Sherif (1936) studied responses of the auto-kinetic effect on both groups and individuals. By placing participants in a darkened room with a minute source of light at the far end he discovered that participants were eluded and saw the light moving - this was because there was no other point of reference for them to focus on. Participants were asked how far the light was moving, when alone they would state many different answers but when groups were tested the answers of the last participants were taken as a reference for the next answer this created a group norm, this group influence was to be so powerful that when participants of the group test were to proceed as individuals those answers had become internalised and a lack of individuality was now seen amongst group. This shows that group norms still tend to influence even after the group is split.
Groupthink was coined by Janis and is defined as “a psychological phenomenon in which people strive for consensus within a group”(Cherry). So people will essentially forgo their beliefs to conform to the group to obtain harmony or if they don’t agree with a group idea they will simply keep quiet about it rather than challenge ideas. Janis classified eight different “symptoms” of groupthink. They are Illusions of invulnerability, which leads the members of the group to take part in risk-taking and become overly optimistic. Unquestioned beliefs, leads the members to ignore the possible aftermath that their decisions can make. Rationalizing, hinders members from recognizing warning signs and from reexamining their own beliefs. Stereotyping, leads the members of the group to criticize or write off any other group who may have differing opinions. Self-censorship, makes group members who may have differing opinions not disclose them to the group. "Mindguards",certain members of the group who are self-appointed censors that withhold information they find may disrupt group consensus. Illusions of unanimity, leads the members of the group to think that everyone believes the same things. Direct pressure, this is put on members to conform when they do end up expressing their own opinions or the rest of the group feels as if they are having differing opinions. Janis’s work was influential because it helped us examine the
Collective behavior is less organized but effective forms of behavior that happens spontaneously. Le Bron's contagion theory crowds have trance over the members by emerging group mind. Collective behavior reaction to event that takes place. Such as example when radio announced invasion aliens the crowd took over chaos become motivation in group. Collective behavior is push everyone towards common purpose. With hypnotic state of th...
Another conformity that may hit closer to home for myself and my peers is social acceptance. As I walk through the hallways of school I see nothing more then sheep. There is not one person that stands alone in this school that truly thinks for him or herself. In some way or another every person here cares about what people may say about them. They wear the clothes that are in "style", and listen to the top 40 music selections. Even those that oppose the majority are in themselves conforming to each other.
Society is ever changing and the people are just the same. Throughout history, it is shown that people change and mold to their surroundings. But when a deeper look is taken it is revealed that there is a minority that is unwilling or unable to fit these standards as most people do. These people tend to be forced into seclusion or made to fend for themselves. This is shown through the colonization of America and up into more recent times. The Native Americans are the first to make a life on this land, and when the English set up a new society, the Natives are forced onto smaller and smaller plots of land until forced to conform or to live on a reservation. The idea of this societal conformity is shown in “What You Pawn I Will Redeem” by Sherman Alexie, a short story author. Society's pressure to improve an individual living differently is hurting more than it is helping.
The size of a group is considered to be a restrictive condition on the quantity and quality of connection that can transpire amongst particular members. Kephart (1950) established that as group size increases the number of relationships that exist among member’s increases greatly. He suggests that as a result of this increase in relationships among members there will be an increased tendency towards divisions into subgroups in which participants relate to one another.
According to the article “In Groups we shrink” by Carol Tavris, she contrasts the nature of groups and the nature of individuals. If one person is in a dangerous situation, he or she will seek safety on their own or go to someone for help. However when a group of people are in a bad situation, they will most likely panic and hold back on solving the problem. This is called “diffusion of responsibility” or “social loafing,” according to psychologists (Tavris 151). Carol Tavris concludes that when people are in groups, they respond differently than when they are on their own.
According to social psychologists a group is composed of more than two individuals who depend and interact with each other in some manner (Lessing). Examples of groups include a class, a football team, a cult etc. Groups normally have various similar features including: norms that determine the right behavior, roles assigned to individuals, which determine what responsibilities and behaviors people should undertake, a communication structure and a power structure, which determines how much influence and authority group members have. For example, a class has norms, like the time people should arrive in class. The role of the professor includes teaching, administering exams and inviting discussions. The ro...
Conformity has its’ place, and there are many advantages to utilizing it at specific times and in specific places. For example, Logan Feys, the author of the essay, The Sociology of Leopard Man, offers, “nevertheless, being around people and their creations can be worthwhile… Most of the time you should be an active and contributing member of society,” (9 - 10). This quote expresses that conformity is necessary, for the sake of being around people, and even
... effect social circles and other groups have on individuals. It will also show the difference between males and females in these groups. There are also many other testable hypotheses that have been and should be made for deindividuation. For example Zimbardo’s two studies on the Ku Klux Klan and the prison study are great examples of studies done to help find out more about deindividuation. There are many holes left in the research on deindividuation, and this experiment presents a possible way of filling part of this gap and giving more data to help lead new and different studies in this area.
Conformity is defined as the occurrence of people yielding to social pressures as a result of pressure from a group of their peers; when faced by the pressure to conform, people will alter their behaviour and actions to fit the norm demonstrated by their peers (Lilienfield et al., 2012). Conformity is studied so that is can be understood and used in society to facilitate positive outcomes, and help avoid situations where peoples’ predisposition to conform leads to negative consequences (Lilienfield et al., 2012). By understanding conformity and other social processes society as a whole is able to understand themselves better and motivates them to work on improving as a whole (Lilienfield et al., 2012).
“Social conformity has been practiced in societies around the world since ancient times,” and the reason it is so effective is that humans have an inherent need to be accepted as part of a group (Sadat). Furthermore, Hossna Sadat reports that:
Human beings are defined as ''social animals'' because in every aspects of life they live together, they form a variety of groups and improve relationships with each other. Interaction with others is a natural result of living in society. In the process of interaction, society and 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 decisions without thinking or accepting is harmful for the society and its democratic norms....
Research on conformity began in 1935 when Muzafer Sherif used the autokinetic effect to see if individuals would conform to groups. In the autokinetic effect, participants mistake a beam of light in a dark room to be moving because they cannot recognize the effects of their own eye movements. Individually, participants gave varied
Diener, E. “Deindividuation: The Absence of Self-Awareness and Self-regulation in Group Members.” Psychology of Group Influence (1980)
Because I remember that one member of our team were excluded and did not really allow her to play that day because she was the only one who disagreed with my team and my coach. I cannot really tell if my teammates do that too, like compliance, conversion, independence, anticonformity, or congruence. But, I think most of the time, my team and I agreed with our group, (congruence). I personally think that the dynamic social impact theory has been demonstrated in the group is clustering. In the textbook, Forsyth wrote, “Clustering is more likely when (a) group members communicate more frequently with members who are close by and less frequently with more distant group members, and (b) if members can change locations to join similar others” (Forsyth, pg. 220). Because I do communicate frequently with some of my team members and I felt close to them but not others. I feel distant from other team member and I do not feel that I am close to them compared to other team members that I communicate with them frequently. My group exemplified French and Raven bases of power which are coercive and expert. In the textbook, the author Forsyth wrote, “coercive: the capacity to