Social Influence: Conformity and the Normative Influence

Michael MacKenzie

25 Mar 201503:00

Summary

TLDRThe video script delves into conformity as a social influence, distinguishing between informational and normative influences. It explains that individuals conform to gain accurate information or to be socially accepted. Highlighting Solomon Asch's experiments, the script reveals that conformity is more likely with larger group pressure. A recent study suggests that when a sense of belonging is threatened, conformity increases due to a heightened desire for group acceptance. The script concludes that conformity, driven by the need to belong, is a natural and often beneficial aspect of human nature.

Takeaways

😌 Conformity is a form of social influence where individuals change their attitudes, beliefs, or behaviors to align with others.
📚 Social influence is divided into two main types: informational influence, driven by the belief that others have accurate information, and normative influence, motivated by the desire for social acceptance.
🔍 The literature supports the conceptual uniqueness of these two types of social influence, although they are interrelated and can be difficult to distinguish in practice.
🧐 Conformity is motivated by the need for an accurate perception of reality (informational influence) and the need for social acceptance and belonging (normative influence).
🕵️‍♂️ Solomon Asch's experiments in the 1950s are a classic study of conformity, demonstrating how social pressure can lead individuals to conform to incorrect answers.
👥 A meta-analysis of over 130 studies revealed that group size is a significant factor in conformity; larger majorities increase the likelihood of conforming.
🧩 Motivation plays a crucial role in conformity; when individuals feel ignored or their sense of belonging is threatened, they are more likely to conform to gain acceptance.
🎮 A recent study found that participants ignored in multiplayer video games were more likely to conform on a perceptual task, highlighting the impact of social exclusion on conformity.
🤔 Conformity is a complex psychological process that is not inherently negative, as it is tied to fundamental human desires such as the need to belong.
🌐 Conformity is a widespread phenomenon, reflecting a basic part of human nature and the influence of normative factors on behavior.

Q & A

What is conformity and how does it relate to social influence?
-Conformity is a form of social influence where an individual changes their attitudes, beliefs, or behaviors to align with those of others. It occurs due to the desire to fit in or to be accepted by a group.
How are informational and normative influences different in the context of conformity?
-Informational influence happens when individuals conform because they believe others have accurate information they lack. Normative influence occurs when individuals conform to gain acceptance and liking from others.
What does the literature suggest about the relationship between informational and normative influences?
-The literature supports the conceptual uniqueness of these two types of social influence, but also acknowledges that they are interrelated and can sometimes be difficult to distinguish in terms of their impact on behavior.
What are the motivational reasons behind conformity according to the script?
-Conformity is motivated by the desire for an accurate perception of reality (informational influence) and the need for social acceptance and belonging (normative influence).
Can you describe Solomon Asch's experiments on conformity conducted in the 1950s?
-Solomon Asch conducted experiments to examine how social pressure influences conformity. In these studies, participants would sometimes conform by giving incorrect answers after hearing obviously incorrect responses from confederates, which happened about 1/3 of the time.
What factor did a meta-analysis reveal as relevant to conformity in line experiment studies?
-A meta-analysis showed that group size is a relevant factor in conformity, with larger majorities increasing the likelihood of participants conforming and giving incorrect answers.
How does the sense of belonging relate to conformity according to a recent study mentioned in the script?
-A recent study found that when participants felt ignored in a multiplayer video game, they were more likely to conform with a new group on a perceptual task, indicating that a threatened sense of belonging increases the motivation to conform.
What is the fundamental human desire that is linked to normative influence and conformity?
-The fundamental human desire to belong and to feel socially accepted is linked to normative influence, which is a major factor leading to conformity.
Is conformity always a negative aspect of human nature according to the script?
-No, conformity is not always negative. It is a basic part of human nature and can be beneficial as it fulfills the human need to belong and be socially accepted.
How can altering motivational states influence conformity as suggested in the script?
-Altering motivational states, such as the need for social acceptance or the desire for accurate information, can influence conformity by either increasing or decreasing an individual's likelihood to conform to group behaviors or beliefs.
What is the prevalence of conformity in human behavior as described in the script?
-Conformity is described as a prevalent psychological process and a basic part of human nature, suggesting that people conform quite frequently in various aspects of life.

Outlines

00:00

🧠 Understanding Conformity and Social Influence

This paragraph delves into the concept of conformity as a form of social influence, where individuals align their attitudes, beliefs, or behaviors with those of others. It distinguishes between two types of social influence: informational, where conformity is driven by the belief that others possess accurate information, and normative, where the motivation is to gain acceptance and social belonging. The paragraph also touches on the interrelation between these influences and their impact on behavior. It sets the stage for a discussion on how motivational states can alter conformity, with a reference to Solomon Asch's experiments that demonstrate social pressure's effect on conformity.

