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Soc 319: Sociological Approaches to Social Psychology

Soc 319: Sociological Approaches to Social Psychology. Group Cohesion/Conformity April 7, 2009. Group Cohesion and Conformity. A. What is a group? A social unit with two or more persons, and which has:

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Soc 319: Sociological Approaches to Social Psychology

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  1. Soc 319: Sociological Approaches to Social Psychology Group Cohesion/Conformity April 7, 2009

  2. Group Cohesion and Conformity • A. What is a group? • A social unit with two or more persons, and which has: • Common goals: members share at least one common goal to be achieved through joint action. • Interaction: members communicate with and influence one another. • Normative expectations: members share a set of expectations about group norms and members’ roles. • Identification: members consciously identify with the group and think of themselves as members.

  3. Examples of non-groups vs. groups Is not a group Is a group

  4. B. Majority Influence and Conformity • Conformity: Adherence by an individual to group norms. Involves a change in behavior or beliefs as a result of real or imagined group pressure. Not universal! • Informational influence: Sherif (1936) autokinetic effect study • Normative influence: Asch (1952) and replications (e.g., Bond & Smith, 1996)

  5. Sherif autokinetic effect study

  6. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKivdMAgdeA

  7. C. Under What Conditions Do People Conform? • Size of majority (+) • Unanimity (+) • Value/admire group (+) • Commitment to long-term interaction (+) • Culture of collectivism (+) • Confident in expertise on issue (-) • Social status (-) * • Strongly committed to their initial view (-) • Do not like or respect source of influence (-) • Culture of individualism (-) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQ_nM5NkQzs&feature=related

  8. D. How do groups react to dissenters? • 1. Group efforts to manage “deviants” • Apply pressure to make “deviant” conform • Persuasion  threats punishments • Reject the deviant from the group. • Expel from group • Status degradation • Psychological isolation

  9. D. How do groups react to dissenters? (cont’d) • 2. Minority fights back! • “Active minority” might try to persuade majority group members to accept their viewpoint and adopt a new position (Moscovici, 1980). • Influence of minority contingent upon: • Size. >1 person. • Consistency. Implies that the minority has a well-articulated and thoughtful position. • Flexible negotiation style. Rigid negotiation style suggests that minority is inflexible and dogmatic. • Similarity of identity (recall P-O-X model)

  10. E. Groupthink 1. Definition. A mode of thinking and decision-making by group members where pressures for unanimity and cohesiveness overwhelm the group members’ motivation to appraise realistically the alternative courses of action (Janis 1972). “Illusion of consensus” 2. Examples: a. Cuban missile crisis b. Challenger disaster 3. Characteristics 4. Possible solutions

  11. A. Intergroup Conflict: Actual conflict • 1. Definition: conflict is the result of direct competition over resources • a. Historical data • b. Experimental data • i. Sherif Robber’s Cave study.

  12. B. How do groups differentiate themselves from one another? • 1. Minimal group • a. Tajfel studies No social interaction between groups No shared goals Participants unaware of others’ group membership • 2. Social identity theory • a. Studies of ethnic identity and language (e.g., Brown, 1988)

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