Chapter 6 Conformity and Influence In Groups

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Chapter 6Conformity andInfluence In Groups

• Four out of five dentists recommend

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Conformity to Group Norms

• Norms are expectations governing group members
  behavior.
• Norms may be formal, explicit
• no cheating on tests
• Norms may be informal, implicit
• no picking your nose during class
• Norms may not be apparent until violated
• Is texting during class okay?

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Early Conformity Research

• Sherif demonstrated conformity to group
  judgments.
• Autokinetic effect a stationary point of light,
  in a completely dark room, appears to be moving.
• Individuals estimates of the amount of movement
  conformed to the groups.

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Early Conformity Research

• Asch found conformity to group judgments
• Individuals estimated the length of lines.
• Group members (confederates) offered different
  judgments.
• 75 of all subjects modified their estimates to
  conform to the group.
• Public conformity doesnt necessarily imply
  private conformity.

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Influence of Norms

• Groups may punish deviation from established
  norms.
• Norms are most influential in ambiguous social
  situations.
• Subjects littered more in a setting where others
  were seen littering.
• Norms may persist even if they are dysfunctional.

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Group Size and Conformity

• Social impact theory
• Each additional member adds pressure to conform.
• Each new members influence is proportionally
  less.
• Social influence model
• The first few people added exert the most
  pressure to conform.
• Conformity levels off with additional members.
• For example, if the first 9 group members dont
  convince someone, neither will the 10th.

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Group Size and Conformity

• Informational influence
• Members want to be correct, accurate.
• More heads are better than one.
• Consistent with social influence model
• Normative influence
• Members want to be liked, accepted by the group.
• Groups provide a sense belonging, connectedness.
• Consistent with social impact theory

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Resisting Pressure to Conform

• It is difficult for a lone dissenter to resist
  unanimous group pressure.
• A holdout with even one ally can resist more
  easily.
• A second dissenter decreases conformity by 80.

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Factors Affecting Conformity

• Identification and reference groups
• Reference groups provide standards of comparison
  for self-appraisal.
• Keeping up with the Joneses
• People consider reference groups when making
  decisions.

• Groupthink
• Members engage in consensus-seeking.
• They reinforce one anothers opinions.
• They fail to question or analyze ideas.

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Gender and Conformity

• In general women tend to conform more than men.
• Sex roles affect conformity
• Females are socialized to be more communal.
• Males are socialized to be more independent.
• Status affects conformity
• Sex functions as a status cue.
• Males generally enjoy higher status in
  organizational settings.

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Peer Pressure and Conformity

• Peer influence increases during adolescence.
• Peer pressure can promote risky behaviors.
• Tobacco, alcohol, drug use
• Peer pressure can lead to aggression.
• Hazing, teasing, ostracism can spark violence.
• Online hazing can trigger suicides.
• Peer pressure also has positive effects.
• Peers also model desirable behavior.

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Personality and Conformity

• High self-monitors tend to conform more than low
  self-monitors.
• Dogmatic people tend to conform more than
  non-dogmatics.

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Culture and Conformity

• Ethnocentrism
• Using ones own culture as the benchmark for
  judging other cultures.
• Individualism-Collectivism
• Individualistic cultures view conformity more
  negatively.
• Collectivistic cultures view conformity more
  positively.

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The Whys of Conformity

• Group locomotion
• The individual goes along to achieve the goals of
  the group.
• Social comparison
• The group is a yardstick for measuring ones own
  performance.
• Consistency
• Liking and identification with the group
  discourages deviance
• Epistemological weighting
• Members think the group knows more than they do.
• Hedonistic hypothesis
• Members conform to receive social benefits, avoid
  social rejection.

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Social Proof

• Monkey see, monkey do
• People base their behavior on what others are
  doing.
• Internet piracy
• Urban graffiti
• Viral marketing relies on social proof
• A social phenomenon is spread by word of mouth.
• Negative social proof
• Everyone else is doing it is based on appeals
  to the crowd.

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Social Loafing

• Slackers People exert less effort in a group
  than working alone.
• The Ringlemann effect in a tug of war, adding
  team members reduces individual effort.
• Decision making problem solving as members are
  added, individual effort tapers off.
• Collective effort model
• Members coast if individuals contributions cant
  be distinguished.
• Free ride effect
• Members coast if they are anonymous.
• Members coast if they arent personally
  accountable.
• Sucker effect
• Productive members slack off when they see others
  arent working.

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Risk-Taking Behavior

• Risky-shift phenomenon
• Groups are prone to make riskier decisions than
  individuals.
• The groups consensus is typically riskier than
  the average risk-level of its members.
• Group polarization
• Groups enhance members pre-existing tendencies
  toward risk-taking or risk-aversion.
• High risk-takers skew the average willingness of
  the group to assume risks.

• Social comparison theory
• Members entertain ideas they would not otherwise
  consider.
• Persuasive arguments theory (PAT)
• The most vocal members advocate the most extreme
  views.
• There can also be a shift toward greater caution
• More vocal members may advocate greater caution.

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Ostracism

• Social ostracism can lead to anti-social behavior
• School shootings
• Cyber-bullying

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Deindividuation

• Depersonalization
• Individual identity is subsumed to that of the
  group.
• Personal accountability is lacking.
• A diffusion of responsibility occurs.
• Its not my problem.
• Its none of my business.
• Anonymity increases deindividuation.
• Negative social consequences
• Mob psychology
• Vandalism perpetrated by unruly sports fans
• Treatment of detainees at Abu Ghraib prison in
  Iraq
• Crowd size affects antisocial behavior.
• Bystander effects
• Bystanders may fail to help in an emergency.
• Self-Awareness
• Increasing self-awareness reduces
  deindividuation.
• Increasing accountability decreases
  deindividuation.

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The Bystander effect

• Richmond, CA, 2009 A 15 year old was the victim
  of a gang rape outside her high schools
  homecoming dance.
• The ordeal lasted 2 ½ hours.
• At least 20 passers-by failed to call police.
• Other witnesses watched, laughed, and took
  pictures.

• People in a crowd who see others doing nothing do
  nothing themselves.
• Bystanders fail to act based on
• social proof
• Deindividuation
• Increasing private awareness can overcome the
  bystander effect.
• Identifying individuals can overcome the
  bystander effect.
• You, in the red sweater, call 911!
• Mam, I need your help. Go pull the fire alarm.