Conformity SnAyr0kWRGE SnAyr0kWRGE.

Conformity

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SnAyr0kWRGE

Video task

• What is conformity?• How did the group (Audience) react to the

order of ‘ find your own walk’?

The assessment

• Covers• 1.1• 2.1• 2.2• Difference between conformity and obedience• Minority influence

Conformity basics

Conformity definition: • Conformity is a type of

social influence involving a change in belief or behaviour in order to fit in with a group (McLeod, 2007)

• In conformity it is the whole group that has the power, which differs from Obedience which the power is centralised on the authority figure.

• Example of conformity:• https://www.youtube.com/

watch?v=nPobACr9oL4

Solomon Asch : Elevator experiment

• Originally conducted as part of the 1962 candid camera episode ‘Rear faces’

First study of conformity: Minds and models handout

• Jenness (1932)- Glass bottle filled with beans

• Aim• Method• Results• Conclusion • Since then we have

identified other types of conformity

Types of conformity

• Normative- Asch’s line study • Informational- Sherif’s study• Ingratiational- • Identification- Zimbardo’s prison study

• Types of conformity

Normative Conformity

• The person wants to fit in with the group

• The motivation is fear of rejection and public shaming

• Publicly accepts the views of a person but privately disagrees- Don’t get confused with Obedience here!!

• Asch’s line experiment • https://

www.youtube.com/watch?v=NyDDyT1lDhA

Last Lesson

• We looked at• Types of conformity

• Introduced Normative conformity

• Ashe’s line experiment

This lesson: Conformity and minority influence

Conformity

Normative Informational Identification/

Deindividuation

Asch Line Study Sherif (1935) experiment

Zimbardo prison study

Identification- deindividuation

• Conforming to the expectations of a social role

• When people lose their own identity and fall back on perceived roles

• What other examples can we use?

• Zimbardohttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=760lwYmpXbceicher

BBC Prison studyReicher and Haslam – handout 74/ 163

Informational conformity

• If you are in an unfamiliar situation and you don’t know the correct way to behave.

• You look to others for information about how to behave

• Sherif (1935) experiment- Handout page 73

Criticisms of research into conformity: page

• Cultural differences : a product of time and culture

• Handout page 76

• Personality may influence independent behaviour

• Handout page 77

First part of assignment

• Distinguish between conformity and obedience

• Pick two types of conformity• Define, and explain these two types• Use two key studies to help you explain them • Evaluate these studies –what is good about

the study and relating to day to day) what is not so good (criticisms of the study

• Criticsims of conformity being situational

Minority Influence

1. Definition 2. Evidence to support it (studies)3. Further evidence to support- day to day4. Criticisms of minority influence

1: Definition

• Deviant subgroup rejects the established group norms and persuades the majority to conform to the minority attitude, belief, and behaviour pattern

• This thereby changes the norm Oxford Psychology Dictionary (2006)

3. An Example to support definition

Task: But how does the minority influence work? What does the minority group have to do?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_q2Aw464KICould these be classed as Terrorists? Are there any more examples?

2How does it work: Consistency:Moscovici et al 1969 handout 164

• Consistency- must be consistent in their beliefs in order to change the majority

• This consistency leads to internalisation and lasting social norm change

• Wood et al (1994) –meta-analysis 97 studies found that minorities perceived as being consistent were particularly influential in changing the views of the majority

• For example the suffragettes in USA Their fight for the vote continued for 15 years, even when some were imprisoned.

2.Informational social influence

• Aiming for converting people• They don’t want to scare people into

conformity• Imagine you are selling an idea.. How would

you go about it?

2. The snowball effect

• Research: Clark 1994- Jury decision making• Handout Page 165• Once a few majority begin to move towards

the minority position, then the influence of the majority begins to gather momentum as more people gradually pay attention to the minority

4. Criticisms of the minority influence

• Criticise the studies what is wrong in • Moscovici et al- Consistancy• Clark - Snowball

Handout page 166

• Other explanations:• The Group Membership• The Dissociation model