📊 Asch's Experiments on Conformity

This section focuses on Solomon Asch's classic experiments from the 1950s, which explored how social pressure could lead to conformity. The experiments showed that participants would sometimes conform by giving incorrect answers after hearing from confederates, which happened approximately one-third of the time. A meta-analysis of over 130 line experiment studies revealed that group size significantly influenced conformity, with larger majorities increasing the likelihood of participants conforming. The paragraph also revisits the role of motivation in conformity, suggesting that when a person's sense of belonging is threatened, they are more likely to conform in order to feel accepted and part of a group.

🤝 The Desire to Belong and Conformity

The final paragraph emphasizes the natural human tendency to conform, highlighting the fundamental human desire to belong and be socially accepted as a major influence, known as normative influence, that leads to conformity. It acknowledges that conformity is not inherently negative, but rather a basic part of human nature. The paragraph concludes by reinforcing the idea that conformity is a prevalent psychological process, driven by the need for social acceptance and belonging.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Conformity

Conformity is the act of adjusting one's behavior, attitudes, or beliefs to align with those of a group or social norm. In the video's context, it is a central theme, illustrating how individuals may change their responses to match a group's incorrect answers due to social pressure. For example, the script mentions Solomon Asch's experiments where participants conformed by giving incorrect answers about the length of lines after hearing others do the same.

💡Social Influence

Social influence is the process by which an individual's thoughts, feelings, or behaviors are affected by the presence or actions of others. The video script discusses two types of social influence, informational and normative, both of which are crucial to understanding conformity. The concept is exemplified by the script's explanation of how people conform to gain acceptance or accurate information.

💡Informational Influence

Informational influence occurs when individuals conform because they believe others possess more accurate information. The video script explains this as a motivational factor for conformity, where people align their beliefs to match what they perceive as correct due to the perceived knowledge of others.

💡Normative Influence

Normative influence is the type of social influence where individuals conform to gain social acceptance and to belong to a group. The script highlights this as a fundamental human desire that drives conformity, especially when a person's sense of belonging is threatened, as in the case of being ignored in a multiplayer video game.

💡Attitudes

Attitudes are a person's evaluations or feelings about someone or something. In the context of the video, attitudes are mentioned as one of the aspects that can change due to conformity, as individuals may adopt the group's perspective to fit in.

💡Beliefs

Beliefs are the convictions or acceptances that individuals hold as true. The script discusses how beliefs can be influenced by conformity, as individuals might change their beliefs to match those of a group under social pressure.

💡Behaviors

Behaviors refer to the actions or reactions of individuals. The video script uses behaviors as an example of how conformity manifests, as seen in Asch's experiments where participants' behaviors changed to match the incorrect responses of the majority.

💡Solomon Asch

Solomon Asch was a psychologist known for his conformity experiments in the 1950s. The script references his studies to illustrate how social pressure can lead to conformity, showing that participants would sometimes give obviously incorrect answers to fit in with the group.

💡Group Size

Group size is mentioned in the script as a relevant factor in conformity. Larger groups are more likely to influence an individual to conform, as the script explains through a meta-analysis of line experiment studies.

💡Perceptual Task

A perceptual task involves the use of senses to perceive and interpret information. The video script refers to a study where participants were more likely to conform on a perceptual task when their sense of belonging was threatened, indicating the power of normative influence.

💡Motivational States

Motivational states refer to the internal drives or needs that influence behavior. The script discusses how altering these states can influence conformity, particularly the need for accurate perception (informational influence) and the need for social acceptance (normative influence).

Highlights

Conformity is a type of social influence where individuals change their attitudes, beliefs, or behaviors to match others.

Social influence is divided into two major categories: informational and normative influence.

Informational influence occurs when people conform to others due to a belief that they have accurate information.

Normative influence happens when individuals conform to gain social acceptance and belonging.

Literature supports the conceptual uniqueness of informational and normative influences, though they are interrelated.

Determining the impact of each motivational factor on behavior can be challenging.

People are motivated to conform for accurate perception of reality (informational influence) and social acceptance (normative influence).

Solomon Asch's experiments in the 1950s examined the influence of social pressure on conformity.

Asch's studies found that participants often conformed by providing incorrect answers when influenced by confederates.

Conformity occurred about 1/3 of the time in Asch's experiments.

A meta-analysis of over 130 line experiment studies revealed group size as a relevant factor in conformity.

Larger group majorities increase the likelihood of conformity.

A recent study found that being ignored in a multiplayer video game increases conformity in new groups.

When a sense of belonging is threatened, there is an increased motivation to belong and conform.

Conformity is a prevalent psychological process and a basic part of human nature.

The need to belong and feel socially accepted is a major influence leading to conformity.