Conformity Jeness Research Report
RESEARCH INVESTIGATION
Abstract
This investigation was set in order to study the rates of conformity when a group norm was presented to the subject and, more specifically to distinguish if the participant’s opinions would change when they were exposed to a majorities’ judgement. The experiment took place as a field experiment in which participants (20 college students) were selected from their own environment. The end results obtained from the experiment showed that conformity existed as the mean for those who were presented with the factitious sheet estimations were drastically higher (142.2) than that of those who received the blank sheet (mean of 86.6).
INTRODUCTION
Conformity is defined as a change in a person’s behaviour/opinions as a result of a real or imagined pressure from a person or group. Kelman distinguished three stages of conformity: compliance, identification and internalisation. When a person complies they are known to agree with the majority opinion publically, however, they do not truly have the same opinion therefore privately they do not adhere to these opinions. When a person identifies with the views of the majority and adopts publically and privately as they value membership yet when they leave the group they return to previous beliefs they had before joining the group. Internalisation is classified as full acceptance of the majorities’ ideas by the individual as they welcome the group’s values into their belief system.
Background
Previous experiments include Sherif’s 1935 Autokinetic study where he put subjects in a room and flashed a light that dissipated, then another light appeared and also dissipated. He asked participants how far the light had moved, however, it had not moved, but the subjects had been asked ‘how far?’ so they assumed it had, and estimated a distance. The same study was conducted with the whole group in the room and he asked each individual the
Abstract
This investigation was set in order to study the rates of conformity when a group norm was presented to the subject and, more specifically to distinguish if the participant’s opinions would change when they were exposed to a majorities’ judgement. The experiment took place as a field experiment in which participants (20 college students) were selected from their own environment. The end results obtained from the experiment showed that conformity existed as the mean for those who were presented with the factitious sheet estimations were drastically higher (142.2) than that of those who received the blank sheet (mean of 86.6).
INTRODUCTION
Conformity is defined as a change in a person’s behaviour/opinions as a result of a real or imagined pressure from a person or group. Kelman distinguished three stages of conformity: compliance, identification and internalisation. When a person complies they are known to agree with the majority opinion publically, however, they do not truly have the same opinion therefore privately they do not adhere to these opinions. When a person identifies with the views of the majority and adopts publically and privately as they value membership yet when they leave the group they return to previous beliefs they had before joining the group. Internalisation is classified as full acceptance of the majorities’ ideas by the individual as they welcome the group’s values into their belief system.
Background
Previous experiments include Sherif’s 1935 Autokinetic study where he put subjects in a room and flashed a light that dissipated, then another light appeared and also dissipated. He asked participants how far the light had moved, however, it had not moved, but the subjects had been asked ‘how far?’ so they assumed it had, and estimated a distance. The same study was conducted with the whole group in the room and he asked each individual the