1. Conformity & Obedience
Module 75

2. Conformity
Is this really true? Find out HERE

3. Social Influence
How behavior is influenced by the social environment and the presence of other people
It affects:
Conformity
Obedience
Group Behavior

4. Conformity
We are natural mimics – mirror neurons, empathizing with others, mood linkage to others
Conformity - Adopting attitudes or behaviors of a group
2 general reasons for conformity
Informational social influence refers to behavior that is motivated by the desire to be correct
Normative social influence—behavior that is motivated by the desire to gain social acceptance and approval.

5. Solomon Asch Researched the circumstances under which people conform
Asch’s Experiment:
All but 1 in group was confederate
Seating was rigged
Asked to rate which line matched a “standard” line
Confederates were instructed to pick the wrong line 12/18 times
Comparison lines
Standard lines 1 2 3

6. Asch’s Experiments on Conformity
Results
Asch found that 76% participants conformed to at least one wrong choice during multiple trials.
BUT when data from all the trials was combined, subjects gave wrong answer (conformed) on only 37% of the critical trials.
Means that almost 2/3 (63%)of people did not conform & said correct answer even when others said the wrong one
However, Control group that responded alone (no group present) chose correctly 99%.
Why did 1/3 of participants conform to clearly wrong choices?
informational influence?
subjects reported having doubted their own perceptual abilities which led to their conformance – didn’t report seeing the lines the way the confederates had

7. Factors Increasing Conformity
The person feels incompetent or insecure.
The group has three or more people.
The rest of the group is unanimous.
Person is admires the status of the group.
No prior commitments were made.
The group is observing the person respond.
One’s culture encourages conformity.

8. Factors Decreasing Conformity
When we have an ally in our dissent from majority opinion, even if the dissenter’s competence is questionable.

9. Effects of a Nonconformist
If everyone agrees, you are less likely to disagree HOWEVER…
If one person disagrees, even if they give the wrong answer, you are more likely to express your nonconforming view
Asch tested this hypothesis
one confederate gave different answer from others
conformity dropped significantly
I like to discuss with students the effect of a nonconformist on others in the group by discussing a study by Moscivici & Personnaz:
(a) Showed blue slides to a group of people with a few confederates sprinkled in there. In group 1, a majority of the group said “green” when the slide was actually blue; in group 2 a minority of people said “green” when the slide was actually blue
(b) The hypothesis was that when a minority of people stuck up for their position (green not blue) that other people might listen and really try to see green
(c) When they showed a white screen and asked for the color of the afterimages, group 1 reported yellow afterimages (seeing only blue), but group 2 reported orange afterimages (seeing a little red in there which is the complement of green!!)

10. Culture & Conformity
In general, levels of conformity have steadily declined since Asch’s original study of U.S. college students in the 1950s
Individualistic cultures tend to emphasize:
Independence
self-expression
standing out from the crowd
Thus the whole notion of conformity tends to carry a negative connotation
Collectivistic cultures, however, publicly conforming while privately disagreeing is regarded as socially appropriate tact or sensitivity

11. OBEDIENCE

12. Obedience
Obedience:
compliance of person is due to perceived authority of asker
request is perceived as a command
Milgram interested in unquestioning obedience to orders
This photo of Stanley Milgram was scanned in from the Myers text, NOT on the CD

13. Stanley Milgram’s Studies
Basic study procedure
teacher and learner (learner always confederate)
watch learner being strapped into chair
learner expresses concern over his “heart condition”
Photo scanned in from Gray 3e fig 14.8, NOT on CD

14. Stanley Milgram’s Studies: Procedure Continued
Teacher goes to another room with experimenter
Shock generator panel – 15 to 450 volts, labels “slight shock” to “XXX”
Teacher asked by Experimenter to give higher shocks for every mistake Learner makes
Figure adapted from Hockenbury 12.4, was on CD

15. Stanley Milgram’s Studies
Learner protests more and more as shock increases
Experimenter continues to request obedience even if teacher balks saying,
“The Experiment Requires that you continue.”
“You have no other choice, you must continue.”
120
150
300
330
“Ugh! Hey this really hurts.”
“Ugh! Experimenter! That’s all.
Get me out of here. I told you
I had heart trouble. My heart’s
starting to bother me now.”
(agonized scream) “I absolutely
refuse to answer any more.
Get me out of here. You can’t hold
me here. Get me out.”
(intense & prolonged agonized
scream) “Let me out of here.
Let me out of here. My heart’s
bothering me. Let me out,
I tell you…”
This table was adapted from Hockenbury, Table 12.3
Instructor could also tape the confederate’s responses instead of using this table

17. Milgram’s Results How many people would go to the highest shock level?
Two-Thirds or 65% (26 out of 40) of the subjects went to the end, even those that protested
Those that did stop, not one stopped before the 300-volt level.

18. Milgram’s Obedience to Authority (Data from Milgram, 1974)

19. Obedience to Authority
Play “Obedience: The Milgram Study” (4:04) Segment #34 from Psychology: The Human Experience.
Or Click HERE to download & view actual video from his original experiment. (5 minutes)
Would it work today? retest of the Milgram Experiment (5 min)
70% obey up to 150-volt point
Women obeyed at rates similar to men

20. Explanations for Milgram’s Results
Abnormal group of subjects?
Numerous replications with variety of groups shows no support
Milgram’s study has been repeated many times in the United States and other countries with identical results
People in general are sadistic?
videotapes of Milgram’s subjects show extreme distress & not enjoying the experience

21. Explanations for Milgram’s Results
A previously well-established framework to obey
The situation, or context, in which the obedience occurred (Authority of Yale and value of science)
New situation and no role model of how to behave or defy the orders
The gradual, repetitive escalation of the task
Experimenter self-assurance and acceptance of responsibility
The physical and psychological separation from the learner

22. Follow-Up Studies to Milgram
This figure is adapted from the CD version of figure 12.5 in Hockenbury

23. Conditions that Decrease the Likelihood of Destructive Obedience
Willingness to obey diminishes sharply when:
buffers that separate the teacher from the learner are lessened or removed.
experimenter left the room and spoke to the subject over the telephone rather than in person.
teachers were allowed to act as their own authority and freely choose the shock level,
95 percent did not venture beyond 150 volts—the first point at which the learner protested
People were more likely to defy an authority when they saw others do so

24. Critiques of Milgram
Did his experiment cause psychological trauma or harm to its participants?
Although 84% later said they were glad to have participated and fewer than 2% said they were sorry, there are still ethical issues
Do these experiments really help us understand real-world atrocities?

25. Were Milgram’s Obedience Experiments Ethical?
Attacked for the emotional stress, tension, and loss of dignity experienced by the subjects
Although 84% later said they were glad to have participated and fewer than 2% said they were sorry, there are still ethical issues
Follow-ups of Milgram’s subjects indicate that a large majority were glad to have taken part in the experiment and had no signs of harm or traumatic reaction
Milgram suggested that what was disturbing to people were not so much his methods but his results

26. Does this Apply to Today?

27. Asch, Milgram, and the Real World
Being at odds with the majority or with authority figures is very uncomfortable for most people—
Enough so that our judgment and perceptions can be distorted and we may act in ways that violate our conscience
Each of us does have the capacity to resist group or authority pressure but…
Will we do so?

28. Abu Ghraib Prison: “I was just following orders.”