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Student input on aesthetics rsch.Student input on aesthetics rsch.

Social Influence Social Influence

Social InfluenceSocial Influence

Social Influence and Social Influence and ConformityConformity

Social Influence:Social Influence: How individual behavior is influenced by other How individual behavior is influenced by other

people and groupspeople and groups

Conformity:Conformity: Tendency to change our Tendency to change our

behavior/beliefs/perceptions in ways that are behavior/beliefs/perceptions in ways that are consistent with group normsconsistent with group norms

Norms: Accepted ways of thinking, feeling, Norms: Accepted ways of thinking, feeling, behavingbehaving

1) Informational influence1) Informational influence Look to others for informationLook to others for information

EXAMPLE: Sherif's (1936) EXAMPLE: Sherif's (1936) autokinetic effect studies autokinetic effect studies

Why Do We Conform to the Why Do We Conform to the Group?Group?

Conformity with the

Autokinetic Task

What’s Going On?What’s Going On?

People need to be certain + confident in the People need to be certain + confident in the correctness of their actionscorrectness of their actions

The situation was ambiguous and uncertainThe situation was ambiguous and uncertain

People looked to others to help define People looked to others to help define “reality”“reality”

Once developed, the norm persists beyond Once developed, the norm persists beyond the immediate situationthe immediate situation

Ambiguity and the Desire to Ambiguity and the Desire to be Accuratebe Accurate

High motivation to be accurate: Increases conformity in people who are

uncertain about their judgments or opinions.

Decreases conformity in people who are certain.

Ambiguity and the Desire to Ambiguity and the Desire to be Accuratebe Accurate

Baron, Vandello, & Brunsman (1996): asked groups of students to choose a criminal suspect from a line-up.

Some saw the pictures so quickly it was hard to be certain about their judgments. Others had ample time.

In addition, some students were motivated to be accurate with the promise of a $20 prize; others had no incentive (were not motivated to be accurate).

Baron et al. (1996)

Conformity (or not) to an incorrect majority opinion as a function of motivation and task- difficulty (uncertainty)

NewcombNewcomb

All conformity experiments are not artificialAll conformity experiments are not artificial Newcomb’s Bennington College StudyNewcomb’s Bennington College Study

Women at Bennington college in Vermont during Women at Bennington college in Vermont during the 1930s the 1930s

Assess “conservatism” vs. “liberalism” Assess “conservatism” vs. “liberalism” Women became increasingly more liberal as they Women became increasingly more liberal as they

progressed from freshmen to senior year progressed from freshmen to senior year Attitude change was particularly strong in women Attitude change was particularly strong in women

who strongly identified with college groups (e.g., who strongly identified with college groups (e.g., faculty, upperclassmen) faculty, upperclassmen)

Newcomb– Bennington Newcomb– Bennington Political NormsPolitical Norms

50

55

60

65

70

75

80

1st yr 2nd yr 3rd yr 4th yr

Class

Mean AttitudeScore

More conservative

More liberal

Newcomb– Bennington Newcomb– Bennington Political NormsPolitical Norms

60

62

64

66

68

70

72

74

76

78

80

1st yr 2nd yr 3rd yr 4th yr

sophomores juniors seniors

Mean AttitudeScore

More conservative

More liberal

Informational Social Informational Social InfluenceInfluence

Informational influence likely to lead Informational influence likely to lead to to private acceptance (conversion)private acceptance (conversion) of of what is correctwhat is correct

When Will People Conform to When Will People Conform to Informational Social Influence?Informational Social Influence? 1. Ambiguous Situation1. Ambiguous Situation 2. Crisis Situation2. Crisis Situation 3. Others Are Experts3. Others Are Experts

"Do as most do, and [people] will "Do as most do, and [people] will speak well of thee" speak well of thee"

-Thomas Fuller -Thomas Fuller

2) Normative influence2) Normative influence We want to be liked, accepted and to fit inWe want to be liked, accepted and to fit in

We don’t want to look foolishWe don’t want to look foolish

EXAMPLE:EXAMPLE: Asch’s (1950s) conformity studiesAsch’s (1950s) conformity studies

Why Do We Conform to the Why Do We Conform to the Group?Group?

Asch's (1955) Conformity Studies

1 2 3

Standard Line Comparison Lines

Trial 1

1 2 3

Standard Line Comparison Lines

Trial 2

Asch's (1955) Conformity Studies

1 2 3

Standard Line Comparison Lines

Trial 3

Asch's (1955) Conformity Studies

Procedures:Procedures: One subject, six or more One subject, six or more

confederatesconfederates Which line is the same Which line is the same

length as the standard?length as the standard? People reported answers People reported answers

out loud, one at a timeout loud, one at a time Subject always lastSubject always last

On 12 of 18 trials, On 12 of 18 trials, confederates answered confederates answered incorrectly incorrectly

Results:Results:

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

Averageconformity

Conformedevery time

# conformedat least once

Asch's (1955) Conformity Studies

Normative Social Normative Social InfluenceInfluence

The group exerts The group exerts normative normative influence influence by instilling a fear of by instilling a fear of appearing deviant appearing deviant

