PSY-B - Psychology PSY-B 356 Lecture Notes - Lecture 17: Stanley Milgram, Peer Pressure, Social Facilitation
3 Apr 2017
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Probably due to arousal but audience and competition also can worsen performance. dominant response is facilitated; most probable (well learned, practiced) But non- dominant responses may reduce or inhibit performance. Physiological differences in arousal due to competition/audience may determine whether facilitation or inhibition results: Challenge response (well-learned task): increased heartrate and vasodilation (no increase in blood pressure) --> improves performance. Threat response (novel task): increased heartrate but no vasodilation (increased blood pressure) --> impairs performance. All of us have a tendency to conform. Subject (college student) enters room with four or more other participants. Shown straight line x and three comparison lines a, b, c. Which of the three is closest in length to x? . Others are stooges ; they choose first; all choose a. Response of subject: 80% conform at least once; 33% all the time. Three ways of yielding to group pressure (asch: perceptual distortion (small number of subjects)
