Conformity and Obedience

Comformity is the process of people yielding to a majority influence. A change in behaviour or belief due to group pressure

Complianc is when they publically conform to other but privatelly keep on views

Identification is when they conform pubilically and privately but only temparerly around peers

Internalization is when they conform both publically and privately but still keep these views with out the presence of peers.

Why conform

Normative social influence is the need to me liked by others

Informational social influence is the need to be right

These are factors that can change the levels of peoples conformince

-A non-unanimous majority

One other person rebelling from majority

The size of the majority

-Losing a partner

Having someone who was same as person but then conforms

Gaining a partner

-Nature of task

If difficult

- Mode of response

Written instead of spoken

Individual differences

Asch 1951, the aim of their study was to see if people would yield to a majority influence.

There were 7 male students and 1 person who knew nothing about it, There were shown 2 cards 1 with a line on it one with several, They had to call out individually what line they thought matched the test one, There was 12 wrong answers and 18 "critical trials" in total 50 males students.

They found that 32% conformed in the critical trial,74% at least once and 26% never at all

They concluded that strong group pressure can lead to conforming normatively and informationally

Weaknesses of it is that there is a limited sample so it cant be generalised and it is time consuming.

Obedience is the result of someone acting on a direct order.

The differences between the two is that; Obedience is and order, Conformity is an influence

Public compliance and Private change

Conscious Versus Unconscious Effect

Milgram 1963, The aim of this study was to see if people would obey and unjust order.

There was 40 participants that responded to and add in the paper and got paid $4.50, They had to ask somein in the other room questions and if they got it wrong they got shocked, it started at 15 volts and went up in 15's till 450 volts. They either had to go up to 450 or they refused,

They found that everyone went up too 300 volts at least, 65% went up to 450 and they wanted to stop at somepoint

They concluded from this that most peope would obey the order

There were differnt variations to this study;

Venue moved- 47.5%, Let out when wanted-40%, Person in same room- 40%, Force hand down-30%, Support saying no- 10%, Person telephoned order-20.5%, Someone else threw switches-92.5%

Hofling et al 1966, Was called obedient nurses

There was 22 nurses, they got a phone call from an unknow doctor to administer 20mg of a drug, if they did they would break the rules in many ways such as;

Twice max dose for drugs, A drug not on list, Instruction from unfamilir person, without a signed order

21 out of 22 starte to give drugs, stopped,

They said they did it as they have been asked to do it before,

They concluded that obedience can happen in real life

-Feeling of reponsibility

Responsible for things they do

- Disobedient model

Seeing each other refuse to say they follow

- Question Motives

Easier to not obey cause of things such as place

-Research evidence

Gamson et al 1982