Situational/individual factors Flashcards
(21 cards)
What are the situational factors?
Group size
Group unanimity
Task difficulty
What’s a study for group size and explain it
Asch - the addition of more confederates only made a slight difference (1 = almost no conformity, 2 = 12.8%, 3 = 33.3%) - max conformity seen between groups of 3-5,
What’s a study for group unanimity and explain
Allen & Levine (1968) - they introduced a dissenting (disagreeing confederate with thick glasses to show they were visually impaired) - dissenter made the conformity rates drop from 97% to 64%
Reason for task difficulty and explain
Informational social influence - lines were made made more similar in length it was harder to judge the correct answer.
Definition of group size
The size of the group around them affects wether or not people conform, max conformity seen within groups between 3-5
Definition of task difficulty
When the lines were made more similar in length it made it harder to tell the correct answer meaning because of informational influence people would conform to be correct.
Definition of group unanimity
As conformity drops off with 5 members or more it may be that unanimity of the group matters but at a certain point it gets suspicious (when individuals in the group all agree with each other)
Name The individual factors
Self esteem
Gender
Study for gender and explain
Mori and Arai 2010 said gender differences in conformity, with women tending to conform more then men, eagly 1987 suggested that this is because women tend to take a communal role and promote harmony in the group while men are more comfortable maintaining independence (out of date)
Study for self esteem and explain
Santee and Mastach 1982 - some people have a greater need to be liked therefore are more likely to conform
Definition of gender in relation to this
Gender differences in conformity with women tending to conform more then men because women want to keep the peace and men are willing to be independent.
Definition of self esteem relating to this
Certain personality characteristics link to conformity levels - people use conformity to integrate themselves with others.
What are the cultural factors/types of cultures?
Collective cultures
Individualist cultures
Example of a collectivist culture
Central America
East Asian countries
Example of an individualist culture
Western Europe
Uk
USA
How does collectivist cultures impact conformity
People are encouraged to consider how their behaviour impacts on the wider family group (as they have larger family groups) and society - consequently failure to conform can be seen as deviant therefore individuals may conform to norms most of the time.
Do individualist or Collectivist cultures conform more?
Collectivist cultures
How does individualist cultures impact conformity
People from individualist countries are encouraged to be self-sufficient and independent which makes them less likely to conform. They often prioritise the needs of the individual over society, while families also are smaller (mainly just mum dad sibling). Non conformity is often celebrated and considered an admirable trait.
What is the Smith and Bond 1993 study
Smith and Bond (1993) reviewed conformity research from around the world and found that Belgians have the lowest levels of conformity (individualist), and Fijians have the highest (collectivist)
What is the Markus 1999 study
Markus (1999) looked at Korean and American magazine ads. Thy were analysed with a focus on themes of conformity and group harmony. On the other hand European, Americans preferred ads that represented uniqueness and creative self-expression. Whereas media within individualistic cultures often encourage self-expression, uniqueness and individuality. This can be contrasted with media in collectivist cultures where group harmony and conformity are valued
The results highlighted the relationship between cultural norms and the extent to which individuals are encouraged to conform to social norms.
