Conformity

On Post-its

• What is Social Influence?

Conformity:

The tendency for people to adopt the behaviour, attitudes and values of a reference group

Majority influence

•The opposite of deviation

• Compliance is the most superficial type of conformity

• The individual conforms publicly to avoid social disapproval, but maintains their own private opinion

• They therefore revert to their former behaviour/attitudes once they have left the situation

Examples?

Laughing at a joke you don’t find funny

Going outside to smoke because nobody else in

the house is smoking

Wearing a dinner suit to a formal occasion

• This is where the individual adapts their behaviour because they value membership of the group

• It is a deeper level of conformity than compliance

• The individual maintains the behaviour/attitudes of the group even when they away from the group

• However, it is still a temporary change, as they are likely to revert back to their old behaviour/attitudes when they leave the group

Joining a gang

Becoming a goth

Joining a yoga club

• This is the deepest level of conformity and is sometimes referred to as ‘true conformity’

• It represents a permanent change in the individual’s behaviour/attitudes and results from the views being internalised (taken as one’s own)

• In other words, the individual shows conformity to the group because he/she genuinely agrees with their views

• This results in both a public and private change in behaviour and/or attitudes

Adopting a religion

Becoming a vegetarian

Joining a human rights organisation

Types of Conformity (Kelman, 1958):

Compliance

Identification

Internalization Stronger

Weaker

Sticking to the Speed Limit• Some people conform because they do not

want to get a fine• Some people conform because it is expected

of them in society and others stick to the speed limit

• Some people conform because they think it is right to have a speed limit

Compliance

Identification

Internalization

Tell the person next to you

• An example of when you have conformed

• Was this….

• Compliance• Identification• Internalisation

Why do we Conform?

Normative vs Informative

Normative Influence is conformity based on one's desire to fulfill others' expectations and gain acceptance (Myers, 2009). To be liked

Informational influence is conformity under acceptance of evidence about reality which has been provided by others (Myers, 2009). To be right

How many sweets in this jar?

On your whiteboards

Sherif et al 1935

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TrNIuFrso8I

Sherif (1935)• Used the auto-kinetic effect• First asked individual participants to judge how far the light

moved on a number of trials• Each individuals estimates - stable but considerable variation

between individuals• Next asked groups of 3 participants how far the light moved • Judgements converged until a group norm emerged• They objected the idea of group influence• But when asked individually answers close to the group norm

were given

• What is a major flaw in this experiment? Validity?

Problems with Sherif

• The Answer was not obvious

• How can we then determine is social influence took place?

• Maybe they just changed their answer cause they did not know?

• Low Internal validity

Unambiguous situations:

• Pretty obvious?• In an unambiguous situation, the answer is obvious• Opposite to an ambiguous situation, when the

answer is not clear

2 + 2 = 4

Plenary

• Summarise Sherif in three to four sentences