12.09.2022: I Spy…
3. I Spy…
Problem Statement: Will the subject conform to his surroundings?
BS:
Influence
Leading by instinct
Fear: Embarrassment
Cultural background
Pressure (to go along?)
Informational influence
In-group/Out-group
Sense of belonging
Personal connections
Group size
Self-confidence (lack thereof)
Standing out
Compliance
Conformity
Obedience
Problem Analysis:
Social Influence: influence, pressure to go along, in-group/out-group,
sense of belonging, group size, standing out, compliance
Personal matters: leading by instinct, fear (embarrassment), cultural
background, self-confidence (lack thereof)
Processes that happen: informational influence, personal connections,
conformity, obedience
Learning Goals:
12.09.2022: I Spy… 1
, Why do people conform (or not)? (personal and social factors)
How are obedience and conformity similar/different to each other?
What makes people obey?
Notes on Literature
1. Haun and Tomasello: “Conformity to Peer Pressure in Preschool Children”
a. Investigated conformity in 24 groups of 4 children between 4;2 and 4;9 years
of age.
b. Used a very similar paradigm to that of Asch’s.
c. Experiment 1: public answers.
i. Results:
1. Demonstrated strong conformity to peer pressure in preschool
children.
2. Further analysis found that girls conformed more than twice as often
as the boys.
3. In regards to children, the motivation for conforming is unclear.
4. Adults conform following two different motivations:
a. Behavioral optimization (informational conformity)
i. The motivation to adopt a majority position because it is
taken to be a trustworthy source of information about a
shared objective reality.
b. Social approval (social conformity)
i. Describes the movitation to adopt a majority position
because of the social benefits.
d. Experiment 2: private answers (pointing) to the experimenter.
i. Showed that, given identical levels of conflict and exposure to peer
opinion, children conform much more if their response is public than
when it is private.
12.09.2022: I Spy… 2
3. I Spy…
Problem Statement: Will the subject conform to his surroundings?
BS:
Influence
Leading by instinct
Fear: Embarrassment
Cultural background
Pressure (to go along?)
Informational influence
In-group/Out-group
Sense of belonging
Personal connections
Group size
Self-confidence (lack thereof)
Standing out
Compliance
Conformity
Obedience
Problem Analysis:
Social Influence: influence, pressure to go along, in-group/out-group,
sense of belonging, group size, standing out, compliance
Personal matters: leading by instinct, fear (embarrassment), cultural
background, self-confidence (lack thereof)
Processes that happen: informational influence, personal connections,
conformity, obedience
Learning Goals:
12.09.2022: I Spy… 1
, Why do people conform (or not)? (personal and social factors)
How are obedience and conformity similar/different to each other?
What makes people obey?
Notes on Literature
1. Haun and Tomasello: “Conformity to Peer Pressure in Preschool Children”
a. Investigated conformity in 24 groups of 4 children between 4;2 and 4;9 years
of age.
b. Used a very similar paradigm to that of Asch’s.
c. Experiment 1: public answers.
i. Results:
1. Demonstrated strong conformity to peer pressure in preschool
children.
2. Further analysis found that girls conformed more than twice as often
as the boys.
3. In regards to children, the motivation for conforming is unclear.
4. Adults conform following two different motivations:
a. Behavioral optimization (informational conformity)
i. The motivation to adopt a majority position because it is
taken to be a trustworthy source of information about a
shared objective reality.
b. Social approval (social conformity)
i. Describes the movitation to adopt a majority position
because of the social benefits.
d. Experiment 2: private answers (pointing) to the experimenter.
i. Showed that, given identical levels of conflict and exposure to peer
opinion, children conform much more if their response is public than
when it is private.
12.09.2022: I Spy… 2
