Psychology 2070A/B Chapter Notes - Chapter 7: Social Proof, Normative Social Influence, Mass Psychogenic Illness

• School: Western University
• Department: Psychology
• Course: Psychology 2070A/B
• Professor: Taylor Kohut

Document Summary

Conformity: a change in behaviour as a result of the real or imagined influence of other people. The tendency to conform to the behaviour of others is so powerful that it can override behaviours that promote survival, such as avoiding poisonous food. The north american culture stresses the importance of not conforming (individualistic) Informational social influence: conforming because we believe that others" interpretation of an ambiguous situation is more correct than ours and will help us choose an appropriate course of action. Experiment: people estimated how far a point of light appeared to move in a dark room. When they saw the light by themselves, their estimates varied widely. When they were brought together in groups and heard each person announce their estimates, they conformed to the group"s estimate of how much the light moved. Private acceptance: conforming to other people"s behaviour out of a genuine belief that what they are doing or saying is right.