Conformity & Obedience

			What is conformity?
			What are the classic conformity & obedience studies?
			What predicts conformity?
			Why conform?
			Who conforms?
			Do we ever want to be different?
 
     Ψ  Conformity is the changing of one's behavior or belief as the result of group pressure. Conformity comes in two forms:

       •  Compliance is outwardly going along with the group while inwardly disagreeing; a subset of compliance is obedience (compliance with 
           a direct command).

       •  Acceptance is believing as well as acting in accord with social pressure.
	
 Ψ  Sherif's studies of Norm formation: People looked at stationary light & then formed a group consensus as to how far the light moved. 
Illustrated power of suggestibility. Later showed a suggestion could continue through five or more generations of participants.	

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                                                                      Social Psychology
                                                                        Robert C. Gates