18. TEAM CONFORMITY AND INFLUENCE

1. Conformity: The tendency to change our perceptions, opinions, or behaviours in ways that are consistent with group norms

Suggestibility is a subtle type of conformity – adjusting our behavior or thinking toward some group standard.

2. Reasons for Conformity

Normative Social Influence: influence resulting from a person’s desire to gain approval or avoid rejection. Stems from the desire to be “socially correct” when uncertain.

Informative Social Influence: The group may provide valuable information. Stems from the desire to be “objectively correct” when uncertain.

3. Conformity is higher when people feel they are an agent of a higher authority.

4. Moderators of majority influence

1). Group size (Diminishing returns in Asch paradigm)

2). Norm awareness

3). Consensus level

Any disruption of consensus reduces conformity to a majority…

5. Minority influence is successful if it is consistent, committed, competent, and compelling.

6. Majorities evoke public conformity via normative influence. For example, conformity in Asch paradigm reduced if private responding.

Minorities evoke conversion via informational influence.

7. Conditions that Strengthen Conformity

One is made to feel incompetent or insecure

The group has at least three people

The group is unanimous

One admires the group’s status and attractiveness

One has no prior commitment to response

The group observes one’s behavior

One’s culture strongly encourages respect for social standard

One is physically isolated from dissenting opinions