Conformity

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Lecture

• Conformity

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Conformity

• Definition Change in Behavior or belief from the
  result of real or imagined pressure from others

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Conformity

• Sherif (1936)
• The Autokinetic Effect

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Why do people conform?

• One answer concerns the ambiguity of the
  information

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Informational social influence

• Others are a source of information
• Conforming because we believe that others
  interpretation of an ambiguous situation is more
  correct than ours and will help us to choose an
  appropriate course of action.

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Informational social influence

• Asch Test of informational influence
• A B C St. line

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Normative social influence

• The social pressure of other people, to be
  accepted, leads us to conform in order to be
  liked and accepted by them

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Conformity

• Private Acceptance
• Public Compliance

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Conformity

• Sherif ambiguous suggests informational
• Asch lack of ambiguity suggests Normative

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Conformity

• Q What happens when there is direct pressures to
  conform?
• Obedience extent to which one agrees to a
  specific demand or request

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Obedience

• Stanley Milgram

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Obedience

• Factors that moderate obedience
• Closeness and legitimacy of experimenter
• Emotional distance from the victim

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Reactance Theory

• Use of force can backfire we REACT against it

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Reactance Theory

• Three types of reactions
• React against being told not to do something by
  doing it
• Threatened behavior becomes more attractive
• Aggression is aimed at person telling you not to
  do the behavior