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Conformity

Conformity. A concept of social influence in social psychology. Conformity Defined. Adjusting one’s behavior or thinking to coincide with a group standard. Chameleon Effect. Behavior is contagious. People are natural mimics.

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Conformity

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  1. Conformity A concept of social influence in social psychology

  2. Conformity Defined • Adjusting one’s behavior or thinking to coincide with a group standard.

  3. Chameleon Effect • Behavior is contagious. • People are natural mimics. • Human automatic mimicry is part of empathy; the most empathetic people mimic the most. • Ex: Yawns, “the Wave”

  4. Asch’s Conformity Experiment • Designed by social psychologist, Solomon Asch (1955) • A college student is invited to a test. He/she enters a room with 5 college students (actually they are experimenters) already in the room. The “teacher” asks the 6 people to compare lines on the screen. • On the screen is a standard line and three lines (1, 2, and 3). The students are asked to name the line that matches the standard line. The answers are obvious and are answered unanimously the first two rounds.

  5. Asch’s Experiment Continued • The third round went differently. The five students that were in the room first (experimenters) stated the wrong line on purpose. They all gave the same wrong answer. • The last student to answer was the subject. 35% of the time the student gave the same wrong answer even though they new the correct answer. • This is the human desire for conformity.

  6. Conditions that Strengthen Conformity • One is made to feel incompetent or insecure. • The group has at least three people. • The group is unanimous. (The dissent of just one other person greatly increases social courage) • One admires the group’s status and attractiveness. • One has made no prior commitment to any response. • Others in the group observe one’s behavior. • One’s culture strongly encourages respect for social standards.

  7. Reasons for Conforming • Normative Social Influence: conforming to avoid rejection or to gain social approval of the group.

  8. Reasons for Conforming • Informational Social Influence: When individual accepts the others’ opinions as reality. • Ex: the more difficult the task for the group, the more conformity. • When members are not confident, they conform.

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