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conformity. Giving in to social pressure. definitions. Conformity - acting or believing because of social pressure compliance - doing what someone asks you to do. conformity. Everyone else is doing it Deliberate social pressure not necessarily because you think it is right. Sherif’s study.
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conformity Giving in to social pressure
definitions • Conformity - acting or believing because of social pressure • compliance - doing what someone asks you to do
conformity • Everyone else is doing it • Deliberate social pressure • not necessarily because you think it is right
Sherif’s study • point of light in dark room • appears to move • Autokinetic effect • impossible to judge distance • someone says 2 inches • subject agrees
Asch • Judgments of lines • easy to make
First few trials everyone gives right answer • then everyone gives wrong answer • what does the subject do? • many give the wrong answer
Why do people conform? • Two main reasons • Information • Normative
Informational • Sherif situation • ambiguous, no experience • others provide information • rational response
Normative pressure • Asch situation – clear, unambiguous • just because other do • not want to be deviant
Obedience and compliance compliance - doing what someone asks you to do Obedience – similar but less choice
Milgram Study • Not conformity - no group pressure • Obedience • but why?
Does it mean people are terrible?That they will do anything?That it explains Nazi behavior? Or Bosnia, Cambodia etc.?
NO! • Given the right situation people will comply or be obedient • not necessarily bad or weak people
Situational pressure • Authority figure • strange situation • told there was no choice • trust experimenter • also - psychology experiment • very powerful • contract
The power of the experiment • Orne - hypnosis study • hypnotized • pretend to be hypnotized • neither
Ask each person to: • Reach into cage with snake • pick dime out of nitric acid • throw acid in person’s face
results • Controls did quite a lot • hypnotized did more than controls • pretend did even more than hypnotized
the Hawthorne effect • Move to special room • pay depended on groups of sex • two 5 minute rest periods • two 10 minute rest periods • six 5 minute rest periods • light lunch provided
Work stopped half-hour early • work stopped an hour early • work stopped an hour and half early • five day workweek (from six) • all original conditions reinstated
results Work increased with every change
Why? • Special treatment felt good • assumed changes were for the better • were happy and wanted to please • were compliant
Foot-in-the-door • Small request first vs. no small request • large request later
No first contact • agree only • agree and 8 questions • 3 days later - large request
Safe driving study • Petition for environment • petition for safe driving • Small sign for environment • small sign for safe driving • huge sign for safe driving
door-in-the-face • huge request first • small request second
Obligation - favors • Pleasant or unpleasant person • person brings a coke • experimenter brings a coke • no coke • person asks a favor - selling raffle tickets
reactance • Jack Brehm • too much pressure or too obvious • resist threats to freedom of action • opposite effect