Likely to leads to Likely to leads to public conformity public conformity (compliance)(compliance) (surface behavior (surface behavior change) in peoplechange) in people

Two Types of Social Two Types of Social InfluenceInfluence

Informational influenceInformational influence A person uses his or her peers as a source of informationA person uses his or her peers as a source of information Interprets events in the light of social reality Interprets events in the light of social reality Often seen in ambiguous situationsOften seen in ambiguous situations EG: Sherif, Newcomb EG: Sherif, Newcomb

Normative influenceNormative influence A person adopts the behavior of his or her peers A person adopts the behavior of his or her peers

to secure social acceptance or avoid social rejection to secure social acceptance or avoid social rejection EG: AschEG: Asch

Proposed that conformity in Sherif situation resulted from Proposed that conformity in Sherif situation resulted from ambiguity of stimulusambiguity of stimulus

Hence, created unambiguous test situation in which conformity Hence, created unambiguous test situation in which conformity should be unlikelyshould be unlikely

Factors that Influence Factors that Influence ConformityConformity

Group characteristicsGroup characteristics SizeSize

Conformity increases as “majority” increases Conformity increases as “majority” increases from 1-4from 1-4

Little if any further increase for majorities of Little if any further increase for majorities of 5-125-12

0

20

40

0 2 4 6 8 10

Group Size

Confo

rmit

y re

sponse

s %

Conformity as a Function of Group Size in Asch’s Paradigm

Factors that Influence Factors that Influence ConformityConformity

Group characteristicsGroup characteristics An ally in dissent:An ally in dissent:

One “correct dissent” reduces conformity rates One “correct dissent” reduces conformity rates markedlymarkedly

Even one “incorrect dissent” is as effective Even one “incorrect dissent” is as effective

Factors that Influence Factors that Influence ConformityConformity

Sex differencesSex differences Early evidence: women conformed more than Early evidence: women conformed more than

menmen In general, sex differences are weak and In general, sex differences are weak and

unreliable unreliable Depends on type of taskDepends on type of task

Stereotypically male or femaleStereotypically male or female Observed or not observed taskObserved or not observed task

Reinterpreting “Non-Reinterpreting “Non-Conformity” in MalesConformity” in Males

Eagly et al. (1981):Eagly et al. (1981): Conformity is in part a form of impression Conformity is in part a form of impression

managementmanagement Men, rather than simply being more independent, Men, rather than simply being more independent,

desire to be perceived as independent by othersdesire to be perceived as independent by others Suggests men will be more sensitive than women Suggests men will be more sensitive than women

to being observed by othersto being observed by others Use informational conformity taskUse informational conformity task

Answers observed or not observed by othersAnswers observed or not observed by others

Eagly et al. (1981)Eagly et al. (1981)

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

No Surveill. Surveillance

women men

% showing conformity

Tentative interpretation:Men’s apparent non-conformity is a way of conforming to social expectations for males.

Experimental Condition

Factors that Influence Factors that Influence ConformityConformity Cultural Differences in ConformityCultural Differences in Conformity

Cultural orientations: Cultural orientations: IndividualismIndividualism: :

emphasizes independence, autonomy, and emphasizes independence, autonomy, and self-reliance self-reliance

CollectivismCollectivism: : emphasizes interdependence, cooperation, emphasizes interdependence, cooperation,

and social harmony and social harmony Conformity rates are generally higher in Conformity rates are generally higher in

collectivist cultures collectivist cultures Berry (1967): Cultures differ Berry (1967): Cultures differ

in the degree to which individual judgment is valuedin the degree to which individual judgment is valued and in the consequences for non-conformityand in the consequences for non-conformity

““Western individualistic” (Scotland)Western individualistic” (Scotland) ““Non-western individualistic” (Baffin Island Innuit)Non-western individualistic” (Baffin Island Innuit) ““Non-western collectivist” (Temne of Sierra Leone)Non-western collectivist” (Temne of Sierra Leone)

Note: Note: used variant of original Asch line-judgment task used variant of original Asch line-judgment task

Cross-Cultural Differences in Cross-Cultural Differences in Conformity (Berry, 1967)Conformity (Berry, 1967)

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

Western Non-western

Indiv.

Non-western

coll.

Mean # of Conforming Trials

Related evidence:

Conformity for Chinese > American (Huang & Harris, 1973)

Conformity for Japanese > American (Matsuda, 1985)

Culture

Class DiscussionClass Discussion

Sometimes we value conformity, Sometimes we value conformity, encouraging people to be a good team encouraging people to be a good team player and criticizing nonconformists player and criticizing nonconformists as deviants or rebels. Sometimes we as deviants or rebels. Sometimes we complain about conformity, complain about conformity, encouraging people to stand up for encouraging people to stand up for themselves and criticizing conformists themselves and criticizing conformists for going along with the crowd. Use for going along with the crowd. Use specific examples to discuss the pros specific examples to discuss the pros and cons of conformity.and cons of conformity.