Discuss about conformity, compliance and obedience as the areas of social influences
Conformity, compliance, and obedience are three important areas of social influence that play a significant role in shaping individuals' behavior and attitudes within a group or societal context. While they are related concepts, each represents a distinct form of social influence.
Conformity refers to the tendency of individuals to adjust their thoughts, beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors to align with the norms and expectations of a group.
Explain the characteristics of a group-It involves yielding to social pressure and going along with the majority opinion or group consensus, even if it contradicts one's own beliefs or preferences. Conformity is a fundamental aspect of human social behavior and plays a significant role in shaping individual behavior within a group or societal context.
There
are two primary forms of conformity:
Informational conformity and normative conformity.
Informational
Conformity:
Informational conformity occurs when individuals conform to a group's beliefs
or behaviors because they believe that the group possesses accurate information
or knowledge. When faced with ambiguous or uncertain situations, people often
look to others for guidance and rely on their judgments to make sense of the
situation. This reliance on others' judgments and beliefs helps individuals
reduce uncertainty and make more informed decisions.
Also Read-
For example, if individuals are
unsure about the correct answer to a question or the appropriate way to behave
in a particular situation, they may conform to the group's responses or
behaviors to gain a better understanding of reality. In this case, individuals
assume that the group's collective knowledge or expertise is superior to their
own and use it as a source of information for their own judgments.
Normative
Conformity:
Normative conformity occurs when
individuals conform to a group's beliefs or behaviors to gain social approval,
acceptance, or avoid social rejection. It is driven by the desire to fit in, be
liked, or avoid social disapproval. Normative conformity is often influenced by
social norms, expectations, and the fear of being judged or ostracized by
others.
When individuals conform to social
norms, they adhere to the accepted standards of behavior within a particular
group or society. Failure to conform to these norms may result in social
disapproval or exclusion. This desire for social acceptance and belongingness
motivates individuals to adjust their thoughts, beliefs, or behaviors to align
with those of the majority, even if they privately hold different opinions.
Normative conformity is particularly strong in situations where individuals value their social relationships or fear the potential negative consequences of deviating from the group.
Discuss about conformity, compliance and obedience as the areas of social influences-As social creatures, humans have an innate drive to seek acceptance and
maintain positive social connections, leading to the tendency to conform to the
norms and expectations of the group.
Real-world examples of conformity can be seen in various contexts. One classic example is Solomon Asch's conformity experiments. In these experiments, participants were shown a series of lines and asked to select the line that matched a reference line in length. Unknown to the participant, the majority of the other participants in the experiment were confederates who purposely provided incorrect answers. Despite the obvious correct answer, many participants conformed to the group's incorrect responses, indicating the power of group pressure and the tendency to conform even when one's own judgment is contrary to the majority opinion.
Discuss about conformity, compliance and obedience as the areas of social influences-Conformity is also prevalent in
everyday life, such as when individuals conform to fashion trends, adopt
popular opinions on social media, or follow cultural practices and traditions.
Moreover, conformity plays a crucial role in shaping social norms, collective
behaviors, and cultural values within a society.
Compliance:
Compliance refers to a type of
social influence where individuals change their behavior or comply with a
request from another person or group. Unlike conformity, compliance typically
involves explicit requests or demands made by others, rather than aligning with
group norms. Compliance can be driven by various factors, including social
norms, authority, reciprocity, and commitment.
A. Normative Social Influence:
Normative social influence plays a significant role in compliance. Individuals
may comply with a request due to the desire to gain social approval, avoid
social rejection, or adhere to social norms. For example, someone might comply
with a dress code at work to avoid disapproval from colleagues or follow
traffic rules to avoid the disapproval of others.
B. Authority: Authority figures
have the power to elicit compliance from individuals. People often comply with
requests or commands from individuals perceived as having legitimate authority,
such as teachers, parents, or law enforcement officers. The Milgram obedience
experiments demonstrated how individuals were willing to administer
increasingly higher levels of electric shocks to a confederate under the
instruction of an authority figure.
C. Reciprocity: Compliance can also
be influenced by the norm of reciprocity, which suggests that individuals feel
obligated to repay others for favors, gifts, or concessions they have received.
For example, a salesperson may offer a free sample or gift with the expectation
that the recipient will feel obliged to make a purchase in return.
D. Commitment and Consistency:
Compliance can be driven by individuals' desire to be consistent with their
previous commitments, beliefs, or statements. Once individuals publicly commit
to a particular position or action, they are more likely to comply with
requests that align with their commitment. This principle is exemplified in the
foot-in-the-door technique, where individuals are more likely to comply with a
larger request after initially agreeing to a smaller request.
Real-world examples of compliance
include situations where individuals comply with advertising campaigns,
persuasive sales techniques, or requests from authority figures. Compliance can
also be seen in social influence strategies used by charities to elicit
donations or in compliance with organizational policies and procedures.
Obedience:
Obedience refers to a form of
social influence where individuals comply with the directives or commands of an
authority figure, often in a hierarchical structure. Obedience involves
submitting to authority and following orders without questioning or critically
evaluating their moral implications or consequences. Obedience often occurs in
situations where there is a perceived power imbalance or legitimate authority.
One of the most famous studies on
obedience is the Milgram experiment. In these experiments, participants were
instructed by an experimenter to administer electric shocks to another person,
who was actually a confederate. Despite hearing the apparent distress of the
confederate, many participants continued to administer shocks due to the
authoritative commands of the experimenter.
Obedience can be influenced by factors such as the legitimacy and perceived expertise of the authority figure, the proximity of the authority figure, the absence of alternative dissenting voices, and the diffusion of responsibility.
Discuss about conformity, compliance and obedience as the areas of social influences-Obedience can also be influenced by situational factors, such as the presence of other obedient individuals or the perceived importance or legitimacy of the task at hand.
0 comments:
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.