Conformity and Obedience

Conformity Conformity: Changing one’s own behavior to match that of other people Might be automatic as suggested by the Chameleon effect.

Conformity Conformity: Changing one’s own behavior to match that of other people Might be automatic as suggested by the Chameleon effect. We naturally mimic other’s behavior Clothing & hair styles styles Yawning Attitudes Solomon Asch experiment

Conformity Investigations reveal conformity is highest when we: are made to feel incompetent or insecure in a group of at least 3 people when everyone else in the group agrees admire the status of the group have not made a prior commitment know others in the group will observe us are from a culture that encourages respect for social standards

Obedience Obedience: This is compliance due to the perceived authority of the asker. The request is perceived as a demand Stanley Milgram study is one of the most famous

Obedience METHOD: Participants (“teachers”) were instructed to give electric shocks to another person (“learner”), who only pretended to be shocked. Video RESULTS: 65% obeyed until the end, even though many were upset by being asked to do so.

Obedience Factors influencing obedience: The person giving the orders was close at hand and was perceived to be a legitimate authority The authority figure was supported by a prestigious institution The victim was depersonalized or at a distance There were no role models for defiance