1. Chapter 6 Charles Pavitt
Conformity & Deviance
Chapter 6
Charles Pavitt

2. Overview Preliminary Distinctions CONFORMITY DEVIANCE Conclusions
Conformity & Deviance Defined
Structural Perspective
Norms
CONFORMITY
Rationale
Relevant Theories (Social Comparison, Cognitive Dissonance, Reactance,
Compliance vs. Private Acceptance
DEVIANCE
Valence – good vs. bad deviance
Group Pressure
Polarization – pressure toward conformity
Internal group pressure
Dependence upon deviant member
Functional Perspective
Conclusions
Negative Valence Errors
Minority Influence
Distinctions between Minority and Majority Influence

3. Preliminary Distinctions
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.

4. BAD vs. GOOD Conformity
Compliance (Undesirable Conformity) conformity in BEHAVIOR alone (usually bad)
Private Acceptance (desirable conformity) conformity in beliefs as well as behaviors (usually good)

5. The Structural Perspective
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.

6. NORMS All norms are NOT created equal. Degree of Formality
Degree of Permissible Deviation
Degree of Application
Can apply to group members in different ways.
Can apply to either OR BOTH group behaviors as well as outcomes

7. CONFORMTIY: Why Conform?
“Accepted Behaviors”
Pragmatic Reasons (to make decisions)
Motivational Reasons (acceptance, enjoyment, personal goals)
GROUP PERSUASION or “PRESSURE”

8. Theories of CONFORMTIY
Social Comparison Theory
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.
Cognitive Dissonance Theory
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
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!

9. Compliance vs. Private Acceptance
Social comparison, dissonance, reactance
Impress a group member
Group pressure
Lone dissenter faces unified majority
Private Acceptance
Accept belief of majority opinion
Individual blame for compliance > privately accept group’s opinion
Only standard is “social reality.” > Group norms

10. DEVIANCE: Why Deviate?
People Deviate so that the group can make good decisions (Devil’s Advocate)
Deviance creates Conflict
Constructive – carefully weigh the strengths and weaknesses of proposals.
Destructive – occurs when members do not have the best interest of the group in mind.
Power Struggles
Personality Disputes
Process Disagreements (policy decisions- what to do)

11. GOOD vs. BAD Deviance
Innovation - individual accepts group goal but rejects means for reaching it
Ritualism – individual rejects group goal but accepts means for reaching it (“going through the motions”)
Retreatism - reject both group goals and means (drop out entirely)
Rebellion – reject both group goals and means (substitute new, personal goals, as well as the means to reach them)

12. Group Pressure Unmistakable constraints to conform
Persuasive force is predictable in its amount and type
Amount of Communication (pressure) due to two factors:
Internal Pressure (cohesion, task importance)
Dependence of Group on Deviant Member
Relevance vs. Cohesion (Schachter)

13. The Functional Perspective
Rebellious or retreating deviants can play useful roles in groups (positive function)
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

14. General CONCLUSIONS
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”

15. MINORITY INFLUENCE
Minority viewpoints can successfully exert persuasive forces upon the majority
Minority gives consistent responses
Reasonable judgments in ambiguous situations (consistency and confidence in accuracy of conclusions)
Differences between Minority and Majority Influence
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:
encourage the expression of minority opinions and
examine the value of alternative viewpoints

16. Summary Preliminary Distinctions CONFORMITY DEVIANCE Conclusions
Conformity & Deviance Defined
Structural Perspective
Norms
CONFORMITY
Rationale
Relevant Theories (Social Comparison, Cognitive Dissonance, Reactance,
Compliance vs. Private Acceptance
DEVIANCE
Valence – good vs. bad deviance
Group Pressure
Polarization – pressure toward conformity
Internal group pressure
Dependence upon deviant member
Functional Perspective
Conclusions
Negative Valence Errors
Minority Influence
Distinctions between Minority and Majority Influence