PS102 Chapter Notes - Chapter 16: Collectivism, Group Polarization, Groupthink
Document Summary
Social roles are widely shared expectations about how people in certain positions are supposed to behave. Conformity occurs when people yield to real or imagined social pressure. If you maintain a well-groomed lawn only to avoid complaints from your neighbours. Group size and group unanimity are key determinants of conformity. Normative influence operates when people conform to social norms for fear of negative social consequences people often conform or comply because they are afraid of being criticized or rejected. Obedience is a form of compliance that occurs when people follow direct commands, usually from someone in a position of authority. When an authority figure says jump! many people simply ask, how high? . For most people, willingness to obey someone in authority is the rule not the exception. The phenomena of conformity and obedience seem to transcend culture. Studies have found higher levels of conformity in collectivistic cultures than in individualistic cultures.
