CHAP 7 - CONFORMITY Flashcards
(23 cards)
How is conformity seen in Western Cultures VS. Eastern Cultures? good or bad?
In western cultures = individualistic, focus on independence, so conformity can tend to be seen as bad (we wanna stand out, that’s how we get rewarded!)
- peer pressure is taught with negative consequences: If all your friends jumped of a bridge would you jump too?
In Eastern cultures = collectivistic cultures
Focus = interdependence. Tends to be seen as good : idea of group harmony.
Objectively, is conformity good or bad?
Both sides:
Conformity can have negative consequences (e.g. everyone is doing it so might as well - ticket last summer first day work:/ )
However, conformity is also an important societal construct as it helps maintain order and cooperation (e.g. driving on the right side of the road, waiting in line, Following public health guidelines, following worn rules/norms…)
What is conformity
Conformity is the tendency for an individual to align their attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors with those of the people around them
What re three types of conformity (how many forms can it take)? What influences the type we choose to take on?
Acceptance, compliance and obedience. The different types depend on HOW MUCH WE AGREE WITH THE BEHAVIOUR we’re being influenced to follow.
What is acceptance
Acceptance is both a public and private agreement.
We conform (public) because we believe that the behaviour we are being asked to follow is the right thing to do (private)
- for ex: unspoken rule about personal space (you agree that people should keep a certain distance from each other when standing in line or sitting in public)
example de bus, si le bus est vide jai pas aller eme coller a qqn. example des urinals also.
What is compliance?
Compliance is a public agreement, but a private disagreement (more so a request than an order)
Sometimes we conform even though we don’t agree with the behaviour privately. You go along with he group publicly, but privately, you would rather not follow the behaviour.
For ex: SWAB (following the norm publicly)
for ex: A friend asks you to join them for a group activity, but your hate going to […].
FFT(hmmmm)
chat gpt: Not all compliance is hypocritical—sometimes, it’s practical or necessary for societal functioning.
What is obedience?
Obedience is the act of following direct orders from authority.
You follow the order without considering your own feelings or preferences (unlike compliance). Yes you have feelings about the situation, but you obey.
- for example, due dates from teachers, medications from doctors, police pull over…
What is Sherif’s hypothesis about conformity?
Sherif believed the way we see the world is heavily influenced by the people around us. He thought we create our own reality, but often look to others for guidance, especially in uncertain or confusing situations. (hmmm link looking glass self, reflected appraisals….the uncertain/confusing situation being the self!)
What did sherif use to test his hypothesis?
He tested his hypothesis using the Autokinetic Effect, which is an illusion where a small dot of light in a dark room seems to move, even though it’s not actually moving.
How did Sherif’s experiment go?
Two tasks: individuals experiment and group experiment.
*Individual Experiment
Participants sat 18 feet away from a wall in a dark room, where a small pinpoint of light was projected for two seconds at a time
Asked to record when they saw the light move and estimate the distance it moved (it never moved)
Process repeated 100 times over two days
After the first day of trials, participants created their own heuristics for how far the light was “moving”
*By the second day, their answers more consistent
*group exp:
When participants made judgments in a group, their estimates started to converge
*E.g., if one participant thought the light moved between 2–5 inches when they were alone, and another between 6–10 inches, their estimates would start to meet in the middle in a group, e.g. 4–7 inches
*Participants adjusted answers to fit with the group’s answers
*conclu: We seek social guidance in uncertain situations (looking at others to see how we should act, if someone is helping, we might be more likely to help too)
What is Sherif’s theory on social influence? How does it link to acceptance?
In ambiguous situations, we tend to look to others to figure out the “right answer”. When there is no clear solution, we rely on social influence to shape our perception of reality (in a way giving us a sense of validation and reassurance).
ACCEPTANCE:
Bref participants accepted the group’s judgment both publicly and privately!
Who was one of the firsts to show how social norms form?
Sherif.
How? well because he showed that group agreement represents a social norm, in other words, a group’s shared understanding of what is “right”in that situation.
Because essentially social norms are the accepted ways of thinking, feeling, and behaving within a group.
From who do we learn social norms?
Parents, religious figures, culture, school, friends, literally just walking down the street, going in an elevator, a bus….. bref EVERYWHERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(Think event schemas for ex)
Difference between social norms and laws
Social norms are rules or standards that guide our behaviour within a group. They are powerful because they tell us what we “should” do , and not what we HAVE to do.
Unlike laws, they aren’t written down or enforced by an authority
examples of social norms: seat priority, picking up dogs shit, holding elevator/door, wearing certain clothes, wearing makeup, politeness, inhibiting behaviour when angry….
** think self-monitoring **
The emergence of social norms - What is the Bennington College Study?
*Researchers studied students who came from wealthy, conservative families
*Students’ beliefs initially reflected their families conservative values/
*As they spent more time at college, they started adopting the college’s more liberal norms
*By the time they graduated, many of them held much more liberal views than when they entered
*This shift in beliefs showed college had become a reference group for the students
*A group they looked to for guidance on how to think and behave
*Years later, many of these students continued to follow the norms they had learned in college
When are social norms often most obvious?
When someone violates them. Seeing someone do smtg and think : “I cant believe they did that!”
** class activity on rejection therapy - some seemed shocked by our questions (the god one for ex, tsars religion something private for many **
What are 3 forms reactions to norm violations can take?
*Disapproval
*Punishment
*Exclusion
Deutsch and Gerard (1955) suggest there are two main motivations behind our conformity. What are they?
Normative influence: Conform because we want to be accepted by others (a group)
(I guess compliance and obedience)
ex: shaving legs
*Informational influence: Conform because we believe it is the right thing to do. (acceptance and obedience?)
ex: seat priority
When is it that we are more likely to be motivated by informational influence? Relate it to Sherif’s Autokinetic effect study.
When we think others know something we don’t. So, that leads us to believe that what we are doing is correct or true. (acceptance)
Example: Sherif’s Autokinetic effect study - informational influence.
*Participants were uncertain about how far the light moved, so they looked to the group for guidance
*Participants didn’t just go along to fit in, they genuinely thought the group had more knowledge
Can motivation to conform change over time?
Yes. Bennington College study, we can see how motivation to conform can change over time
*Initially, the students from wealthy, conservative families might have conformed to the more liberal views of the college due to normative pressure (compliance)
*Over time, the study showed these students began to genuinely adopt the college’s more liberal beliefs
*Their motivation shifted from normative to informational influence and as a result, these adopted norms stuck with them long after they graduated
Which type of conformity leads to long-term norm endorsement? Relate it to elaboration likelihood model!
(Long-term norm endorsement refers to the sustained acceptance and internalization of a social norm over time. In other words, it describes a situation where people not only follow a norm temporarily but adopt it as a part of their personal beliefs or values)
Acceptance.
*When we believe the group’s way of thinking or behaving is the right one, we are more likely to continue following that norm
*Even when no longer part of the group
- Central VS Peripheral route
Central Route + Informational Influence → Thoughtful processing → Internalization → Long-term norm endorsement.
Peripheral Route + Normative Influence → Shallow processing → Surface compliance → Shorter-term behavior change.
compliance = Solomon’s ash study
normative influence! and others who genuilgy thought they were wrong = informational (they believe the group has more accurate info than they do)
