Conformity - Social Psychology - 4828 Words

SOCIAL PSYC 103 Organizational Studies/Psychology 103 Take Home Exam 2, Summer Session, 2010 1. Define conformity, and distinguish between compliance, obedience, and acceptance, giving examples of each. What types of influences lead to conformity? When are we likely to conform and why does it have a negative connotation in Western society? Compare and contrast the conformity experiments of Sherif and Asch. Describe their methodology and the results that they observed. What processes seem to be at work in each case? In your view, would we get the same results today? Conformity is defined by Aronson (1988) as ‘a change in a persons behaviour or opinions as a result of real or imagined pressure from a person or group of people.†¦show more content†¦Asch and Sherif helped to define the differences in our ideas of conformity. The concept of compliance is similar to conformity, yet it’s slightly different. For compliance to occur within groups, one must adapt his/her actions to anothers wishes or rules. Requests for and acts of compliance occur in everyo nes lives. Simply asking someone to perform a task is a request for compliance. The most effective method to gain compliance is through rational persuasion and inspiration. Although this person is asking another to perform a task, he/she is not asking the person to agree or disagree with the task in question. The person requesting the performance of the task is not necessarily attempting to change the others beliefs, but simply needs or wants the task to be performed. This notion is what sets conformity and compliance apart. The central aspect of conformity is that the person being influenced by the group change his/her attitudes and/or beliefs while the main point of compliance is the achievement of some specified task. Foot-in-the-door technique (FITD) is a compliance tactic that involves getting a person to agree to a large request by first setting them up by having that person agree to a modest request. Therefore FITD is a two step compliance technique in which an influenc er prefaces the real request by first getting a person to comply with a much smaller request. Obedience is theShow MoreRelatedConformity And Normative Social Psychology1538 Words   |  7 PagesSocial Psychology has always been a key element in our understanding of human behaviour. Conformity plays a big part in the history of social psychology; conformity (also known as Majority Influence) is a type of social influence that involves a person changing their thoughts and beliefs in order to fit into a group. An example of this is during WW2, in which Hitler used his dominating opinions and authority to influence the Nazis and obscure their views, which lead them to conform to the horrendousRead MoreExamples Of Conformity In Social Psychology1342 Words   |  6 Pagesone’s individuality. Conforming to these norms can be necessary in many ways. Most of the world conforms with these societal rules: stopping at a red light, having respect for the elderly, wearing clothes, and mo re. Some of these are examples of conformity that are necessary for the structure of one’s life. Conforming is effective, our ancestors conformed to survive by forming groups. However, there are some individuals that conform to avoid rejection to a group, regardless of their own values. MyersRead MoreAnalysis of Conformity and Group Influence in Twelve Angry Men912 Words   |  4 PagesAnalysis of Conformity and Group Influence in Twelve Angry Men Introduction The film â€Å"Twelve Angry Men† directed by Sidney Lumet illustrates many social psychological principles. The tense, gripping storyline that takes place in the 1950s features a group of jurors who must decide unanimously whether a young man is guilty or innocent in the murder of his father. At the beginning, eleven of the twelve jurors voted guilty. Gradually, through some heated discussion, the jurors are swayed to a not-guiltyRead MoreSocial Influences on Behavior1114 Words   |  5 PagesSocial Influences on Behavior There are many social influences which have an effect or lasting effect on the behavior of an individual. Within many group scenarios, conformity and obedience play a large role in how people tend to think and behave, especially if they get carried away. Obedience refers to compliance to an authority figure or with others in a group. On the other hand, conformity refers to an individual changing their thoughts, attitudes, and behaviors to accommodate with the standardsRead MoreWhy Do People Conform?1363 Words   |  6 PagesThe causes of conformity among individuals have long been debated and researched in recent decades. It is for this reason that conformity is an intriguing psychological concept. It causes sound-minded individuals to go against their best judgement, to engage in behaviour which they usually would not engage in, even accept and welcome an idea they internally disagree with, all in order to not be a deviant from the group. It is thus interesting to look at the facto rs which cause people to conform,Read MoreComparative Psychology : Zimbardo s Stanford Prison Study868 Words   |  4 Pages After going over Readings 37-40 each studies involvement in Social Psychology is astonishing and closely tied together. The first study reviews one of the most well known studies in the history of psychology: Zimbardo’s Stanford Prison Study. While Reading 38 recounts a crucial study that demonstrated the power, conformity in determining behavior and 39 reveals a surprising phenomenon called the bystander effect. However, the fourth study is seen as another famous and surprising milestone in ourRead MoreSocial Influence Conformity Essay examples763 Words   |  4 Pagesinfluence even after the group is split. lt;Introductory Psychology, Malim and Birch, Macmillan press, 1998gt; Unfortunately this study lacks ecological validity due to its lab based conditions,(Success in Psychology, 2nd Edition, Twining, 1998) and its focus on artificial stimuli, anot her factor that needs to be considered in the evaluation of this experiment is the date and time in which it was conducted, this study will only show conformity levels at the time and in the place where the study wasRead MoreThe Key Studies Within Social Psychology1350 Words   |  6 Pagesstudies within Social Psychology and show why social psychology is still important within the science of psychology today. Social psychology was once described by Allport (as cited in Lindzey Aronson, 1985, p.5) as, â€Å"the scientific study of how people’s thoughts, feelings and behaviours are influenced by the actual, imagined or implied presence of others†. One of the first psychologists to study social psychology was Kurt Lewin. Lewin is considered the â€Å"father of social psychology† by many as heRead MoreThe Domain Of Psychology Which Will Be Social Psychology1295 Words   |  6 Pagesthe domain of Psychology which will be Social Psychology. In psychology, social psychology is the methodical study of how people s thoughts, feelings, and behaviours are subjective to change by presence of others. Social psychologists study how an individual’s or a group’s viewpoint is changed by the social influence and communication of other individuals and social groups. In this research the main concentration will be on the topic of conformity. 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