Social influence in everyday life

Types of non-conformists; anti-conformity is when a person acts in opposition to rules or group norms and an independant person is when you see what others are doing but don't let it influence you Situational factors have a strong influence on independant behaviour Eg when the authority of the experimenter is challenged or increasing the proximity of the victim (milgram)

Why people disobeyed in Gamsons study; Smith + Mackie 2000;
The importance of the group (with similar views) In Gamsons study the P's established a strong group identity

Individual differences in independant behaviour; Oliner+Oliner 1988 found the rescuers of jews during the holocaust scored higher on measures of social responsibility+had scores demonstrating an internal locus of control Other studies have supported these findings=these characteristics may be important factors in an individuals ability to disobey orders

Developing independant behaviour; Nemeth+Chiles Moscovici's method 48 males in groups of 5 (4 P's 1 confederate) asked to judge the colour of a series of blue slides 4 conditions using consistent + non-consistent confederates who called all or some slides green The same P's then returned to the lab after for another task using red slides + 4 confederates (majority) who called all the slides orange

Improving group status through social change Hogg + Vaughan 2000 define social change as the idea that a lower status individual can improve their social identity by challenging the legitamacy of the higher status groups position The individual that belongs to a lower status group has 2 choices; 1 social mobility;joining another group, which is easier in western society where group boundaries are relatively permeable

Thought reform; Used in China to change political views+accept communism Lifton 1957 wrote about 3 stage indoctrination programme in 'revolutionary colleges' for students to accept communism 1 small discussion groups; State their views Hearing others talk of their hatred for the old regime Lecture on the new ideologies 2 Becomes personal+ emotional Pressure to adopt 'correct' view 3 students had to prepare a confession (5000-25000 words)=read to study group, renouncing old beliefs +embracing new ideologies

Uncertainty can lead people to feel vulnerable to the influence of others= this has been used to encourage false confessions