Chapter 6 Conformity and Influence In Groups - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

1 / 20
About This Presentation
Title:

Chapter 6 Conformity and Influence In Groups

Description:

Four out of five dentists recommend – PowerPoint PPT presentation

Number of Views:137
Avg rating:3.0/5.0
Slides: 21
Provided by: Robe6152
Category:

less

Transcript and Presenter's Notes

Title: Chapter 6 Conformity and Influence In Groups


1
Chapter 6Conformity andInfluence In Groups
  • Four out of five dentists recommend

2
Conformity to Group Norms
  • Norms are expectations governing group members
    behavior.
  • Norms may be formal, explicit
  • no cheating on tests
  • Norms may be informal, implicit
  • no picking your nose during class
  • Norms may not be apparent until violated
  • Is texting during class okay?

3
Early Conformity Research
  • Sherif demonstrated conformity to group
    judgments.
  • Autokinetic effect a stationary point of light,
    in a completely dark room, appears to be moving.
  • Individuals estimates of the amount of movement
    conformed to the groups.

4
Early Conformity Research
  • Asch found conformity to group judgments
  • Individuals estimated the length of lines.
  • Group members (confederates) offered different
    judgments.
  • 75 of all subjects modified their estimates to
    conform to the group.
  • Public conformity doesnt necessarily imply
    private conformity.

5
Influence of Norms
  • Groups may punish deviation from established
    norms.
  • Norms are most influential in ambiguous social
    situations.
  • Subjects littered more in a setting where others
    were seen littering.
  • Norms may persist even if they are dysfunctional.

6
Group Size and Conformity
  • Social impact theory
  • Each additional member adds pressure to conform.
  • Each new members influence is proportionally
    less.
  • Social influence model
  • The first few people added exert the most
    pressure to conform.
  • Conformity levels off with additional members.
  • For example, if the first 9 group members dont
    convince someone, neither will the 10th.

7
Group Size and Conformity
  • Informational influence
  • Members want to be correct, accurate.
  • More heads are better than one.
  • Consistent with social influence model
  • Normative influence
  • Members want to be liked, accepted by the group.
  • Groups provide a sense belonging, connectedness.
  • Consistent with social impact theory

8
Resisting Pressure to Conform
  • It is difficult for a lone dissenter to resist
    unanimous group pressure.
  • A holdout with even one ally can resist more
    easily.
  • A second dissenter decreases conformity by 80.

9
Factors Affecting Conformity
  • Identification and reference groups
  • Reference groups provide standards of comparison
    for self-appraisal.
  • Keeping up with the Joneses
  • People consider reference groups when making
    decisions.
  • Groupthink
  • Members engage in consensus-seeking.
  • They reinforce one anothers opinions.
  • They fail to question or analyze ideas.

10
Gender and Conformity
  • In general women tend to conform more than men.
  • Sex roles affect conformity
  • Females are socialized to be more communal.
  • Males are socialized to be more independent.
  • Status affects conformity
  • Sex functions as a status cue.
  • Males generally enjoy higher status in
    organizational settings.

11
Peer Pressure and Conformity
  • Peer influence increases during adolescence.
  • Peer pressure can promote risky behaviors.
  • Tobacco, alcohol, drug use
  • Peer pressure can lead to aggression.
  • Hazing, teasing, ostracism can spark violence.
  • Online hazing can trigger suicides.
  • Peer pressure also has positive effects.
  • Peers also model desirable behavior.

12
Personality and Conformity
  • High self-monitors tend to conform more than low
    self-monitors.
  • Dogmatic people tend to conform more than
    non-dogmatics.

13
Culture and Conformity
  • Ethnocentrism
  • Using ones own culture as the benchmark for
    judging other cultures.
  • Individualism-Collectivism
  • Individualistic cultures view conformity more
    negatively.
  • Collectivistic cultures view conformity more
    positively.

14
The Whys of Conformity
  • Group locomotion
  • The individual goes along to achieve the goals of
    the group.
  • Social comparison
  • The group is a yardstick for measuring ones own
    performance.
  • Consistency
  • Liking and identification with the group
    discourages deviance
  • Epistemological weighting
  • Members think the group knows more than they do.
  • Hedonistic hypothesis
  • Members conform to receive social benefits, avoid
    social rejection.

15
Social Proof
  • Monkey see, monkey do
  • People base their behavior on what others are
    doing.
  • Internet piracy
  • Urban graffiti
  • Viral marketing relies on social proof
  • A social phenomenon is spread by word of mouth.
  • Negative social proof
  • Everyone else is doing it is based on appeals
    to the crowd.

16
Social Loafing
  • Slackers People exert less effort in a group
    than working alone.
  • The Ringlemann effect in a tug of war, adding
    team members reduces individual effort.
  • Decision making problem solving as members are
    added, individual effort tapers off.
  • Collective effort model
  • Members coast if individuals contributions cant
    be distinguished.
  • Free ride effect
  • Members coast if they are anonymous.
  • Members coast if they arent personally
    accountable.
  • Sucker effect
  • Productive members slack off when they see others
    arent working.

17
Risk-Taking Behavior
  • Risky-shift phenomenon
  • Groups are prone to make riskier decisions than
    individuals.
  • The groups consensus is typically riskier than
    the average risk-level of its members.
  • Group polarization
  • Groups enhance members pre-existing tendencies
    toward risk-taking or risk-aversion.
  • High risk-takers skew the average willingness of
    the group to assume risks.
  • Social comparison theory
  • Members entertain ideas they would not otherwise
    consider.
  • Persuasive arguments theory (PAT)
  • The most vocal members advocate the most extreme
    views.
  • There can also be a shift toward greater caution
  • More vocal members may advocate greater caution.

18
Ostracism
  • Social ostracism can lead to anti-social behavior
  • School shootings
  • Cyber-bullying

19
Deindividuation
  • Depersonalization
  • Individual identity is subsumed to that of the
    group.
  • Personal accountability is lacking.
  • A diffusion of responsibility occurs.
  • Its not my problem.
  • Its none of my business.
  • Anonymity increases deindividuation.
  • Negative social consequences
  • Mob psychology
  • Vandalism perpetrated by unruly sports fans
  • Treatment of detainees at Abu Ghraib prison in
    Iraq
  • Crowd size affects antisocial behavior.
  • Bystander effects
  • Bystanders may fail to help in an emergency.
  • Self-Awareness
  • Increasing self-awareness reduces
    deindividuation.
  • Increasing accountability decreases
    deindividuation.

20
The Bystander effect
  • Richmond, CA, 2009 A 15 year old was the victim
    of a gang rape outside her high schools
    homecoming dance.
  • The ordeal lasted 2 ½ hours.
  • At least 20 passers-by failed to call police.
  • Other witnesses watched, laughed, and took
    pictures.
  • People in a crowd who see others doing nothing do
    nothing themselves.
  • Bystanders fail to act based on
  • social proof
  • Deindividuation
  • Increasing private awareness can overcome the
    bystander effect.
  • Identifying individuals can overcome the
    bystander effect.
  • You, in the red sweater, call 911!
  • Mam, I need your help. Go pull the fire alarm.
Write a Comment
User Comments (0)
About PowerShow.com