Social Psychology: Conformity Concepts

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Questions and Answers

Which factor increases the likelihood of conformity among individuals?

A more diverse group membership

Decrease in task difficulty

Increased group cohesiveness (correct)

Individual confidence in personal opinion

What is 'normative influence' in the context of conformity?

Adopting behavior for personal benefit

Following group behavior without understanding

Conforming due to trust in the group's correctness

Conforming to avoid social rejection (correct)

When does conformity tend to decrease significantly?

When the majority is uninformed

When the group is small

When individual confidence is high

When a single dissenter expresses a differing opinion (correct)

Which of the following influences political conformity?

The political preferences of peers Signup and view all the answers

What can lead to muscularity-oriented body dissatisfaction in men?

Pressure to adhere to masculine gender roles Signup and view all the answers

What is one reason people may conform when faced with complex tasks?

They believe the group has better information Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary purpose of mindguards within a group?

To screen out disconfirming information Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following represents a motivation for individual differentiation?

The desire for individuation Signup and view all the answers

What does the illusion of unanimity in a group typically indicate?

Only vocal members are in agreement, misleading others Signup and view all the answers

Sheppard's gender management strategy often involves which of the following?

Dressing and behaving in accordance with masculine norms Signup and view all the answers

Which component is NOT part of the traditional structure of attitude?

Heuristic Signup and view all the answers

Which form of conditioning involves pairing a neutral stimulus with a positive one to evoke a response?

Classical conditioning Signup and view all the answers

What is the main effect described by Thorndike's Law of Effect?

Behaviors followed by consequences increase the likelihood of repetition Signup and view all the answers

What is conformity?

The tendency to change one’s beliefs or behaviours to match the behaviour of others Signup and view all the answers

What role do trusted outsiders play in a group's decision-making process?

They provide disconfirming information that may challenge the consensus Signup and view all the answers

What was observed in Muzafer Sherif’s autokinetic effect experiment when participants were alone?

Varying responses among participants Signup and view all the answers

What does operant conditioning primarily focus on in behavior modification?

Consequences of actions on future behavior Signup and view all the answers

How is the behavioral dimension of attitude defined?

It encompasses the actions or intentions toward an object Signup and view all the answers

In Solomon Asch’s study, what was the main factor that influenced participants' judgments?

The attractiveness of other members in the group Signup and view all the answers

What strategy did the confederates employ in Sherif's experiment regarding their estimates?

They consistently made their estimates higher or lower than the participant Signup and view all the answers

What percentage of participants in Asch’s study went along with an obviously incorrect group judgment at least once?

75% Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes the 'illusion of movement' demonstrated in the autokinetic effect?

The perception of a stationary light moving in space Signup and view all the answers

What effect occurs when group members compromise their judgments in a dark room?

Deindividuation Signup and view all the answers

Why do individuals follow dress codes even when it is not explicitly stated?

To comply with social norms and expectations Signup and view all the answers

What is person perception primarily concerned with?

Forming impressions about others Signup and view all the answers

Which rule about person perception suggests that we categorize people into groups?

We focus on categorizing individuals Signup and view all the answers

What type of self-presentation involves flattering others to be liked?

Ingratiation Signup and view all the answers

Under which condition does modesty enhance public image?

When the audience is aware of one's full success Signup and view all the answers

Which behavior is considered ineffective self-presentation?

Making excuses for one's failures Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of self-handicapping?

To provide excuses for future failures Signup and view all the answers

Which type of self-handicapping is more common among men?

Behavioral self-handicapping Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is a characteristic of external attributions for failures?

Attributing failure to external circumstances Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary function of a Skinner Box in behavioral psychology?

To reinforce key pressing behavior through food delivery Signup and view all the answers

Which statement best describes positive reinforcement?

It applies a desirable stimulus to increase behavior Signup and view all the answers

Cognitive consistency theory suggests individuals prefer which of the following?

To seek harmony among their attitudes and beliefs Signup and view all the answers

Balance Theory indicates that changes will be made toward which of the following systems?

A balanced system with minimal change Signup and view all the answers

What does cognitive dissonance theory propose?

Inconsistency among attitudes leads to feelings of discomfort Signup and view all the answers

Counterattitudinal behavior refers to what?

Acting in opposition to one's own attitudes Signup and view all the answers

In balance theory, when do balance pressures seem weaker?

When the other person is disliked Signup and view all the answers

The removal or postponement of an undesirable stimulus is known as what?

