Conformity Essay - 1203 Words

Describing a study on conformity Conformity is a form of social influence which involves a change in a belief or behaviour in order to fit in with a particular group. This change is in response to real (involving the physical presence of others) or imagined (involving the pressure of social norms / expectations) group pressure. SHERIF Muzafer Sherif (1935) conducted a lab experiment study on conformity in 1935. Sherif conducted this study by putting participants in a dark room and told them to watch a pinpoint of light and report how far it moved. However psychologists had discovered that a small, still light in a dark room often appeared to be moving and this was known as the autokinetic effect. The autokinetic effect is an†¦show more content†¦The study therefore rejects the dispositional hypothesis. The experiment had to be stopped after just six days instead of the planned 14 days, mainly because of the pathological reactions of the participants. Five prisoners had to be released even earlier because of extreme emotional depression. As a result of this is that even though the simulation was finished after only six days instead of the projected fourteen days all of the remaining prisoners were happy by the news, but most of the guards seemed to be distressed by the early end to the study and this showed that they had become too involved in their role that they now enjoyed the extreme control and power which they put into effect. Zimbardo referred to this as the ‘pathology of power’. In conclusion to his study, he found that people will willingly conform to the social roles that they are expected to play, especially if the roles are as strongly stereotyped as those of the prison guards. The â€Å"prison† environment was an important factor in creating the guards’ violent behaviour (however none of the participants who acted as guards showed cruel behaviour/ mentality before the study). Therefore, this means that the roles that people play can shape their behaviour and attitudes. ASCH Asch conducted a study to investigate the question ofShow MoreRelated Conformity Essay1362 Words   |  6 Pagesto Leon Mann, conformity means ‘yielding to group pressures’. Everyone is a member of one group or another and everyone expects members of these groups to behave in certain ways. If you are a member of an identifiable group you are expected to behave appropriately to it. If you don’t confirm and behave appropriately you are likely to be rejected by the group. Like stereotypes, conforming and expecting others to conform maintains cognitive balance. There are several kinds of conformity. Many studiesRead MoreEssay on Conformity and Rebellion834 Words   |  4 PagesA certain amount of conformity needs to exist in life in order to avoid disorder. This is the reason we have laws. Take those laws, rules, control, or even expectations, to an extreme, and some form of rebellion is probable. Struggle with these opposites, and you have a catalyst for war, or perhaps, being fired from a job. Literature represents life, and this theme can be found at the root of many literary works. â€Å"The Lottery,† by Shirley Jackson, reflects blind conformity by the villagers withRead MorePersuasive Essay On Conformity1016 Words   |  5 Pages Conformity is killing the beauties of individualities Should we blame society or ourselves for conforming? As a struggling college student, today we are continually attempting to fit in and discover their place and role in society. Drug and alcohol abuse are turning into the responses for us so we do not have to deal with the social expectations of society. 3 out of 4 of high schoolers have reported that school stress is the reason behind it (12 Keys Rehab, 2013). Imagine there were 4 people inRead MoreThe Battle of Conformity Essays1017 Words   |  5 PagesThe Battle of Conformity In literature, there are four main types of conflicts: man vs. man, man vs. nature, man vs. society and, the toughest one of them all, man vs. himself. In the novels The Kite Runner by Kahled Hosseini and The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, both of the main characters have large conflicts with themselves. They battle with their conscience to figure out what’s right and what’s wrong. â€Å"So [they] beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past†Read More Social Conformity Essay528 Words   |  3 Pagesand its rules has a social impact on each individual. If people face with any kind of social impact such as group pressure, great part of them show conformity by changing their behaviors, ideas, decisions in expected way. A person conforms if he or she chooses a course of action that a majority favors or that is socially acceptable. Some kind of conformity is natural and socially healthy but obeying all the norms, ideas, and decision s without thinking or accepting is harmful for the society and itsRead MoreConformity and Individuality Essay933 Words   |  4 PagesConformity Speech I strongly believe that individuality should be valued over conformity. Today I will tell you how precious and rare individuality is, and why we should value it over conformity. As human beings, our lives are circled around a thin line that separates conformity and individuality. There are countless times when we are confused about whether our choice was made by others, or yourself. Deep inside, we all want to be liked; we all want to be loved, we all crave the warm feelings ofRead MoreEssay on Conformity and Political Control1353 Words   |  6 Pagesto others. Although there are many explicit forms of conformity, there are also implicit forms of conformity that affect the attitudes and behavior of people on a subconscious level. The major problem with the modern bi-partisan political system is that it is fundamentally built on the idea that people will conform to others that are associated with them socially. Chartrand and Bargh completed one of the more famous experiments on conformity in 1999 where they were able to illustrate that peopleRead MoreEssay on Consequences of Conformity in The Chocolate War492 Words   |  2 PagesConsequences of Conformity in The Chocolate War Throughout Robert Cormier’s The Chocolate War, the theme of the consequences of conformity, or nonconformity, is expressed. Although The Chocolate War was first published in 1974, this theme still pertains to the youth of today. This novel is timeless because teenagers will always face the choice of whether to be true to themselves, or to conform to what other’s expect of them. In response to this theme, David Peck states, â€Å"what this idea becomesRead MoreConformity and Its Meaning Essay478 Words   |  2 PagesConformity and Its Meaning This assignment focuses upon conformity and what it means to us. Conformity is defined by Zimbardo (1992) as A tendency for people to adopt behaviour, values and attitudes of other members of a reference group. Why people conform is a topic of much debate. People dont always conform for the same reasons, in 1958 Kelman identified three main forms of conformity, each of which could produce conforming behaviour but in differentRead MoreRelationship Between Family Size And Conformity Essay1170 Words   |  5 PagesStage 1 Psychology: Conformity Investigation Subject Outline Topic - Influence and Social Interaction Hypothesis: Will those in group A with a higher number of siblings have higher campaign scores. (higher percentage in campaign scores more likely to conform). Research Question: Relationship between family size and conformity levels. Proposal: The following investigation is designed to determine whether there is a relationship between the number of siblings and conformity levels. As the investigation