PSYCH 13 Lecture Notes - Lecture 5: Social Proof, Normative Social Influence, Psych
Document Summary
Asch"s conformity studies: unlike sherif, asch"s task was not uncrtain or ambiguous. However, participants seemed willing to ignore the evidence of their own eyes to go along with the groups. Some said they knew they were out of step with the group, but felt their perceptions were inaccurate and the group was correct. Some said that they actually saw the lines as the group did. Some said they did not believe the group was correctly but simply went along with the group in order to fit in. Individual differences: a number of studies have looked at who is most likely to conform. Conformists tend to have low self-esteem, high need for social approval, low iq and high anxiety. However, personality is a poor predictor of conformity. Cultural differences: one review found lowest conformity in belgian students (14%) and highest in indian teachers (58%). Generally more conformity in collectivist cultures, where conformity is viewed as a virtue.
