Conformity and Obedience Lesson PDF

WARM UP 1. What does it mean to conform? 2. What is a social norm? 3. List 5 social norms that you conform to CONFORMITY SOCIAL INFLUENCE The greatest contribution of social psychology is its study of attitudes, beliefs, decisions, and actions and the way they are molded by social...

WARM UP 1. What does it mean to conform? 2. What is a social norm? 3. List 5 social norms that you conform to CONFORMITY SOCIAL INFLUENCE The greatest contribution of social psychology is its study of attitudes, beliefs, decisions, and actions and the way they are molded by social influence. NON SEQUITER © 2000 Wiley. Dist. by Universal Press Syndicate Reprinted with Permission Imagine you just arrived at an important social function dressed in a tux or evening gown. As soon as you walk through the door you realize that you are dressed inappropriately- everyone else is dressed in normal street clothes. How would you feel? Why? CONFORMITY Adjusting one’s behaviour to coincide (be the same) with a standard. Also known as the chameleon effect Behaviour is contagious, modelled by one, followed by another. We follow behaviour of others to conform.  IMPORTANCE OF GROUPS Being accepted by others gives us feelings of belonging, attention and affection. Being accepted by a group usually means following =conforming to social norms which are standards for how to behave in certain situations Explicit Social Norms: spoken or written rules for behaviour. May include; traffic rules, school dress code, __________ Implicit Social Norms: unspoken, unwritten rules for behaviour. May include; facing forward in an elevator, ___________  Wanted to see to what extent would people conform to social norms, give in to group pressure ASCH’S STUDIES OF CONFORMITY ASCH’S STUDIES OF CONFORMITY HTTPS://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WATCH?V=NYDDYT1LDHA&AB_CHANNEL=HER OICIMAGINATIONTV  Found that ¾ of participants ¼ every single (75%) time conformed to RESULTS OF group opinion at least once. ASCH’S STUDY 1/3 at least half of the time  To avoid feeling extreme discomfort if they are singled out as different from others WHY DO The need for acceptance and PEOPLE approval of others CONFORM Fear of embarrassment, ridicule or rejection by the group CONDITIONS THAT STRENGTHEN CONFORMITY 1. One is made to feel incompetent or insecure 2. The group has at least three people 3. The group is unanimous 4. One admires the group’s status and attractiveness 5. One has no prior commitment or response 6. The group observes one’s behaviour 7. One’s culture strongly encourages respect for a social standard  Homework: Choose 2 social norms that you typically follow and BREAKING BREAK THEM! ☺ SOCIAL NORMS Write a ½ page reflection describing what you did and how people reacted. Please submit to the HUB OBEDIENCE OBEDIENCE One of the most obvious and direct influences on attitudes and behavior is the power of authority figures  Parents, teachers, police, judges Why do we conform so readily to authority?  Fear of punishment and consequences for disobeying STANLEY MILGRAM’S OBEDIENCE STUDY Was interested in studying whether or not most people would continue to obey an authority figure, even at the expense of another person.  Was influenced by Nazi treatment of Jews during WWII.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mOU EC5YXV8U&ab_channel=philosophyblac kbelt http://www.learner.org/discoveringpsychology/19/e19expand.html  Told participants he was conducting a study on the effects of punishment on memory.  Every time the “learner” got the PROCEDURE question wrong the subject had to give them an electrical shock.  With each mistake made the shock got worse Both Photos: © 1965 By Stanley Miligram, from the film Obedience, dist. by Penn State, Media Sales MILGRAM’S STUDY MILGRAM’S RESULTS: Found that 35 of the 40 participants continued to shock even after the learner was screaming in pain at 300 volts 2/3 of the subject continued to shock all the way to the very end! MILGRAM’S STUDY: RESULTS CONDITIONS THAT STRENGTHEN OBEDIENCE The person giving the orders was close at hand and seen as a legitimate authority figure Authority figure was supported by a prestigious institution The victim was depersonalized- at a distance, in another room No role models for defiance present = nobody else was seen disobeying the authority figure