THAT SO FEW NOW DARE TO BE ECCENTRIC, MARKS THE CHIEF DANGER OF OUR TIME.

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CONFORMITY QUOTES
THAT SO FEW NOW DARE TO BE ECCENTRIC, MARKS THE
CHIEF DANGER OF OUR TIME. --- JOHN STUART MILL
THAT WE HAVE FOUND THE TENDENCY TO CONFORM IN
OUR SOCIETY SO STRONG THAT REASONABLY INTELLIGENT
AND WELL-MEANING YOUNG PEOPLE ARE WILLING TO CALL
WHITE BLACK IS A MATTER OF CONCERN. IT RAISES
QUESTIONS ABOUT OUR WAYS OF EDUCATION AND ABOUT
THE VALUES THAT GUIDE OUR CONDUCT. --- ASCH,
1955, P. 34
Everything popular is wrong -- Oscar Wilde
Confidence comes not from always being right,
but from not fearing to be wrong -- Peter Mcintyre
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Conformity, Compliance, and Obedience
Conformity Adapting to social norms from
exposure to information or
the social pressure of others Compliance
Responding "yes" to a direct request
Obedience Following a direct order from another
person
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Types of Social Influence
INFORMATIVE (Ambiguous stimuli or task. Others
input is a source of potentially valuable
information. Internalization is possible e.g.,
Sherifs Research)
NORMATIVE (Clear, straightforward task, correct
answer is apparent. Conform to majority to fit
in or not stand out, influenced by peer pressure.
Public acceptance, not internalization of
beliefs e.g., Aschs Research)
Continuum acquired form the web site of Dr.
Michael Caruso at the University of Toledo
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Autokinetic Effect A perceptual phenomenon
where a rather small and stationary dot of light
in a dark environment (or one that lacks
distinctive feature) appears to move. It is
believed to happen because the perception of
movement is made relative to a point of
reference. In the dark, no point of reference is
present. Consequently, the motion of a small
point of light is not definable.


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SHERIFS AUTOKINETIC STUDIES
MOVEMENTIN INCHES
SUBJECT 1 SUBJECT 2 SUBJECT 3
7 6 5 4 3 2 1
ALONE 1 2 3
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Some Incorrect Predictions

• When the Paris Exhibition closes, electric
  light will close with it and no more be heard
  of.
• --- Erasmus Wilson, professor at Oxford
  University, 1878.
• Well-informed people know it is impossible to
  transmit the voice over wires and that were it
  possible
• to do so, the thing would be of no practical
  value. --- Editorial in the Boston Post, 1865.
• "Television won't be able to hold onto any
  market it captures after the first six months.
  People will
• soon get tired of staring at a plywood box
  every night." --- Darryl F Zanuck, 1946.
• Heavier than air flying machines are
  impossible.
• --- Lord Kelvin, British mathematician and
  physicist, circa 1895.
• I think there is a world market for maybe five
  computers. -- Thomas Watson, Chairman of IBM,
  1943.
• What can be more palpably absurd than the
  prospect held out of locomotives traveling twice
  as fast as
• stagecoaches? --- The quarterly Review,
  England, March, 1885.
• "I can assure you that data processing is a fad
  that won't last out the year."
• ---- Editor of business books for Prentice
  Hall, 1957.

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NORMALIZATION

• DIVERSITY OF OPINION (INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES)
• INFLUENCE OF OTHERS (ESTABLISHMENT OF NORMS)
• INFLUENCE OF DEVIANT OPINION(S) INNOVATION

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Example of Stimuli Used in Asch's Study
Participants agreed with the majority
approximately 37 of the time
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Conformity In Action
Fashion
Architecture
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Fads
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Top 10 Names for 2004 Rank Male Female
1 Jacob Emily 2 Michael
Emma 3 Joshua Madison 4 Matthew
Olivia 5 Ethan Hannah 6 Andrew
Abigail 7 Daniel Isabella 8 William
Ashley 9 Joseph Samantha 10 Christopher
Elizabeth
Top 10 Names for 1955 Rank Male Female
1 Michael Mary 2 David Deborah 3 James
Linda 4 Robert Debra 5 John Susan 6 William
Patricia 7 Richard Barbara 8 Thomas
Karen 9 Mark Nancy 10 Steven Donna
From http//www.ssa.gov/OACT/babynames/
Go to this site for a list of the Top 1000 names
according to the United States Social Security
Administration http//www.babynamenetwork.com/ba
by_names/most_popular_of_decade.cfm
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FACTORS AFFECTING CONFORMITY

• PERSONALITY (E.G., SELF-ESTEEM, AUTHORITARIAN)
• GENDER (TYPE OF TASK)
• ONE 4-PERSON GROUP VS. TWO 2-PERSON GROUPS

2 People
2 People
4 People
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Group Size
ERRORS
CONFORMITY LEVELS AS A FUNCTION OF GROUP SIZE
60 50 40 30 20 10
CONFORMITY LEVELS DID NOT INCREASE SIGNIFICANTLY
AFTER THE GROUP SIZE WAS MORE THAN 4 OR 5 PEOPLE
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
10 11 12 13 14
NUMBER OF PEOPLE DISAGREEING WITH SUBJECT
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ACCEPTANCE BY A GROUP
3.5 3.0 2.5 2.0
HIGH AVERAGE LOW VERY LOW
GROUPS PRIOR RATING OF SUBJECTS DESIREABILITY
CONFORMITY WAS GREATEST AMONG PEOPLE WHO BELIEVED
THE GROUP RATED THEM AS AVERAGE IN DESIREABILITY
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COMMITMENT TO ONES OPINION
THE GREATER THE LEVEL OF COMMITMENT, THE LESS
CONFORMITY IN THE FACE OF GROUP PRESSURE
6 5 4 3 2 1
NONE MAGIC PAD PAPER PAPER HAND IN
COMMITMENT CONDITION
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• GROUP ATTRACTIVENESS
• KNOWLEDGE
• GROUP COHESIVENESS
• EXPERT STATUS
• SOCIAL SUPPORT

Group member supports your choice

• What happens when the person supporting your
  position
• has to leave the group temporarily (e.g.,
  emergency phone call)
• changes their mind and begins to agree with the
  group again (joins the majority)

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Acquired form the web site of Dr. Michael Caruso
at the University of Toledo
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OTHER CONFORMITY ISSUES

• PUBLIC COMPLIANCE (ASCH) VERSUS PRIVATE
  INTERNALIZTION (SHERIF)
• CONFORMITY, ANTI-CONFORMITY, INDEPENDENCE
• Group Y N Y Y N
• Anti-Conformity N Y N N Y
• Independent N N Y N Y
• C) INFLUENCE OF A DEVIATE (KEY IS CONSISTENCY OF
  OPINION AVOID BEING SEEN AS RIGID)

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Some Innovation, Innovators