Negative reinforcement Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Conformity

Conformity is the tendency to change one's beliefs or behaviors to match the behavior of others.
Sherif's (1935) experiment demonstrates the influence of group opinions on individual perceptions.
- Individuals' perceptions of a stationary light's movement varied widely when alone.
- When placed in groups, individuals converged to a shared judgement.
- Confederates consistently higher/lower estimates influenced the real participant's judgments.
Asch's (1951) study shows the pressure of group conformity.
- Participants matched a line's length with comparison lines.
- 75% of participants conformed to incorrect group judgments at least once.
Factors influencing conformity:
- Attractiveness of group members (people conform to attractive groups)
- Task complexity (difficult judgments increase conformity)
- Group cohesiveness (pre-existing friendships increase conformity)
Why conformity happens:
- Informational Influence: Conformity due to perceived valuable information from others.
- Normative Influence: Conformity to gain social acceptance and be liked.
Conditions influencing conformity:
- Group size: Conformity increases with majority size, up to a point.
- Group unanimity: Conformity decreases when even one person dissents.
- Commitment to the group: Stronger commitment leads to increased conformity.
- Desire for individuation: A person's willingness to stand out reduces conformity.

Problems with Conformity

Political Conformity: Individuals' political participation is influenced by their peers.
Muscle Dysmorphia: A body dysmorphic disorder with delusional belief of insufficient muscle mass, influenced by masculine gender roles.
Masculinization in Male-Dominated Industries: Women might adopt masculine traits (dress, talk) to conform in male-dominated environments.
Self-Censorship: Silencing dissenting opinions to maintain an illusion of group consensus.
Illusion of Unanimity: Members perceive consensus based on vocal agreement, even with doubts.
Mindguards: Group members protect the group's complacency by blocking contradictory information.

Attitudes

Defined as an individual's positive or negative evaluation of an object, person, or situation.
Three dimensions:
- Cognitive: Perceptions and beliefs
- Affective: Likes and dislikes, feelings, and emotions evoked
- Behavioral: Actions or intentions based on cognitive and affective responses.

Attitude Formation

Classical Conditioning: Associating neutral stimuli with pre-existing reactions to create new attitudes.
- Example: Pairing positive stimuli with a product to transfer positive affect to the brand.
Operant Conditioning: Behavior is influenced by its consequences.
- The Law of Effect (Thorndike, 1898): Behaviors leading to positive consequences are repeated.
- Instrumental Conditioning: Learner's actions influence environmental changes, shaping behavior.
- Skinner's Box: A controlled environment for studying operant conditioning.
Reinforcement: Any stimulus that increases the strength of a behavior.
- Positive Reinforcement: Adding a desirable stimulus to increase behavior.
- Negative Reinforcement: Removing or postponing an undesirable stimulus to increase behavior.

Cognitive Consistency

Individuals seek consistency among their attitudes and behaviors.
Balance Theory (Heider, 1958): Maintaining consistency among feelings and beliefs.
- Three evaluations:
  - Person's evaluation of another person
  - Person's evaluation of an object
  - Other person's evaluation of the object.
Balanced Situations: Evaluations align in a harmonious way.
Imbalanced Situations: Evaluations create inconsistency and pressure for change.
Cognitive Dissonance Theory: Experiencing discomfort when attitudes and behaviors are inconsistent.
Counterattitudinal Behaviour: Behaving in ways inconsistent with one's own attitude.
- Example: Joining a job for money, despite preference for social work.
Attitude-Discrepant Behaviour: Actions opposing our attitudes, often leading to belief changes.

Person Perception

Forming impressions and understanding others.
Rules:
- We form impressions quickly from limited information.
- Salient features attract attention more than other details.
- We consider the context of behavior when interpreting it.
- We categorize people into groups based on existing cognitive structures.
- Our own goals influence our perceptions of others.

Self-Presentation

Deliberate efforts to create specific impressions of ourselves.
Self-Promotion: Conveying positive information about oneself.
Ingratiation: Flattering or doing favors to gain likeability.

Modesty

Humility in acknowledging contributions from others.
- Effective when success is known to the audience.
Modesty enhances one's public image when success is full-fledged.

Ineffective Self-Presentation

Avoid dropping names and associations.
Consistency between actions and words is crucial.
Avoid making excuses.
Attributing failures externally and successes internally is a negative sign.

Self-Handicapping

Creating obstacles to success as a defense against potential failure.
Claimed reasons include illness, shyness, or learning disabilities.
Types:
- Behavioral Self-Handicapping: Creating genuine handicaps.
- Self-Reported Handicapping: Claiming to be ill, shy, etc., without actual actions.

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Description

Explore the fascinating concepts of conformity in social psychology. This quiz covers classic experiments by Sherif and Asch, illustrating how group opinions can influence individual judgments. Additionally, it examines the factors that affect conformity and the underlying reasons for this social behavior.