Strategic Business Program
Business, Government,
Society: Insights from
Experiments
Day 3
1
Social Conformity

Conformity has a simple definition: It is
the process of matching your beliefs,
behavior, habits, and disposition to group
norms.
2
Conformity to Group Norms

Norms are expectations governing group
member’s behavior.

Norms may be formal, explicit
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Norms may be informal, implicit
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no cheating on tests
no picking your nose during class
Norms may not be apparent until violated

Is texting during class okay?
What If We Don’t Conform?
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Conformity is a particularly important
behaviour
Without conformity, social life simply
would not exist
There would be no churches, families,
universities, or governments
Essentially there would be no culture or
social structure because we would never
interact or get along
But Why Do People Conform?
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People have a natural tendency to want to
‘fit in’ (aka conform)
Humans are social beings
We seek comfort in others for safety
People act in a similar manner
Solomon Asch Experiment (1958)
–
A Study of Conformity and Group
Pressure

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TYI
h4MkcfJA
The “Asch” Experiment
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7 subjects were selected to participate
Subjects were shown one standard line on a card and
then told to compare it to a line on a card with three lines
on it
Task was to determine which comparison line (line on
card B) was equal to the standard line (line on card A)
All subjects except one were coached to answer
incorrectly
The purpose of the study was to determine whether the
uncoached person would give the incorrect answer in an
effort to conform to the responses of the other
participants
The “Asch” Experiment
Results
Approximately 1/3 of the uncoached
subjects agreed with the incorrect answer
Most subjects who gave the incorrect
answer concluded that their own perceptions
must be incorrect since the majority of the
group saw things differently
The “Asch” Experiment
Asch found that three different kinds of
reactions had contributed to the
conformity:
 1. Distortion of perception:
A number of subjects said they were not
aware their responses had been distorted
by the majority. They came to see the
majority responses as correct.
The “Asch” Experiment

2. Distortion of judgment: Most of the
subjects who conformed to the majority
concluded their own perceptions were
inaccurate. Lacking confidence in their
own observations, they reported not
what they saw but what they felt must
be correct.
The “Asch” Experiment

3. Distortion of action: A number of
subjects admitted that they had not
reported what they had in fact seen. They
said they had conformed so as not to
appear different or stupid in the eyes of
other group members.
Why Makes People Conform
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Studies conducted by
sociologists have
identified the following
conditions in which
people are more likely
to conform.
Factors of Conformity…
Groups and Conformity
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When the group is like them. If the group has the
same values and interests and comes from a similar
background, people are more likely to conform.
When the person or group is popular or has high
status. Researchers found subjects were less likely to
jaywalk when a respectably dressed model did not
jaywalk. But the subjects didn’t hesitate to jaywalk
when a poorly dressed (apparently low-status)
model did not jaywalk.
Groups and Conformity
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When the person or group is trustworthy or an
expert. When individuals are uncertain they often
follow the lead of someone they trust or who is
an expert on the subject.
When the person is able to offer rewards or
punishments. Often people in authority offer
rewards or hand out punishments to make others
conform to their wishes. Social psychologists call
this type of conformity compliance.
Groups and Conformity

When the person or group is attractive.
People like to identify with those people who
are physically more attractive or admired. By
conforming, they hope people will identify
themselves as being attractive too.
The Zimbardo Prison
Experiment

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Psychologist Philip Zimbardo was
interested in testing the limits of human
conformity
Zimbardo set-up a 2-week experiment
involving fake prisoners and guards
Zimbardo had to terminate the experiment
after 6 days
Obedience

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The act or an instance of obeying; dutiful or
submissive behaviour – to be compliant
Why do people obey?
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Fear
Less power
Out of duty
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.
Obedience to Authority
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Explanations of why we obey fall into
one of two groups:
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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
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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 (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, and 65%
were willing to give the full “XXX
shock.”
Why Did People Obey?
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Legitimacy of the authority figure
Proximity of the victim
Social support for disobedience
Diffusion of responsibility
Proximity of the experimenter
Types of Conformity

Compliance – Publically acting in
agreement with social pressures, but
internally disagreeing. This best
describes a person who is motivated to
get a reward or avoid punishment. In
this example researchers found little
difference between animals and
humans. (Asch’s Experiment)
Resisting Pressure to Conform
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It is difficult for a lone dissenter
to resist unanimous group
pressure.
A holdout with even one ally can
resist more easily.
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A second dissenter decreases
conformity by 80%.