Transcript 4.1 Socio-cultural Level of Analysis: Socio
Objective 3.2
Discuss the use of two compliance techniques.
Opening question
Compliance
The modification of behavior in response to a direct request, even though the person making the request has no power to enforce compliance.
Compliance example
Discuss with the person next to you one thing that you have been coerced in to buying in the last month.
How did the advertisement, salesperson, or commercial convince you to buy it?
Strategies commonly used by advertisers
Compliance techniques
Compliance techniques are the essential strategies that are used to assist in the modification of behavior in response to a direct request.
Compliance techniques in research
As a social psychologist,
Robert Cialdini
is interested in the psychology of compliance: What are the factors that cause one person to say yes to another person? What "psychological principles influence the tendency to comply with a request"? Cialdini terms these principles "weapons of influence." As a basis for his conclusions, Cialdini relies on two main sources
: laboratory experiments
and
advice for "compliance professionals"-
-those whose business it is to persuade us.
Compliance techniques in research
As a social psychologist,
Robert Cialdini
is interested in the psychology of compliance: What are the factors that cause one person to say yes to another person? What "psychological principles influence the tendency to comply with a request"? Cialdini terms these principles "weapons of influence." As a basis for his conclusions, Cialdini relies on two main sources
: laboratory experiments
and
advice for "compliance professionals"-
-those whose business it is to persuade us.
Compliance techniques in research
As a researcher, Cialdini used the "
participant observer
" approach--a staple of social science research--in
which he participated in the activity he wished to observe
.
Although there are thousands of different tactics that compliance practitioners employ to produce an affirmative response, the majority fall within six basic categories according to Cialdini. Each of these categories is governed by a fundamental psychological principle that directs human behavior and, in so doing, gives the tactics their power.
Compliance techniques in research
These tactics/techniques include (RCLASS):
Reciprocation Consistency Liking
Authority
Social proof
Scarcity
Disclaimer
It is Mr. Freeman ’s intention in presenting you with Cialdini's findings to bring these techniques to your attention;
not to teach you how to trick other people into complianc
e.
DON ’T TRY THESE TECHNIQUES AT HOME!
…or on your other teachers
Compliance techniques of authority
Principle of authority
- Individuals are more likely to comply (i.e., buy a product) if an "authority" makes the request. The "authority" can be an
actual authority figure
, such as a
medical doctor
endorsing
a vitamin
supplement, or the
"authority
" can simply be
someone who is popular or respected
(e.g., a celebrity endorsing a product).
Compliance techniques of authority
In
Milgram studies of obedience
, we can see evidence of a strong pressure in our society for compliance with the requests of an authority. In Milgram ’s study in which the participants were ordered to administer severe shocks to a victim;
65% of the participants obeyed the experimenter even though it meant harm to another person.
Milgram said the participants became so involved in pleasing the authority figure and doing their job right even though someone else had to suffer.
Compliance techniques of authority
The strength of this tendency to obey legitimate authorities comes from systematic socialization practices
designed to instill in society members the perception that such obedience constitutes correct conduct .
In addition, it is frequently adaptive to obey the dictates of genuine authorities because we assume such individuals usually possess high levels of knowledge, wisdom, and power. For these reasons, deference to authorities can occur in a mindless fashion as a kind of decision making shortcut.
Examples of authority compliance in advertising
To utilize this idea in marketing, advertisers have a propensity to support their claims with opinions from experts.
Neutrogena
, for instance, stamps its skin care advertisements with the
phrase “#1 Dermatologist Recommended.
”
Because
dermatologists are experts
in the field of skin care, people are likely to view them as authority figures and follow their advice when choosing a skin care product.
Other examples
Social proof
One means we use to determine what is correct is
to find out what other people think is correct.
Humans tend to view a behavior as more correct in a given situation to the degree that we
see other performing it.
The principle of social proof can be used to stimulate a person's compliance with a request
by informing the person that many other individuals (the more, the better, the more "famous" the better) are or have been complying with it.
