The document discusses conformity and several classic experiments that studied it. Solomon Asch's famous experiment showed that people's perceptions can change under peer pressure from a group. Later experiments by Stanley Milgram and Jane Elliott further demonstrated how people often conform to authorities, even when they disagree privately or have doubts about the authority's instructions. The document also discusses differences in individualism between Western and Eastern cultures and how the desire to fit in or seek guidance from others can lead to normative or informational conformity.

2.  In general the first conformists were found in
nature. For example Animals who combined
lived, solitary ones died.
 Solomon Asch conducted the first and most
famous experiment on conformity.
 The idea of the Asch experiment was to see
how peoples perception would change under
the peer pressure of a group; if it changed at
all.

3.  People conform for two main reasons:
because they want to fit in with the group
(normative influence) and because they
believe the group is better informed than they
are (informational influence).

4.  Similarity in form or character; agreement
 Action or behaviour in correspondence with
socially accepted standards, conventions,
rules, or laws
 “the essence of conformity is yielding to
group pressure” (Man, 1969)

5.  Natasha and Sara are talking about how much
they hate Nick. Nicole likes Nick but lies to
the girls when she agrees they hate Nick too.

6.  Normative - succumb to group pressure to fit in; afraid of being
rejected; involves Compliance
 Informational - when a person is lacking knowledge, and looks
for group guidance; socially compares their behaviour with the
group; involves Internalization
 Compliance – publicly changes behaviour to fit in while privately
disagreeing; conforming to majority
 Internalization – publicly changing behaviour to fit in with the
group and agreeing with them privately
 Ingratiation – where a person conforms to impress or gain
favour/acceptance from the group; similar to Normative
influence, but is motivated by the need for social rewards than
the threat of rejection; group pressure does not enter decision to
conform
 Identification – conform to the expectations of a social role;
similar to compliance, but the does not have to be a change in
private opinion

7.  Western Society – more known for
individualism; do not easily succumb to social
pressures; less likely to conform; there is a
need to be different; value independence and
self sufficiency
 Eastern Society – culture is based on groups
and community; known as collectivist
cultures; value need of the family and social
groups; more likely to conform

8.  In the Asch experiment the subject allows the
answers of others to influence and change his
own.
 At school or in everyday life we are likely to
question and doubt ourselves in the presence of
someone else with a different answer to the same
question.
 For example in Math class you may feel confident
about an answer when doing it yourself, however
if you find out 2 of your peers received a
different common answer to the same question,
you are most likely going to change your own
answer.

9.  the StanleyMilgramexperiment is famous and a
classic example of how people conform to
authority figures, feeling the responsibility is not
on them but rather their superior.
 People in the workplace are under a great
amount of pressure to conform to their
superiors.
 Take an industrial labour type of job for example.
A piece of equipment may seem unsafe and your
not sure how to operate it. Instead of being
forward about the problem you conform; not
wanting to label yourself as the only worker in a
large group who is uncomfortable with that job.
In this case conforming is used to keep unwanted
attention of yourself in order to keep your job.

10.  The experiment “a class divided” took a classroom of third
graders, and had them manipulated and swayed into becoming
discriminative and prejudice, based on information they had just
learned from a superior. This can be used as an example of how
easily conforming to a superior can take place. Simply because
the teacher was in a position of power, the students believed the
lies she told them even when their was obvious doubts.
 This type of conformity could occur a lot more than it actually
does when looking at how gullible one can be when listening to
someone they believe to be of superior knowledge. This type of
conformity can occur very easily when dealing with the
workplace, school, or even media. For example we rarely
question what we see in the news, but rather take it as a matter
of fact simply because the news anchor is in that position of
power. Another example would be a university psychology class.
Think to yourself about how easy it would be for a well respected
professor to manipulate 100s of students into conforming to his
ideas after one charismatic and bias lecture.