Ch 6 Conformity

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Ch 6 - Conformity

• Part 1 Feb 21, 2006

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Conformity

• Conformity - going along with others change your
  behavior as a result of group pressure (real or
  imagined)
• Differences in views of individualists
  collectivists?
• Value judgments in this research
• Forms of conformity
• Compliance
• Public compliance vs. private acceptance
• Obedience

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Classic Conformity Studies

• Sherifs Norm Formation studies -
• Can we develop a norm in the lab?
• Procedure -
• Part 1 - individual judgment of movement
• Part 2 - group judgment.
• Part 3 follow-up 1 year later
• What were the results?

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Classic Conformity Studies

• Asch - Group Pressure
• 1 subject with 6 confederates
• Procedure -
• Subject is 6th in line - after hearing other 5
  give obviously wrong answers, will subjects
  conform?

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Asch continued

• What were the results?
• No major rewards from group for conforming with
  them, so why bother?
• What if ordered to comply (obey)? Wont people
  resist?
• What if hurting others is involved?

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Milgram - Obedience

• Controversial set of experiments on obeying
  authority and causing others pain (1965)
• 1 subject, 1 confederate, 1 experimenter at Yale
  for study on punishment learning
• Stern experimenter dressed in lab coat
• Subject must teach confederate list of words
• Punishment?

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Milgrams Obedience Study

• Shock generator ranges from 15 to 450 volts
• What were the teachers instructions?
• How did confederate (learner) react?

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Milgrams Results

• What happened if confederate protested?
• Results?
• Next study - confederate with heart problem
• What still complied?

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Milgrams VariationsObedience Rates
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Milgrams VariationsObedience Rates
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Ethics of Milgrams Study

• Effects on subjects?
• What did Milgram argue about the benefits?
• What did participants report 1 yr later?
• For more info, see www.stanleymilgram.com