PSYA2 Social Influence
Conformity - Majority Influence
Conformity - BATs
Essential - you must be able to outline research
into Conformity (Asch and Sherif) (E)
Stretch - you should be able to explain the
different types of conformity with the use of studies to
support. (C)
Challenge - you could evaluate research into
Conformity (B)
SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY.
EVERYBODY HAS HEARD OF PEER PRESSURE, BUT
MOST PEOPLE ARGUE THAT THEY ARE NOT
AFFECTED BY IT, OR AT LEAST NOT AFFECTED AS
'MOST PEOPLE.' THE TRUTH IS, WE ARE ALL AFFECTED BY THE
PEOPLE WE INTERACT WITH, MANY OF WHOM WE
DON'T EVEN KNOW PERSONALLY. OUR SOCIAL ENVIRONMENTS PLAY A SIGNIFICANT
ROLE IN HOW WE VIEW OURSELVES, AND
CONVERSELY, HOW WE SEE OURSELVES IMPACTS
OUR VIEW OF THE WORLD.
Sherif’ Experiment
§In an classic experiment Sherif (1935) showed participants a
single pinpoint of light in a dark room
§Participants were asked to estimate individually how far the
light moved from its original position
§After the initial individual attempt participants worked in pairs
& then groups to try & reach consensus.
§Group consensus was reached by establishing an agreed point.
Criticism of Sherif’s work:
The ‘group’ used consisted of three people. They may not have considered
themselves to be a group.
There was no right or wrong answer, it was an ambiguous task, and Sherif told
them that he was going to move the light, so they were more likely to change their
minds anyway.
Sherif (1935) Autokinetic Effect
I need 6 volunteers please
PSYCHLOTRON.O
RG.UK
THIS IS A REPLICATION OF A
VERY INFLUENTIAL
PSYCHOLOGICAL INVESTIGATION
BY SOLOMON ASCH IN 1951
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HTTP://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WATCH?V=QCMVBXGMDSU&FEATURE=RELATED
“A change in behaviour due
to real or imagined
pressure from other
people”
PSYCHLOTRON.O
RG.UK
Conformity (Majority Influence)
Asch (1951)
A research study of conformity to group
pressure
Will someone go along with an answer
that is obviously wrong?
HTTP://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WATCH?
V=VGDX5G9QL1G&FEATURE=RELATED
PSYCHLOTRON.O
RG.UK
What is more important – being right or
fitting in?
Asch (1951)
When all the confederates gave the right answer,
the PPs made almost no errors
When the confeds gave the wrong answer, the PP
went along with it 37% of the time
75% conformed at least once
5% conformed every time
25% never conformed
PSYCHLOTRON.O
RG.UK
Of the PPs:
PSYCHLOTRON.O
RG.UK
Why would someone go along with an
answer they knew to be wrong?
Asch (1951)
PPs reported conforming for different reasons
including:
Didn’t want to ‘upset the experiment’
Fear of rejection by confederates
PSYCHLOTRON.O
RG.UK
Genuinely doubted own judgement
Types of Conformity
Task 1:
Use your text books and the worksheet to find out 3
different types of conformity.
Task 2: Apply what you have learned about different
types of conformity to complete the worksheet
‘Psychology Storytime’.
Exploring Psychology p 157, Complete Companion
p148
Plenary
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=VsyfQeSITww
Using cues from others to decide what action to
take
What type of conformity does this demonstrate?
Explain your answer.
Conformity - BATs
Essential - you must be able to outline research
into Conformity (Asch and Sherif) (E)
Stretch - you should be able to explain the
different types of conformity with the use of studies to
support. (C)
Challenge - you could evaluate research into
Conformity (B)
Look at the ‘Factors affecting Conformity’ sheet
Predict what happened when he varied the experiment
and give reasons using knowledge about types of
conformity
Evaluating Asch’s research
Is Asch’s study a ‘child of its time’?
Were these findings unique to ..
MALES
USA –
INDIVIDUALIST
CULTURE
1950’S –
MCCARTHYISM*
*strong anti-communist feeling, people scared to be different.
Evaluating Asch’s research
Perrin and Spencer (1980) – replicated Asch’s study
in UK in late 70’s
Science and engineering students only 1/396
conformed
Youths on probation as ppts, probation officers as
confederates – similar results to Asch.
Nicholson 1985 – British students – some evidence
of conformity – due to greater feeling of national
cohesion as a result of the Falklands war
Conformity or
Independence?
Only 37% of cases showed conformity
to the majority.
2/3 did not conform
Asch believed that rather than showing
people as being overly conformist, his
study demonstrated that many stick to
what they believe – INDEPENDENT
behaviour
Asch & Conformity
Some critics thought the high
levels of conformity found by Asch
were a reflection of American, 1950’s
culture:
•'It was time-consuming and
uneconomical'. (Crutchfield)
•'Tasks set not like real-life
situations'. (Crutchfield)
•'It did not account for minority'.
influences
• •Results:
•Overall, subjects conformed to wrong answer on 37% of target trials
•75% of subjects conformed on at least one trial
•50% of subjects conformed on more than half of the trials
•The group exerted normative influence by instilling a fear of appearing
deviant
•Led to public conformity (surface behaviour change) in the subjects
What factors may affect
conformity?
Read and complete the worksheet
‘Factors affecting conformity’.
We will share later
What factors may affect
conformity?
In groups research one factor from the list below.
• Group size, culture, task difficulty, unanimity,
gender.
Write the key points of what you have found out on
the whiteboard
Summarise the factors that affect conformity in
your book/folder
Influences on Conformity
Group size:
•Conformity increases with group size up to four persons
in the group, and then levels off
Awareness of group norms:
•Conformity increases when the norm is “activated” or
brought to the person’s attention
An ally in dissent:
•The presence of a single confederate who disagrees with
the majority reduces conformity
The difficulty of the task
People will are more likely to conform as they want to be
right (Informational social influence)
Culture - individualist cultures less obedient than collectivist
Gender - Females tend to conform more than males
Why do people join groups?
Because people generally seek agreement about what
they see & how to behave (normative behaviour)
Normal people behave like other normal people
People who are NOT normal tend to be rejected or
isolated
Most people are normal so we tend to mimic (copy)
majority behaviour
Normative behaviour enhances self-esteem because
of approval from others
Plenary
Revision tip - make a
table/mind map or poster to outline
the APFCC of Asch’s experiment
(also Sherif)
Complete the ‘Elaboration Ladder’ - it can be used
when writing an essay about evaluating research into
conformity
Stretch and challenge - p158 Exploring Psychology
q1-5
Homework: see questions at end of today’s top
sheet - choose a task - hand in on 21st March
Next lesson..
• I am not in next week (At a Psychology meeting!!)
• Please do the following - at home or in school ..
the internet or p71 in your revision guide to find
• Use
out about Zimbardo’s Stanford prison experiment
kind of conformity is shown?
• What
your answer.
Give reasons for
through lesson 2 - ‘To Conform or not to
• Work
conform’ - make notes/table/mind map to highlight
who is likely to conform and who is likely to show
independent behaviour and why
the homework questions at the foot of the
• Complete
lesson 2 topsheet