SP - Conformity and Obedience Lesson
Learning Targets:
- Describe how different social contexts influence individual behavior and thought processes.
- Describe how social contagion demonstrates conformity and how conformity experiments highlight the strength of social influence.
- Explain the lessons learned from Milgram's obedience experiments regarding the power of social influence.
- Discuss what social influence studies reveal about individual behavior and the power we possess as individuals.
Courtesy of the AP psychology course and exam description, effective fall 2024. (n.d.). Links to an external site.
Understanding the Impact of Social Situations
In psychology, the influence of social situations on behavior and mental processes is a fundamental aspect of human interaction. Social norms play a crucial role in shaping our actions and thoughts by defining the expectations and roles that a society may have for its members in various individual and social situations. These norms guide how individuals behave in different contexts, influencing our decisions, emotions, and overall cognitive processes. By understanding the impact of social conditions on our behavior and mental well-being, we can gain insights into the complex interplay between individual psychology and the social environment.
Social Influence
One of the greatest lessons in social psychology is the power of social influence. Social influence describes the study of how social environments and other people influence our behavior. It instructs us as to what is the norm, how we should act, dress, speak, etc.
Conformity
Sometimes, we will change our behaviors to align with those around us. When we change our behavior, attitudes, or beliefs, it is called conformity. Two basic reasons cause us to conform:
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Normative Social Influence |
Informational Social Influence |
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Factors that promote conformity:
Solomon Asch and Conformity
How far will we go to adjust our perceptions and opinions to align with the group majority? This question interested psychologist Solomon Asch, who sought an answer. Asch chose to conduct a simple experiment in which he had a group of people sit down and look at a series of cards. Each card consisted of a control line and three comparison lines. The task required participants to orally indicate which of the comparison lines was the same length as the control line. However, there was a catch...only one in the group was an actual participant, and the others were confederates and in on the experiment. After listening to five confederates clearly state incorrect answers, the real subject had to publicly respond. The outcome was that 76 percent of the participants conformed with the group.
Watch Asch's conformity study in the video below.
Learn more about Asch's conformity study in this video.
Persuasion
Central Route to Persuasion
In psychology, persuasion refers to the process of changing someone's attitudes or beliefs. The central route to persuasion is one of two main ways this can be achieved. The central route involves using logical arguments and evidence to persuade someone to change their attitude. This approach is most effective when the audience is motivated and able to carefully consider the information presented to them.
For example, if a politician wants to persuade voters to support their campaign, they might use the central route by presenting logical arguments and evidence to support their platform. This would be effective if the voters were motivated to learn about the candidate and had the ability to carefully consider the information presented.
Peripheral Route to Persuasion
The peripheral route to persuasion is the second of two main ways this can be achieved. Unlike the central route, which uses logical arguments and evidence to persuade, the peripheral route focuses on more superficial aspects of a message, such as the source of the message, its emotional appeal, or the use of catchy slogans or images.
The peripheral route to persuasion is most effective when the audience is not motivated or able to process information deeply. This can happen when the audience is distracted, under time pressure, or lacks the knowledge or interest to engage with the topic. For example, a person might be persuaded to buy a product based on a celebrity endorsement, attractive packaging, or a memorable jingle, rather than the product's actual features or quality.
Persuasion Techniques
Persuasion techniques such as the foot-in-the-door and door-in-the-face strategies illustrate how the presentation of information can influence behavior.
The foot-in-the-door technique involves making a small request that is likely to be accepted, followed by a larger request. By agreeing to the initial small request, individuals feel more inclined to comply with the subsequent larger request to maintain consistency in their actions. In sales, the foot-in-the-door technique is commonly employed to increase the likelihood of a purchase. For instance, a salesperson may start by offering a free trial or a low-cost product before presenting a more expensive item for sale. By getting the customer to agree to the initial small request, they are more likely to be receptive to the larger purchase down the line.
