THAT SO FEW NOW DARE TO BE ECCENTRIC, MARKS THE CHIEF DANGER OF OUR TIME. --- JOHN STUART MILL

1. CONFORMITY QUOTES THAT SO FEW NOW DARE TO BE ECCENTRIC, MARKS THE CHIEF DANGER OF OUR TIME. --- JOHN STUART MILL “THAT WE HAVE FOUND THE TENDENCY TO CONFORM IN OUR SOCIETY SO STRONG THAT REASONABLY INTELLIGENT AND WELL-MEANING YOUNG PEOPLE ARE WILLING TO CALL WHITE BLACK IS A MATTER OF CONCERN. IT RAISES QUESTIONS ABOUT OUR WAYS OF EDUCATION AND ABOUT THE VALUES THAT GUIDE OUR CONDUCT.” --- ASCH, 1955, P. 34 “Everything popular is wrong” -- Oscar Wilde Confidence comes not from always being right, but from not fearing to be wrong -- Peter Mcintyre

2. Conformity, Compliance, and Obedience Conformity: Adapting to social norms from exposure to information or the social pressure of others Compliance: Responding "yes" to a direct request Obedience: Following a direct order from another person

3. Types of Social Influence INFORMATIVE (Ambiguous stimuli or task. Other’s input is a source of potentially valuable information. Internalization is possible e.g., Sherif’s Research) NORMATIVE (Clear, straightforward task, correct answer is apparent. Conform to majority to fit in or not stand out, influenced by peer pressure. Public acceptance, not internalization of beliefs e.g., Asch’s Research) Continuum acquired form the web site of Dr. Michael Caruso at the University of Toledo

4. Autokinetic Effect: A perceptual phenomenon where a rather small and stationary dot of light in a dark environment (or one that lacks distinctive feature) appears to move. It is believed to happen because the perception of movement is made relative to a point of reference. In the dark, no point of reference is present. Consequently, the motion of a small point of light is not definable.

5. SHERIF’S AUTOKINETIC STUDIES MOVEMENTIN INCHES SUBJECT 1 SUBJECT 2 SUBJECT 3 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 ALONE 1 2 3

7. Some Incorrect Predictions • “When the Paris Exhibition closes, electric light will close with it and no more be heard of.” • --- Erasmus Wilson, professor at Oxford University, 1878. • “Well-informed people know it is impossible to transmit the voice over wires and that were it possible • to do so, the thing would be of no practical value.” --- Editorial in the Boston Post, 1865. • "Television won't be able to hold onto any market it captures after the first six months. People will • soon get tired of staring at a plywood box every night." --- Darryl F Zanuck, 1946. • “Heavier than air flying machines are impossible.” • --- Lord Kelvin, British mathematician and physicist, circa 1895. • “I think there is a world market for maybe five computers.” -- Thomas Watson, Chairman of IBM, 1943. • “What can be more palpably absurd than the prospect held out of locomotives traveling twice as fast as • stagecoaches?” --- The quarterly Review, England, March, 1885. • "I can assure you that data processing is a fad that won't last out the year." • ---- Editor of business books for Prentice Hall, 1957. • "The horse is here to stay, but the automobile is only a novelty." • --- President of Michigan Savings Bank, 1903, advising Henry Ford's lawyer not to invest in the Ford • Motor Co..

8. NORMALIZATION • DIVERSITY OF OPINION (INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES) • INFLUENCE OF OTHERS (ESTABLISHMENT OF NORMS) • INFLUENCE OF DEVIANT OPINION(S); INNOVATION

9. Example of Stimuli Used in Asch's Study Participants agreed with the majority approximately 37% of the time

10. Conformity In Action Fashion Architecture

11. Fads

12. Top 10 Names for 2004 Rank Male Female 1 Jacob Emily 2 Michael Emma 3 Joshua Madison 4 Matthew Olivia 5 Ethan Hannah 6 Andrew Abigail 7 Daniel Isabella 8 William Ashley 9 Joseph Samantha 10 Christopher Elizabeth Top 10 Names for 1955 Rank Male Female 1 Michael Mary 2 David Deborah 3 James Linda 4 Robert Debra 5 John Susan 6 William Patricia 7 Richard Barbara 8 Thomas Karen 9 Mark Nancy 10 Steven Donna From: http://www.ssa.gov/OACT/babynames/ Go to this site for a list of the Top 1000 names according to the United States Social Security Administration: http://www.babynamenetwork.com/baby_names/most_popular_of_decade.cfm

13. FACTORS AFFECTING CONFORMITY • PERSONALITY (E.G., SELF-ESTEEM, AUTHORITARIAN) • GENDER (TYPE OF TASK) • ONE 4-PERSON GROUP VS. TWO 2-PERSON GROUPS 2 People 2 People 4 People

14. Group Size % ERRORS CONFORMITY LEVELS AS A FUNCTION OF GROUP SIZE 60 50 40 30 20 10 CONFORMITY LEVELS DID NOT INCREASE SIGNIFICANTLY AFTER THE GROUP SIZE WAS MORE THAN 4 OR 5 PEOPLE 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 NUMBER OF PEOPLE DISAGREEING WITH SUBJECT

15. ACCEPTANCE BY A GROUP 3.5 3.0 2.5 2.0 HIGH AVERAGE LOW VERY LOW GROUPS PRIOR RATING OF SUBJECTS DESIREABILITY CONFORMITY WAS GREATEST AMONG PEOPLE WHO BELIEVED THE GROUP RATED THEM AS AVERAGE IN DESIREABILITY

16. COMMITMENT TO ONE’S OPINION THE GREATER THE LEVEL OF COMMITMENT, THE LESS CONFORMITY IN THE FACE OF GROUP PRESSURE 6 5 4 3 2 1 NONE MAGIC PAD PAPER PAPER & HAND IN COMMITMENT CONDITION

17. GROUP ATTRACTIVENESS • KNOWLEDGE • GROUP COHESIVENESS • EXPERT STATUS • SOCIAL SUPPORT Group member supports your choice • What happens when the person supporting your position: • has to leave the group temporarily (e.g., emergency phone call) • changes their mind and begins to agree with the group again (joins the majority)

18. Acquired form the web site of Dr. Michael Caruso at the University of Toledo

19. OTHER CONFORMITY ISSUES • PUBLIC COMPLIANCE (ASCH) VERSUS PRIVATE INTERNALIZTION (SHERIF) • CONFORMITY, ANTI-CONFORMITY, & INDEPENDENCE • Group: Y N Y Y N • Anti-Conformity: N Y N N Y • Independent: N N Y N Y • C) INFLUENCE OF A DEVIATE (KEY IS CONSISTENCY OF OPINION & AVOID BEING SEEN AS RIGID)

20. Some Innovation, Innovators