Here are two examples from my own experiences: 1. Normative social influence: In high school, I started listening to more popular music and wearing trendier clothes even though those weren't necessarily my personal tastes, because I wanted to fit in with my friend group. 2. Informational social influence: When deciding which college to attend, I valued the opinions of my older cousins who had recently graduated. They provided insights into the campus cultures and academics at different schools that helped me make a more informed choice, even if it wasn't necessarily my initial top choice before discussing it with them. Their lived experiences gave them information I didn't have access to yet.

1. Social Behavior
2

2. Review: Types of Social Pressure
Conformity
A change in behavior or attitudes
brought about by a desire to follow the
beliefs or standards of other people.
Compliance
A type of social influence where an
individual does what someone else
wants them to do, following his or her
request or suggestion.
Obedience
A change in behavior in response to the
commands of others.

3. The Milgram Shock Experiment
In 1963, Yale Psychologist Stanley Milgram created an
experiment to see if participants would follow orders even
when the requested behavior went against their moral
beliefs or good judgment.
Fake Test
Subject
Participant
Experimenter
(Administers
shocks)
(Pretends to
feel pain)
(Urges the
participant to
keep going)
A researcher asks the participant
to administer electric shocks to a
test subject when he answers
questions incorrectly.The test
subject is an actor, who makes
noises of pain when he receives
the shocks.The participant is
made to believe that each shock
is stronger than the last one.

4. The Milgram Shock Experiment
RESULTS: All of Milgram’s original participants continued the
experiment to 300 volts of electricity. 65% of them
administered the maximum voltage of 450, which was clearly
labeled as life-threatening. Milgram concluded that ordinary
people are likely to follow orders given by an authority figure,
even to the extent of killing an innocent human being.

5. The Milgram Shock Experiment
The participants claimed that
they administered the shocks
for three main reasons:
1. The authority figure
seemed trustworthy
2. The cause was good
(scientific research)
3. They believed that if
anything bad happened,
the researcher would
take full responsibility.

6. Video 2

7. The Milgram Shock Experiment
RESPOND:
What does the
Milgram
experiment teach
us about the
dangers of
following authority
figures?

8. 2 Types of Social Influence:
Going along with the group
so they will like you.
Sometimes you change your
actions to match the group
even though you do not
agree with them.
Going along with the group
because you think they
know more than you do.You
change your own beliefs or
attitudes because you think
that the group is right.
Example:
Your friends found a
new band that they
like.You don’t like this
band, but you say that
you do and listen to
the music to please
your friends.
Example:
Your friends tell you
that your favorite pair
of shoes are not
fashionable anymore.
You had no idea, so
thank them for letting
you know!

9. 2 Types of Social Influence:
Going along with the group
so they will like you.
Sometimes you change your
actions to match the group
even though you do not
agree with them.
Example:
Your friends found a
new band that they
like.You don’t like this
band, but you say that
you do and listen to
the music to please
your friends.
This is called
Normative Social
Influence

10. 2 Types of Social Influence:
Going along with the group
because you think they
know more than you do.You
change your own beliefs or
attitudes because you think
that the group is right.
Example:
Your friends tell you
that your favorite pair
of shoes are not
fashionable anymore.
You had no idea, so
thank them for letting
you know!
This is called
Informational
Social Influence

11. Video 1

12. Elevator Experiment
1. The subject says,“I was confused because
normally people face the door when they stand
in an elevator, but I turned around because
everyone else was doing it, and I didn’t want to
go against them. I didn’t want to draw attention
to myself.” …What type of social influence is it?
Normative Social Influence
- or -
Informational Social Influence?

13. Elevator Experiment
2. The subject says,“When I got in the elevator I
wondered why everyone was facing backwards. I
assumed the group knew we were in one of
those elevators with doors on both sides, so I
faced the same direction as everyone else.”
…What type of social influence is it?
Normative Social Influence
- or -
Informational Social Influence?

14. RESPOND
1. Describe a time when you changed your opinion,
attitude, or behavior because of normative
social influence.
2. Describe a time when you changed your opinion,
attitude, or behavior because of informational
social influence.