On the other hand, the door-in-the-face technique begins with a large, often unreasonable request that is likely to be rejected, followed by a more reasonable request. The person making the request anticipates the rejection of the initial large request, making the second, smaller request seem more appealing and likely to be accepted. Imagine is a student who wants to extend their curfew to midnight but knows their parents are likely to reject such a drastic change. The student decides to employ the door-in-the-face technique by first asking their parents if they can stay out until 2 a.m., knowing that this request is unreasonable and will likely be denied. After the parents reject the initial request for a 2 a.m. curfew, the student then follows up with a more reasonable request to extend their curfew to midnight. In comparison to the initial request, the second request seems more acceptable to the parents, who may be more willing to compromise after rejecting the larger, more extreme request.
Both techniques demonstrate the impact of how information is presented on influencing behavior and decision-making processes. These strategies can be powerful tools in the realm of persuasion and attitude change.
Obedience: Following Orders
Milgram's Obedience Experiment
Stanley Milgram is best known for his study on obedience (the performance of an action in response to the direct orders of an authority figure or person of higher status). At twenty-eight years old psychologist Stanley Milgram was intrigued by the Solomon Asch study as well as the atrocities committed by the Nazis during World War II. He wanted to know if a person could be pressured by others into committing immoral acts to the point of hurting strangers.
To determine how and why people obey the destructive commands of an authority figure he created an experiment in which participants were solicited through a newspaper advertisement representing a wide range of occupations and backgrounds. They were invited to participate in what Milgram was calling a study to examine the effects of punishment on learning at Yale University. Upon arrival, they met what they thought was another participant (this really was a confederate) and were given the task.
The task was communicated by a high school biology teacher wearing a white lab coat. Both subjects were required to draw slips of paper assigning them the role of either "teacher" or "learner". The drawings were rigged so that each time the true participant became the teacher in the experiment.
Their first task was to help strap the learner into an "electric chair." Then, the teacher was taken to a separate room with a shock generator and given a list of word pairs. The teacher was instructed to administer an electric shock each time the learner incorrectly read back the word pairs. The shock machine was fake, but the participant did not know that. It was labeled with thirty switches from 15 to 450 volts, ending with XXX. After 330 volts, the actor/learner was instructed to fall silent. If the teacher protested administering the shocks, the experimenter would respond that the experiment requires him to continue and that there is no other choice. The first experiment's results with forty participants found that 65% of the subjects remained obedient to the end, administering the full 450 volts to the learner.
Choose each of the items below to more about Milgram's findings.
Mental Framework to Obey
Being volunteers, when the participants arrived at the experiment they were ready to follow orders.
The Context in Which the Experiment Occurred
Participants were told that they were participating in an experiment to advance scientific knowledge and understanding.
Feeling that this was a noble cause and that scientific research is worthwhile prompted them to participate.
Gradual Escalation of the Task
Foot-in-the-door phenomenon at work...participants were first asked to administer small shocks, as the experiment continued the shocks became greater and greater.
Reassurances by the Experimenter
Subjects asked the experimenter who was responsible for the learner's health. Once the experimenter took on all the responsibility the teacehr would continue to administer shocks knowing they were not responsible for their actions.
Separation from the Learner
Psychological and physical separation from the learner made it easier to distance oneself from the shocks being administered.
See the Milgram Reenactment in the video below.
Watch this video on conformity and obedience.
The Zimbardo Prison Study
Role-playing can also affect attitudes. When you adopt a new role, you strive to follow the social prescriptions associated with the role. While at first, the behavior may feel phony, over time it is no longer forced as your attitude changes. Researchers have tested this both experimentally and in everyday situations.
This concept was tested in 1971 by social psychologist Philip Zimbardo. In this famous experiment, male college students volunteered to spend time in a simulated prison. Participants were randomly assigned the role of either prison guard or prisoner. The guards were equipped with uniforms, whistles, clubs, and sunglasses and instructed to enforce the rules and keep an orderly prison. The prisoners were placed in barren cells, wearing humiliating clothes, and referred to by a number rather than a name.
After one to two days, the guards began to embody their roles, devising cruel and degrading rules and routines. In response, the prisoners either broke down or rebelled. Zimbardo called off the study, which was supposed to last weeks, after only six days.
Watch this video on the Stanford Prison Experiment.
Take a closer look at the Stanford Prison Experiment in the video below.
Watch this featured film on the Stanford Prison Experiment.
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