Social proof
Accodring to Cialdini: Social proof is most influential under two conditions:
Uncertainty
(when people are unsure, when the situation is ambiguous, they are more likely to attend to the actions of others and to accept those actions as correct);
Similarit
y (people are more inclined to follow the lead of similar others)
Social proof
Accodring to Cialdini: Social proof is most influential under two conditions:
Uncertainty
(when people are unsure, when the situation is ambiguous, they are more likely to attend to the actions of others and to accept those actions as correct);
Similarit
y (people are more inclined to follow the lead of similar others)
Social proof in research
Cialdini noted
Soloman Asch ’s “
Conformity ” studies (1951) as empirical foundations for his idea of
social proof
.
The Asch Experiment, by Solomon Asch, was a famous experiment, designed to test how social pressure to conform would influence the judgment and individuality of a test subject.
Social proof in research
The experiment is related closely to
the Stanford Prison and Milgram Experiments
, in that it tries to show how perfectly normal human beings can be pressured into unusual behavior by authority figures,
or by the consensus of opinion around them.
Social proof in research
The experiment is related closely to
the Stanford Prison and Milgram Experiments
, in that it tries to show how perfectly normal human beings can be pressured into unusual behavior by authority figures,
or by the consensus of opinion around them.
For the experiment, eight subjects were seated around a table, with the seating plan carefully constructed to prevent any suspicion.
Only one participant was actually a genuine subject for the experiment, the rest being confederates, carefully tutored to give certain pre-selected responses. Careful experimental construction placed a varying amount of peer pressure on the individual test subject.
Social proof in research
The experiment was simple in its construction; each participant, in turn, was asked to answer a series of questions, such as which line was longest or which matched the reference line. The participants gave a variety of answers, at first correct, to avoid arousing suspicion in the subject, but then with some incorrect responses added.
This would allow Asch to determine how the answers of the subject would change with the added influence of peer pressure.
Social proof in research
The Asch Experiment results were interesting and showed that peer pressure could have a measurable influence on the answers given.
The control group, those not exposed to peer pressure where everybody gave correct answers, threw up only one incorrect response out of 35.
Social proof in research
The results for the other groups were interesting; when surrounded by people giving an incorrect answer, over one third of the subjects also voiced an incorrect opinion.
At least 75% of the subjects gave the wrong answer to at least one question, although experimental error may have had some influence on this figure. There was no doubt, however, that peer pressure can cause conformity.
Social proof in advertising
Follow ups to the Asch Experiment showed that the number of dissenting voices made a difference to the results, as did the forcefulness of the confederates.
One incorrect confederate made little difference to the answers, but the influence steadily increased if two or three people disagreed.
The figures did not change much after this point; more confederates made little difference. The number of people in the group also made a difference; the influence of dissenting voices leveled off for groups of more than six or seven people
Asch ’s Experiment Video
http://vimeo.com/16517 875
Funny elevator replication of Asch ’s experiment
http://www.disclose.tv/action/viewvideo/36986/Why / _Do_Sheeple_Conform__The_Asch_Experiment_
Social proof in advertising
The idea of social proof holds that when people are unsure of how to act, they ’ll look to what others are doing and follow their behavior. To capitalize on this tendency, businesses will use advertisements that try to convey the message that a product is beneficial because “everyone else is using it.”
What are examples of this type of advertisement
?
Social proof in advertising
The idea of social proof holds that when people are unsure of how to act, they ’ll look to what others are doing and follow their behavior. To capitalize on this tendency, businesses will use advertisements that try to convey the message that a product is beneficial because “everyone else is using it.”
What are examples of this type of advertisement
?
Social proof in advertising
When we see more people buying Brand X over Brand Y, we tend to think that somehow Brand X must be better, don ’t we? Even though many times that may not be true. Why is that?
This speaks to our tendency to adapt or conform to
group norms (as previously stated).
We usually see this in advertising in the form of “multiple testimonials” or “consumer ratings” (which are both often times inflated by advertisers).
Questions?
