Key parts of conformity?
What is conformity?
Aligning one's attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors with those of a group or social norm.
What is the foot-in-the-door technique?
When trying to get someone to comply to a large request, you first get them to agree to a smaller request.
What was Milgrams’s obedience study?
Milgram’s study tested how far people would go in obeying an authority figure, even at the cost of harming another person. Participants were instructed to deliver severe electric shocks to a "learner" (which was really an actor) every time they answered a question wrong. Regardless of hearing screams of pain, many participants continued to shock when told by the experimenter. This showed the extremes that people go to in order to obey an authority figure even if it goes against their own convictions.
What is identification?
When someone unconsciously takes on characteristics or behaviors of another person. Most often time they do this with someone that the fear or admire.
Is following a fashion trend in the current culture an accurate depiction of conformity?
Yes, following a current fashion tend is an excellent depiction of conformity.
Why do we conform?
We conform to gain social acceptance and avoid rejection. Additionally, when we are uncertain, we look to social norms for guidance in order to make the correct or accurate choice.
What is the door-in-the-face technique?
This technique focuses on starting with a large request first that you assume will be rejected. The individual then feels sympathy for saying no and then when you ask for something smaller— or what you really wanted— they then say yes.
What is Zimbardo’s simulation study?
Participants were randomly chosen to be either guards or prisoners in a fake prison set up in the basement of Stanford University. The guards became increasingly abusive, while the prisoners became distressed and emotionally broken.
What is compliance?
Compliance is a mode of conformity where we give in to social pressure in our public responses but do not change our private beliefs.
What is one real world example of conformity in your high school?
Open ended (dances, football games, clothing, attitudes towards people, etc.)
List some advantages of conformity.
Conformity can lead to as sense of belonging as well As unity when people are acting in accordance to a group norm. Conformity can also lead people when they are uncertain or lack information to make better choices.
What is the low-ball technique?
This technique gains compliance by first getting compliance to an attractive and less expensive request but after they agree you up the price.
What were Zimbardo’s findings from his study?
This study showed how situational factors and assigned roles can lead to changes in behavior. It portrayed the power of authority as well as the compliance of individuals and how they can become dehumanized in oppressive environments. The experiment ended early because it was unethical.
What is informational social influence?
Informational influence is looking to others when you are uncertain about a topic and are wanting to be correct.
Is standing for the national anthem considered normative social influence or informational social influence?
Most often it is considered normative social influenced because they fear that people will look down on them if they do not stand.
List some disadvantages of conformity.
Conformity can lead to a loss of individuality because everyone is making such similar choices. It can also lead people to make bad decisions because “everyone is doing it”.
What is the that’s-not-all technique?
This technique is a two step technique where the individual makes and initial request and before the person has an opportunity to respond they increase the attractiveness of the deal by adding additions to make it sound more appealing.
What was Solomon Asch’s experiment on conformity?
In Solomon Asch's experiment, each group had 6–8 people, but only one was a real participant—the others were actors who gave their answers first. The group was shown a line and then three comparison lines labeled A, B, and C. Everyone had to say out loud which line matched the original in length, and the real participant answered near the end. The actors answered incorrectly and were testing to see how the participant would answer.
What is normative social influence?
Normative social influence is following the group or conforming to the group to gain social approval rather that to be correct.
Eddie wrote a paper and rewrote it at the proposal of his mother even though he did not like the suggestions she gave. What type of conformity is this?
This is an example of compliance.
Name four factors that influence our likelihood of conforming?
1. Unanimity of the group
2. Mode of responding (aloud vs. secret)
3. Status of the person involved
4. Culture
Why do these techniques work?
Something known as the self-perception theory and the reciprocal concessions theory.
Self-perception theory says that when we have agreed we feel pressure to remain consistent with our previous decision.
Reciprocal concessions theory says that we feel obligated to but because the seller made a concession.
What were Solomon Asch’s finding from his experiment?
He found that even when participants knew the answer given by the actors was wrong, many still gave the same incorrect answer. This showed the power of normative social influence.
What is internalization?
External ideas or beliefs from others are taken and adopted into someone’s own life.
There is a lady laying on the ground passed out, she is laying on a busy street yet has not not been helped. Person after person have walked right past her. What type of conformity may explain why no one has helped her?
The bystander effect is a possible reason. Because so many people are walking past, everyone assumes that someone else has already helped her out.