Social Influence:
Conformity & Obedience
Psy 240; Fall 2006
Purdue University
Dr. Kipling Williams
.
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Classic Studies
• Autokinetic Effect
• Sherif’s studies of
norm formation
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Classic Studies
• Asch’s studies of
group pressure
©William Vandivert
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Why Do We Conform?
• Informational Influence
– “Social Proof” -- if others think/behave that way, they must be right.
• Normative Influence
– The desire to “fit it,” or perhaps more important, to not be
excluded/rejected
• Mindlessness
– A cognitive heuristic that allows us to do
what others are doing without taking up
valuable time and effort.
• Do “non-conformists” not conform?
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When Do People Conform?
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Group size
Unanimity
Cohesion
Status
Public response
No prior commitment
©PhotoFest
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Influences on Conformity
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Influences on Conformity
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Influences on Conformity
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A Not-So Classic Study
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Social Inhibition (Petty, Williams,
Harkins, & Latané, 1977: “Bystander
Response to a Cheeseburger”
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How are Conformity and Social
Inhibition Similar?
Free
Cheeseb
urger
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Classic Studies
• Milgram’s obedience experiments
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When Don’t People Conform
• Optimal distinctiveness (Brewer,
1991)
– Feople seek affiliations with
groups that enable them to
maintain an ideal balance
between the desires to fit in
and stand out.
– Feelings of belonging trigger
attempts to individuate
oneself, feelings of uniqueness
trigger attempts to immerse
oneself in the group.
• When mate selection motives
are strong
– Cialdini, 2006
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What Breeds Obedience?
• Escalating Commitment
• Emotional distance of the
victim
• Closeness and legitimacy of
the authority
• Institutional authority
• The liberating effects of
group influence
© Stanley Milgram, 1965,
From the film Obedience, distributed by the Pennsylvania State University
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Reflections on the Classic
Studies
• Behavior and attitudes
• The power of the situation
• The fundamental attribution error
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Social Impact Theory
Latané, 1980
Multiplication
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Division
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