-making in social contexts.

Variables Affecting Obedience

• Proximity to the learner and authority figure impacts obedience levels.

• Location of the experiment influences obedience rates.

• Uniforms worn by authority figures affect obedience levels.

• Different settings and appearances alter participants' responses to authority.

• Explanations of obedience include the agentic state theory by Milgram.

Evaluation and Further Studies

• Milgram's experiments shed light on obedience and authority influence.

• Ethical considerations raised regarding psychological distress in participants.

• Variations of the experiment reveal nuances in obedience under different conditions.

• Influence of situational factors on obedience and moral decision-making.

• Continued research on obedience and conformity in social psychology.

Obedience to Authority

Agentic State

• Individuals in an agentic state view themselves as tools of authority figures, relinquishing personal responsibility for their actions.

• Milgram's theory suggests that obedience is ingrained in society from a young age, leading individuals to surrender some free will.

• People in the agentic state may act against their moral beliefs under the influence of authority figures.

Legitimacy of Authority

• Obedience can stem from perceiving authority figures as legitimate and having the right to give orders.

• Milgram's experiments highlighted factors like attire and location that enhanced the perceived legitimacy of authority figures.

• Accepting authority as legitimate leads individuals to feel a duty to comply with directives.

Authoritarian Personality

• Some individuals possess an authoritarian personality inclined towards obedience.

• This personality trait, identified by Fromm, involves submission to authority and dominance over lower-status individuals.

• Adorno et al. developed the F-scale to measure authoritarianism, linking it to obedience in Milgram's research.

Resistance to Social Influence

Social Support

• Presence of social support reduces the impact of social influence, fostering non-conformity and disobedience.

• Asch's conformity experiments and variations of Milgram's obedience studies demonstrate the role of social support.

• Having someone challenge group consensus provides individuals with the confidence to express their true beliefs.

Locus of Control

• Locus of control, internal or external, influences the extent to which individuals believe they control their lives.

• Individuals with an internal locus of control are less likely to conform or obey compared to those with an external locus.

• Avtgis' meta-analysis supports the link between internal locus of control and reduced susceptibility to group influence.

Factors Affecting Resistance

• Status within a group can motivate conformity, while perceived artificial consensus may lead to non-conformity.

• Systematic processing and moral beliefs can influence disobedience to unreasonable orders.

• Reactance occurs when individuals rebel against perceived restrictions on their free will.

Social Change and Minority Influence

Social Change

• Social norms are shaped by majority influence, with social change reflecting shifts in these norms over time.

• Minority influence plays a crucial role in challenging existing norms and establishing new societal standards.

• Examples like the spread of Christianity and suffragette movements demonstrate the impact of minority influence.

Variables Affecting Minority Influence

• Consistency, commitment, and flexibility enhance the effectiveness of minority influence.

• Moscovici's experiments emphasize the importance of consistency in minority beliefs and behaviors.

• Flexibility is crucial for minority influence, allowing for negotiation and persuasion within the majority.