Performance and Conformity Chapter 9
Norm Conformity (Asch 1953)
Asch's experiment was conducted to test how people show conformity to existing norms. This is a different interest than in Sherif's experiment.
Norms within the situation are clear. Lines of the same length have to be matched. norm: length of line.
[USE THE BOARD: TWO LINES ASK TO COMPARE]
Ash had a group of stooges (confederates of the experimenter) and one real subject. Everyone had to speak out his/her judgments about the obvious similarity or difference aloud.
Result: 1/3 of the real subjects judged identical or in the direction of the errors of the majority.
What would happen if they had to estimate the similarity of lines by themselves again?
Overhead
Follow-up interviews with the same subjects
revealed:
1. Distortion of judgement
2. Distortion of perception
3. Distortion of action
1. Distortion of judgement
Lack of confidence. They reported not what they saw, but what they felt was right.
2. Distortion of perception
Subjects internalized the norms of the group. They were unaware of their error.
3. Distortion of action
Compliance: subjects knew that their answers were wrong. However, they did not want to appear different and gave the "wrong" right answer.
Discussion
Role Conformity
First we have to learn roles though socialization or role taking.
The we can show role conform behavior => normative behavior
Police persons arrest ...
Professors do research, they teach ...
[ASK] Prisoners? be obedient ...
[ASK] Prison guards? watch, keep order, exercise power...
Norm Formation (Sherif 1936)
How are the standards for a norm set?
Experiment: Take a ambiguous (vague) object and lets let people set norms.
Sherif used the autokinetic effect. This is a small, fixed spot of light that appears to be moving. People differ in their estimates of the moves of the point.
Tested by themselves subjects, each subject came up with a different (characteristic) estimate of the move, a range.
This range was used as a reference point for this subject.
Sherif then brought together subjects that had very different ranges as reference points. They had to report their appraisal for the light movement. Coacting actors soon came up with a common standard for the moves. => norm formation
Later, individuals were tested by themselves. They estimated the same range that was set in the group session. The norm persisted.
Norms arise following a
Funnel effect
or Convergence effect
How does that happen in more complex situations?
=> socialization, power in negotiation, media coverage
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