Conformity

1
Conformity Deviance

• Chapter 6
• Charles Pavitt

2
Overview

• Preliminary Distinctions
• Conformity Deviance Defined
• Structural Perspective
• Norms
• CONFORMITY
• Rationale
• Relevant Theories (Social Comparison, Cognitive
  Dissonance, Reactance,
• Compliance vs. Private Acceptance
• DEVIANCE
• Rationale
• Valence good vs. bad deviance
• Group Pressure
• Polarization pressure toward conformity
• Internal group pressure
• Dependence upon deviant member
• Functional Perspective
• Conclusions
• Negative Valence Errors
• Minority Influence

3
Preliminary Distinctions

• Conformist vs. Deviant
• Negative Connotations Unfair Generalizations
• Conformity choosing an action that a majority
  favors or that is socially acceptable.
• Deviance choosing an action that is not
  socially acceptable or that a majority does not
  favor.
• Neither conformity nor deviance is intrinsically
  good or bad.
• Distinguish ACTION from REASON.

4
BAD vs. GOOD Conformity

• Compliance (Undesirable Conformity) conformity in
  BEHAVIOR alone (usually bad)
• Private Acceptance (desirable conformity)
  conformity in beliefs as well as behaviors
  (usually good)

5
The Structural Perspective

• Expectations of how behaviors will be in groups
  turn into evaluations of how those behaviors
  should be.
• The evaluations are GROUP NORMS.
• Norms are socially accepted behaviors in groups.

6
NORMS

• All norms are NOT created equal.
• Degree of Formality
• Degree of Permissible Deviation
• Degree of Application
• Can apply to group members in different ways.
• Can apply to either OR BOTH group behaviors as
  well as outcomes

7
CONFORMTIY Why Conform?

• Accepted Behaviors
• Pragmatic Reasons (to make decisions)
• Motivational Reasons (acceptance, enjoyment,
  personal goals)
• GROUP PERSUASION or PRESSURE

8
Theories of CONFORMTIY

• Social Comparison Theory
• People want to evaluate their beliefs,
  periodically, against standards in order to judge
  themselves.
• Beliefs about Abilities
• Opinions
• Link between a need to evaluate oneself and a
  tendency to change oneself is not clear.
• Cognitive Dissonance Theory
• People are not so much influenced by a need to be
  correct as they are influenced by a need to be
  consistent.
• Two behaviors are dissonant if one of them
  implies the opposite of the other I like my
  group, I disagree with my group, I should agree
  with groups I like.
• Feelings of Personal Responsibility (CRITICAL
  COMPONENT OF Cognitive Dissonance)
• Reactance Theory
• People need to feel as if they have freedom to
  control their behavior
• Extreme pressure from a group can backfire and
  lead to increased deviance!

9
Compliance vs. Private Acceptance

• Compliance
• Social comparison, dissonance, reactance
• Impress a group member
• Group pressure
• Lone dissenter faces unified majority
• Private Acceptance
• Accept belief of majority opinion
• Individual blame for compliance gt privately
  accept groups opinion
• Only standard is social reality. gt Group norms

10
DEVIANCE Why Deviate?

• People Deviate so that the group can make good
  decisions (Devils Advocate)
• Deviance creates Conflict
• Constructive carefully weigh the strengths and
  weaknesses of proposals.
• Destructive occurs when members do not have the
  best interest of the group in mind.
• Power Struggles
• Personality Disputes
• Process Disagreements (policy decisions- what to
  do)

11
GOOD vs. BAD Deviance

• Innovation - individual accepts group goal but
  rejects means for reaching it
• Ritualism individual rejects group goal but
  accepts means for reaching it (going through the
  motions)
• Retreatism - reject both group goals and means
  (drop out entirely)
• Rebellion reject both group goals and means
  (substitute new, personal goals, as well as the
  means to reach them)

12
Group Pressure

• Unmistakable constraints to conform
• Persuasive force is predictable in its amount and
  type
• Amount of Communication (pressure) due to two
  factors
• Internal Pressure (cohesion, task importance)
• Dependence of Group on Deviant Member
• Relevance vs. Cohesion (Schachter)

13
The Functional Perspective

• Rebellious or retreating deviants can play useful
  roles in groups (positive function)
• Groups tend to induce, sustain, and permit
  deviant behaviors
• Functions to help groups maintain a healthy
  emotional climate (TARGET, solidify NORMS,
  COMPARISON, COHESION)
• Groups resist trends toward the alienation of
  deviant members

14
General CONCLUSIONS

• Negative evaluation of conformity and deviance is
  a MISTAKE.
• Good AND Bad Types of conformity and deviance
  (with exceptions)
• Privately accept option that has not been
  properly evaluated by a group (GROUPTHINK)
• Emergencies require compliance
• Controlled Rebellion

15
MINORITY INFLUENCE

• Minority viewpoints can successfully exert
  persuasive forces upon the majority
• Minority gives consistent responses
• Reasonable judgments in ambiguous situations
  (consistency and confidence in accuracy of
  conclusions)
• Differences between Minority and Majority
  Influence
• Group majorities tend to have a greater influence
  on members than group minorities (leads to
  compliance)
• Minority influence occurs (leads to private
  acceptance time consuming)
• If a group is to make high-quality decisions, it
  must
• encourage the expression of minority opinions and
  
• examine the value of alternative viewpoints

16
Summary

• Preliminary Distinctions
• Conformity Deviance Defined
• Structural Perspective
• Norms
• CONFORMITY
• Rationale
• Relevant Theories (Social Comparison, Cognitive
  Dissonance, Reactance,
• Compliance vs. Private Acceptance
• DEVIANCE
• Rationale
• Valence good vs. bad deviance
• Group Pressure
• Polarization pressure toward conformity
• Internal group pressure
• Dependence upon deviant member
• Functional Perspective
• Conclusions
• Negative Valence Errors
• Minority Influence