Conformity and
Obedience to
Authority
What is Conformity?
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Quick Write: 5 minutes
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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 are some examples of times YOU have
‘conformed’?
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.

For example, when you go to class, do you sit in a chair
like other students or sit in the aisle? Do you face the
front of the room like everyone else or do you sit facing
the back wall? WHY??
http://www.alleydog.com/glossary/definition.cfm?term=Conformity
Types of Conformity
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Herbert Kelman (1958) suggests 3 types of
conformity:
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Compliance- A change in behavior without a
change in opinion (going along with the group).
Internalization- A change in behavior and
opinion. 'True Conformity'.
Identification- Adopting the group's views
because value group membership. Often
temporary.
Partner Activity: (10 minutes)

Write a scenario that illustrates each type
of conformity (three total scenarios):


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Compliance- A change in behavior without a
change in opinion (going along with the group).
Internalization- A change in behavior and
opinion. 'True Conformity'.
Identification- Adopting the group's views
because value group membership. Often
temporary.
Quick Questions…
Be prepared to answer!
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Is CONFORMITY a good or a bad thing?
Why?
List some social norms and decide if they
are positive or negative.
What are three social norms that you are
glad exist?
What would life be like WITHOUT social
norms?
The Solomn Asch Experiment


The Asch conformity experiments were a series
of studies that starkly demonstrated the power
of conformity in groups
Experimenters led by Solomon Asch asked
students to participate in a "vision test."


All but one of the participants were part of the
experiment.
Those who were part of the experiment were told to
give the wrong answer to the question. The study was
to look at what the actual participant responded—the
correct answer or what the group said.
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 Solomn Asch Experiement

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TYIh4Mk
cfJA
Obedience to Authority

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What are some ‘commands’ you hear every day? Who
gives you these ‘commands’? Why do you obey (or not
obey) the commands you are given?
We hear or come across commands, instructions,
directions and orders everyday.

What is it that makes us obey (or disobey) them? 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 and
influences in the environment, including fear
We obey because of some characteristic of our
personality
The Milgram Experiement

Milgram (1963) wanted to investigate the
level of obedience to an authority figure

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Teacher/learner
Administration of shocks (from very low levels
to very high levels)
‘Teacher’ was the one who was being studied—
would he obey authority and continue to
administer these shocks?
The Milgram Experiement

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

All groups surveyed thought that by
“intense shock” people would have stopped
obeying. In fact, only 35% had refused to
obey by 450 volts, an alarming 65% were
willing to give the full “XXX shock.”
Why did people obey?
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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.
Social support for disobedience: When the teacher had
someone else to support the decision, there was much less
obedience.
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
The Stanford Prison Experiment
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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 (based on a coin toss) and lived
in the basement of one of the buildings.
The experiment was supposed to last for two
weeks, but was shut down after only one week.
Connections….
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Think about both CONFORMITY and
OBEDIENCE TO AUTHORITY as you read
The Crucible….
Think about INDIVIDUALITY as we
progress through this last unit: The
Individual, Nature, and Society