Conformity
- Created by: Thunder1107
- Created on: 22-04-18 16:01
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- Conformity
- Types of conformity
- Compliance - A P accepts influence because they want a good reaction
- Internalisation - A P accepts influence because it is consistent with their beliefs
- Identification - A P adopts an attitude because they want to be associated with a group
- Evaluation
- Normative research - Perkins found that the Ps were told that most people didn't smoke were less likely to smoke
- Informational research - Henley found that Ps given -ve info about Afro American PPL were more -ve about them
- Compliance vs internalisation - acceptance may leave in private + does not internalise but complies in public
- Variables affecting conformity
- There are 3 main factors that influence levels of conformity
- Difficulty: More difficult = more conformity. More self belief = less conformity
- Group size: 3 stooges = 30% more conform. The larger the majority the more likely PPL are to conform
- Unanimity: stooge gave right answer = 5.5% wrong. Stooge gave wrong answer = 33% wrong
- Asch (1956)
- On 12 of the 18 tasks the stooges all gave wrong answers and the real P answered 2nd to last
- They had to call out which was the same length as the standard line
- Conformity was 33%. 1/2 conformed on 6 or more trials. 1 in 20 conformed on all 12 lines
- 123 male uni students looked at 3 lines of different lengths
- In the control Ps only made mistakes 1% of the time
- Evaluation
- Group size: most studies only used 2-4 stooges and at most 9 so nit much is known about big majorities
- Asch's study was conducted when the US was going through an anti-communist period so PPL were scared to speak out
- Independent behaviour: In 2/3 of the trials PPL did not conform (showing independent behaviour)
- There are 3 main factors that influence levels of conformity
- Conformity to social roles
- Zimbardo Prison Experiment
- 5 prisoners had to be released early due to extreme reactions (crying, rage + anxiety)
- The prisoners were referred to by numbers. Guards had uniforms, clubs, whistles + reflective sunglasses
- The study was stopped after 6 days after a fellow researcher saw the abuse that was going on
- 24 stable men were assigned to be guards or prisoners
- The guards became sadistic + the prisoners because very passive
- Evaluation
- What we learned - The brutality of the guards was a natural consequence
- Demand characteristics - responses were due to DMs. PPL guessed the study aim
- Abu Ghraib - the guards were victims of situational factors that made abuse more likely
- Not automatic - there were some good guards which suggested that conformity is not automatic
- Ethics - Protection + withdawl
- Zimbardo Prison Experiment
- Explanations for conformity
- Normative social influence - A P conforms with a group to gain approval/ avoid disapproval
- Informational social influence - a desire to be right, looking to others as ways of gaining evidence
- Eval: informational - some info comes from majority consensus that influence overall views
- Eval: normative - Nolan found that PPL rely on beliefs about what should motivate them + not what does
- Types of conformity
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