Read more: Cialdini on authority http://youtu.be/s2tGLFjW5tE Cialdini on social proof/concensus http://youtu.be/Fy3G7wy1VYc
Objective 3.3
Evaluate research on conformity to group norms
What are you being asked to do? (page 36 and 37 of your IB syllabus) Provide a clear definition of conformity.
Present a brief account of research (two or more studies) on conformity to group norms.
Evaluate the specific research studies on conformity weighing up the strengths and limitations of each study.
Conformity Conformity is the process of giving in to real or imagined pressure from a group.
Examples of conformity can include criminal gangs, opinions from friends involving peer pressures, compulsions of social life etc.
The difference between conformity and compliance If you conform with or to something, you go along with it, you do it the same way, you fit in, you become like the rest. Here are some examples: Traditional Jews, Christians, and Muslims conform with traditions concerning how synagogues, churches, and mosques should be constructed.
The method of cooking hamburgers and fried chicken in fast-food franchises conform with the method
that the main company headquarters has used
since those companies were founded.
The difference between conformity and compliance If you comply, you submit to some kind of authority, you agree to do something in a certain way that's been dictated.
The origin of conformity in psychology Jenness (1932) was one of the first psychologist to study conformity. His experiment was an ambiguous situation involving a glass bottle filled with beans. He asked participants individually to estimate how many beans the bottle contained.
The origin of conformity in psychology Jenness (1932) was one of the first psychologist to study conformity. His experiment was an ambiguous situation involving a glass bottle filled with beans. He asked participants individually to estimate how many beans the bottle contained.
The origin of conformity in psychology Jenness then put the group in a room with the bottle, and asked them to provide a group estimate through discussion. Participants were then asked to estimate the number on their own again to find whether their initial estimates had altered based on the influence of the majority. Jenness then interviewed the participants individually again, and asked if they would like to change their original estimates, or stay with the group's estimate.
Almost all changed their individual guesses to be closer to the group estimate.
The origin of conformity in psychology Jenness research laid the foundation for later conformity studies including Soloman Asch’s
Experiment.
http://vimeo.com/14838933
The origin of conformity in psychology Jenness research laid the foundation for later conformity studies including Muzafer Sharif’s “Autokinetic and Soloman Asch’s Experiment.
Sharif’s 1935 Conformity study Aim: Sherif conducted an experiment with the aim of demonstrating that people conform to group norms when they are put in an ambiguous (i.e. unclear) situation.
Method: Sherif used a lab experiment to study conformity. He used the autokinetic effect – this is where a small spot of light (projected onto a screen) in a dark room will appear to move, even though it is still (i.e. it is a visual illusion).
Sharif’s 1935 Conformity study It was discovered that when participants were individually tested their estimates on how far the light moved varied considerably (e.g. from 20cm to 80cm). The participants were then tested in groups of three. Sherif manipulated the composition of the group by putting together two people whose estimate of the light movement when alone was very similar, and one person whose estimate was very different.
Each person in the group had to say aloud how far they thought the light had moved.
Sharif’s 1935 Conformity study Results: Sherif found that over numerous estimates (trials) of the movement of light, the group converged to a common estimate. The person whose estimate of movement was greatly different to the other two in the group conformed to
the view of the other two.
Sherif said that this showed that people would always tend to conform. Rather than make individual judgments they tend to come to a group agreement.
Sharif’s 1935 Conformity study Sherif ( 1935 ) followed Jenness research and looked to investigate conformity using the autokinetic
effect.
• This is an optical illusion experienced when a person is placed in a totallydark room in which a stationary point of light appears to move because theperson’s perceptual system has no frame of reference for it
Sharif’s 1935 Conformity study Sherif ( 1935 ) followed Jenness research and looked to investigate conformity using the autokinetic
effect.
• This is an optical illusion experienced when a person is placed in a totallydark room in which a stationary point of light appears to move because theperson’s perceptual system has no frame of reference for it
Video on conformity
http://vimeo.com/14838933 http://www.betterdaystv.net/play.php?vid=19441