Understanding Conformity and Obedience

What was the main aim of Asch's conformity experiments?

• To investigate the impact of age on conformity levels.

• To study the influence of group pressure on individual conformity.

• To analyze the role of cultural differences in conformity.

• To examine the effects of individual decision-making in isolation.

Describe the procedure used in Asch's experiments.

• Participants were asked to draw shapes while discussing their answers.

• Participants solved math problems individually without any group influence.

• Participants watched a video and then answered questions about it.

• Participants judged line lengths in groups with confederates giving wrong answers to test conformity.

What were the key findings of Asch's conformity studies?

• Individuals often conform to group opinions despite clear evidence to the contrary, with about 75% conforming at least once.

• Conformity rates were found to be below 25% in all trials.

• Most individuals resist group pressure and maintain their own opinions.

• Participants were unaware of the group's influence on their decisions.

List three factors that can influence obedience according to social psychology.

• Authority figures, group pressure, perceived legitimacy of the situation

• Cultural background

• Emotional state

• Personal beliefs

How did Milgram's study measure obedience?

• Participants were asked to fill out a questionnaire about their beliefs.

• Participants were rewarded for refusing to administer shocks.

• Participants were instructed to ignore the authority figure's commands.

• Milgram's study measured obedience by having participants administer shocks to a learner under the direction of an authority figure.

What was the shocking result of Milgram's obedience study?

• All participants were shocked by the results.

• Most participants refused to follow the orders.

• Many participants obeyed orders to administer shocks up to lethal levels.

• Participants were rewarded for their compliance.

Explain the concept of normative social influence.

• Normative social influence is the influence to conform with the expectations of others to gain social approval or avoid disapproval.

• Normative social influence is the tendency to reject social norms in favor of individuality.

• Normative social influence is the pressure to act against one's beliefs.

• Normative social influence refers to the need for personal validation regardless of others' opinions.

What is informational social influence and how does it differ from normative influence?

• Normative influence occurs when people change their beliefs based on new information, while informational influence is about fitting in.

• Informational social influence is always negative, while normative influence is always positive.

• Informational social influence is about following trends, while normative influence is about seeking knowledge.

• Informational social influence is conformity based on the desire to be correct, while normative influence is conformity based on the desire to be accepted.

Identify and describe the three types of conformity.

• Socialization, integration, and assimilation

• Obedience, rebellion, and acceptance

• Conformity, adaptation, and compliance

• The three types of conformity are compliance, identification, and internalization.

How does group size affect conformity levels?

• Conformity decreases as group size increases.

• Larger groups always lead to higher conformity without limits.

• Group size positively affects conformity levels, but the effect plateaus after a certain size.

• Group size has no effect on conformity levels.