Conformity & Deviance
Chapter 6
Charles Pavitt
Overview
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Preliminary Distinctions
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CONFORMITY
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Conformity & Deviance Defined
Structural Perspective
Norms
Rationale
Relevant Theories (Social Comparison, Cognitive Dissonance, Reactance,
Compliance vs. Private Acceptance
DEVIANCE
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Rationale
Valence – good vs. bad deviance
Group Pressure
Polarization – pressure toward conformity
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Internal group pressure
Dependence upon deviant member
Functional Perspective
Conclusions
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Negative Valence Errors
Minority Influence
Distinctions between Minority and Majority Influence
Preliminary Distinctions
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Conformist vs. Deviant
Negative Connotations; Unfair Generalizations
Conformity – choosing an action that a majority
favors or that is socially acceptable.
Deviance – choosing an action that is not
socially acceptable or that a majority does not
favor.
Neither conformity nor deviance is intrinsically
good or bad.
Distinguish ACTION from REASON.
BAD vs. GOOD Conformity
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Compliance (Undesirable Conformity)
conformity in BEHAVIOR alone (usually
bad)
Private Acceptance (desirable conformity)
conformity in beliefs as well as behaviors
(usually good)
The Structural Perspective
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Expectations of how behaviors “will be” in
groups turn into evaluations of how those
behaviors “should be.”
The evaluations are GROUP NORMS.
Norms are socially accepted behaviors in
groups.
NORMS
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All norms are NOT created equal.
Degree of Formality
Degree of Permissible Deviation
Degree of Application
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Can apply to group members in different ways.
Can apply to either OR BOTH group behaviors as well
as outcomes
CONFORMTIY: Why Conform?
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“Accepted Behaviors”
Pragmatic Reasons (to make decisions)
Motivational Reasons (acceptance,
enjoyment, personal goals)
GROUP PERSUASION or “PRESSURE”
Theories of CONFORMTIY
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Social Comparison Theory
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Cognitive Dissonance Theory
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People want to evaluate their beliefs, periodically, against standards in order to judge themselves.
Beliefs about Abilities
Opinions
Link between a need to evaluate oneself and a tendency to change oneself is not clear.
People are not so much influenced by a need to be correct as they are influenced by a need to be
consistent.
Two behaviors are dissonant if one of them implies the opposite of the other: I like my group, I disagree
with my group, I should agree with groups I like.
Feelings of Personal Responsibility (CRITICAL COMPONENT OF Cognitive Dissonance)
Reactance Theory
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People need to feel as if they have freedom to control their behavior
Extreme pressure from a group can backfire and lead to increased deviance!
Compliance vs. Private Acceptance
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Compliance
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Social comparison, dissonance, reactance
Impress a group member
Group pressure
Lone dissenter faces unified majority
Private Acceptance
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Accept belief of majority opinion
Individual blame for compliance > privately accept
group’s opinion
Only standard is “social reality.” > Group norms
DEVIANCE: Why Deviate?
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People Deviate so that the group can make good
decisions (Devil’s Advocate)
Deviance creates Conflict
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Constructive – carefully weigh the strengths and
weaknesses of proposals.
Destructive – occurs when members do not have the
best interest of the group in mind.
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Power Struggles
Personality Disputes
Process Disagreements (policy decisions- what to do)
GOOD vs. BAD Deviance
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Innovation - individual accepts group goal but rejects
means for reaching it
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Ritualism – individual rejects group goal but accepts
means for reaching it (“going through the motions”)
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Retreatism - reject both group goals and means (drop
out entirely)
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Rebellion – reject both group goals and means
(substitute new, personal goals, as well as the means to
reach them)
Group Pressure
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Unmistakable constraints to conform
Persuasive force is predictable in its
amount and type
Amount of Communication (pressure) due
to two factors:
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Internal Pressure (cohesion, task importance)
Dependence of Group on Deviant Member
Relevance vs. Cohesion (Schachter)
The Functional Perspective
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Rebellious or retreating deviants can play useful
roles in groups (positive function)
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Groups tend to induce, sustain, and permit deviant
behaviors
Functions to help groups maintain a healthy
emotional climate (TARGET, solidify NORMS,
COMPARISON, COHESION)
Groups resist trends toward the alienation of deviant
members
General CONCLUSIONS
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Negative evaluation of conformity and
deviance is a MISTAKE.
Good AND Bad Types of conformity and
deviance (with exceptions)
Privately accept option that has not been properly
evaluated by a group (GROUPTHINK)
 Emergencies require compliance
 “Controlled Rebellion”
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MINORITY INFLUENCE
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Minority viewpoints can successfully exert persuasive
forces upon the majority
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Differences between Minority and Majority Influence
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Minority gives consistent responses
Reasonable judgments in ambiguous situations (consistency
and confidence in accuracy of conclusions)
Group majorities tend to have a greater influence on
members than group minorities (leads to compliance)
Minority influence occurs (leads to private acceptance; time
consuming)
If a group is to make high-quality decisions, it must:
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encourage the expression of minority opinions and
examine the value of alternative viewpoints
Summary

Preliminary Distinctions




CONFORMITY




Conformity & Deviance Defined
Structural Perspective
Norms
Rationale
Relevant Theories (Social Comparison, Cognitive Dissonance, Reactance,
Compliance vs. Private Acceptance
DEVIANCE




Rationale
Valence – good vs. bad deviance
Group Pressure
Polarization – pressure toward conformity

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Internal group pressure
Dependence upon deviant member
Functional Perspective
Conclusions
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Negative Valence Errors
Minority Influence
Distinctions between Minority and Majority Influence