Chapter 7: Conformity

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Chapter 7 Conformity

• Part 1 March 6, 2012

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Social Influence

• 3 forms of social influence
• Conformity, compliance, obedience
• We automatically mimic others
• Gestures, facial movements
• Serves a social function
• Links to conformity
• tendency to change our perceptions behavior in
  ways consistent with group norms
• Labeling conformity?

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Early studies of conformity

• Sherifs lab study of autokinetic effect
• What is it?
• How did participants conform?
• Follow-up 1 year laterResults?

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• Aschs Conformity studies
• Groups of 6 (5 confederate 1 participant)
• Procedure?
• How often does conformity occur?
• Reward for conforming?

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Why conform?

• 1. Information
• 2. Norms
• 3. Distinction between private and public
  conformity -

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Majority Influence

• 1. Influence of group size
• What are the effects on conformity?
• 2. Pluralistic ignorance perceptual error

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• 3. Influence of one partner in nonconformity
• What happened in Aschs study related to this?
• 4. Gender effects on conformity
• Depends on public private conformity

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• Minority Influence on Conformity
• How can nonconformists influence others?
• Style consistency hypothesis
• Personality predictors of conformity?

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Compliance

• Make direct requests of us hope we comply
• Differs from conformity
• Sometimes we mindlessly comply
• Langers experiment w/xerox machine
• Strategies for compliance?
• Use the reciprocity norm repay someone a favor
• Immediate vs. delayed effects?

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• Sequential Requests
• Foot-in-the-door technique start w/small
  request
• Example?
• Based on self-perception?
• Lowballing technique agreement then change the
  deal
• Example?
• Door-in-the face technique start w/big request
  then smaller request
• How is contrast effect at work?