Conformity & Social Change

Conformity is best described as

• performing simple tasks more quickly in the presence of others.

• neglecting critical thinking in order to preserve group harmony.

• adjusting our behavior or thinking toward a group standard.

• losing self-awareness in group situations that foster anonymity.

 

Internalisation can be described as:

• A person's public change in behaviour and opinions because they value the group and want to be a part of it, even though they don't necessarily privately agree with the majority/group.

• When a person is forced to accept the norms of the group in order to avoid consequences such as rejection or exclusion.

• A type of conformity where a person changes their opinion or behaviour based on that of the majority in order to gain social approval.

• A deep type of conformity where a person genuinely accepts the group norms as correct leading to a far reaching and likely permanent change in opinions and behaviour, even when the group is absent.

 

Informational Social Influence (ISI) is when:

• A person is unsure what is right or wrong so is influenced by other people, normally the majority, due to their want to be right. It is a cognitive process.

• A person is afraid of being wrong.

• People avoid confrontation because they want social approval. It is a social process.

• A person is pressured into changing their opinion due to all of their friends disagreeing with them. It is an emotional process.

Normative Social Influence (NSI) is when:

• A person goes along with the social norms and expectations to avoid being rejected and to gain social approval. It is an emotional process.

• The abnormal minority influence the majority leading to social change and the normalisation of less accepted behaviours. It is a social process.

• This is when a majority forces a minority to stay away from the wider group as they are not socially accepted.

• A person wishes to be seen as smart so avoids association with those who are considered of low intelligence. It is a social process.

What is a difference between obedience and conformity?

• In conformity, there is a perceived difference in status between the one who conforms and the group.

• In obedience, there is a difference in status between the one who obeys and the one who makes the request.

• Obedience is an indirect request, whereas conformity is a direct request.

• Conformity requires strict adherence to the rules, whereas obedience does not.

An experiment in which "participants" unanimously choose the wrong line. It is clear to you that they are wrong, but they have all given the same answer.

• Stanley Milgram Shock Experiment

• Philip Zimbardo Prison Experiment

• Solomon Asch Line Experiment

• Leon Festinger Cognitive Dissonance Experiment

 

What did the electric shock experiment show? 

• Most people prefer social acceptance than to be correct. 

• Most people will obey orders, even when it harms others. 

• Conformity can lead to obedience 

• Morality is more important to people than being obedient 

Which researcher's work was key to our understanding of obedience 

• Milgram

• Eichmann

• Durkheim 

• Asch

It's Oliver's first day of school and he is keen to make a good impression. He pretends to be interested in the other students' conversation even though he really finds them boring.

Why is he doing this?

• Informational social influence

• Because he's shy and doesn't want to stand out

• Normative social influence

• Identification

The Asch Effect refers to 

• the tendency to adapt to the people around

• a person obeying a person of authority even if the action is wrong

• how an individual agrees with the majority, even if the majority is wrong

• how an individual disagrees with the majority, even if the majority is right