Conformity
and
Obedience to
Authority
What is Conformity?

Quick Write:
 What do you think of when you hear the
word ‘conformity’?
 Why do people conform?
 What are some examples of conformity
that you observe in high school?
 In society in general?
What is Conformity?


Conformity can be defined as adjusting
one's behavior or thinking to match those
of other people or a group standard.
There are lots of reasons why people
conform, including the desire/need to fit
in or be accepted by others and
maintaining order in one’s life.
Types of Conformity

Herbert Kelman (1958) suggests 3 types:



Compliance- A change in behavior without a
change in opinion (going along with the
group).
Identification- Adopting the group's views
because group membership is valued - often
temporary.
Internalization- A change in behavior and
opinion. 'True Conformity'
Partner Activity: (5-10 minutes)

Create a scenario that illustrates each type:



Compliance- A change in behavior without a
change in opinion (going along with the
group).
Identification- Adopting the group's views
because value group membership. Often
temporary.
Internalization- A change in behavior and
opinion. 'True Conformity'.
Quick Questions…
Is CONFORMITY a good or a bad thing?
Why?
 What are three social norms that you are
glad exist?
 What would life be like WITHOUT social
norms?
 In your opinion, why do people conform?

The Solomon Asch Experiment


The Asch conformity experiments were a series of
studies that demonstrate the power of conformity
in groups
Experimenters led by Solomon Asch asked
students to participate in a "vision test." In reality,
all but one of the participants were accomplices of
the experimenter, and the study was really about
how the remaining student would react to the
confederates' behavior.
The Solomn Asch Experiment

The participants -- the real subjects and those
involved in the experiment-- were all seated in a
classroom where they were told to announce their
judgment of the length of several lines drawn on a
series of displays. They were asked which line
was longer than the other, which were the same
length, etc. Those involved in the experiment had
been prearranged to all give an incorrect answer
to the tests.
The Solomon Asch Experiment
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TYIh4MkcfJA
IMPLICATIONS OF ASCH?
What
conclusions can be
drawn from Asch’s
experiment regarding how
individuals behave in a
group situation?

Group Break
Obedience to Authority
 "Be
quiet! Sit down!“ “Pay attention!”
 How
often have you heard this,
or something like it? We hear or
come across commands,
instructions, directions and
orders everyday….and follow
them.
What is it that makes us
obey (or disobey)?

Millions of people were killed in Nazi Germany in
concentration camps but Hitler couldn't have killed
them all, nor could a handful of people. What made
all those people follow the orders they were given?
Were they afraid, or was there something in their
personality that made them like that? In order to
obey authority, the obeying person has to
accept that it is legitimate for the command to
be made of them.
Obedience to Authority

Explanations of why we obey fall into one of
two groups:
 We obey because of social pressures,
awards, & influences in the environment,
including fear -or We obey because of some characteristic
of our personality
The Milgram Experiment


Milgram (1963) wanted to investigate the level of
obedience to an authority figure, in this case a
Yale University psychologist, when the result of
the obedience was believed by the participant to
be to inflict pain on another 'volunteer', even to
the extent that no one could be expected to suffer
the amount of pain and to survive.
Milgram asked various people the maximum
voltage they would give before refusing to
continue. This is what he found:
Predictions by following groups of
level at which people would
refuse to administer shock (%)
Actual shock levels
at which
subjects
refused to
continue (%)
Shock level
(volts)
Psychiatrists
Students
Middle class
adults
Slight shock (15
v)
10.3
0
12.5
0
Moderate shock
48.7
25.8
42.5
0
Strong shock
92.3
96.8
82.5
0
Very strong shock
97.4
100
90.0
0
Intense shock
100
100
100
12.5
Extremely intense
shock
100
100
100
23.5
Danger, severe
shock
100
100
100
35.0
XXX shock (450 v)
100
100
100
35.0
The Milgram Experiment

Milgram thought that by “intense shock”
people would have stopped obeying. In
fact, only 35% had refused to obey by 450
volts, an alarming 65% therefore willing to
give the full “XXX shock.” The predictions
of the extent of obedience are much less
than the actual levels of obedience.
Milgram & Role Playing link
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FkmQZjZSjk4&feature=related&safety_mode=true&persist_safety_mode=1
Why did people obey?




Legitimacy of the authority figure: Compared with
experiments in a run-down office building, subjects were far
more obedient in the highly respected and trusted
environment of a prestigious university. When the
experimenter wore a gray rather than white lab coat,
obedience dropped.
Proximity of the victim: When the teacher and the learner
were much closer to each other obedience dropped. If the
teacher actually had to touch the learner obedience dropped
even further.
Diffusion of responsibility: When the teacher didn't have to
press the switch but someone else did, obedience rose to
92.5 % (as compared to the 65% above)
Proximity of the experimenter: When the experimenter left
the room, obedience dropped
Implications of Milgram
 What
conclusions can be
drawn from Milgram’s
experiment regarding how
individuals are obedient to
authority?
The Stanford Prison Experiment




A study designed to study the psychological
effects of becoming a prisoner or a guard. (Role
playing)
Conducted in 1971 by Stanford Psychology
Professor Phillip Zimbardo.
Students were assigned to a role of either
prisoner or guard and acted out their roles in the
basement of one of the Stanford buildings.
The experiment was supposed to last for several
weeks, but was shut down after only one week.
Conformity and Obedience to
Authority Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpIzju84v24&
feature=related&safety_mode=true&persist_safe
ty_mode=1
The Big Question…
Is there any difference between the
roles played by those in the Stanford
Prison Experiment (guard and
prisoner) and the roles we play in the
grand experiment of society?
Connections to Literature ….
Take note of the concepts of
CONFORMITY and
OBEDIENCE TO AUTHORITY
as you read
The Crucible