Social Groups- Conformity by Jennifer Bartlett https://padlet.com/jbartlett5/vu6p1p063a31 What does the Milgram and Asch experiments say about humans and our willingness to conform to a group mentality based on our intrinsic fear of being 'the outsider''? Try to think of THREE examples that you may have witnessed in your day to day lives. Post here for the live in class discussion. Make sure you label it with your name! en-us 2017-03-21 21:43:44 UTC 2025-10-02 23:14:22 UTC hello@padlet.com Maymoona Burkhes & Alissa Heagy https://padlet.com/jbartlett5/vu6p1p063a31/wish/162419686 Generally speaking people want to be part of groups and if you go against what they say they might exclude you or bother and question you about it. It is easier to just agree with them for those times because agreeing will have no repercussions while disagreeing might cause unwanted attention and trouble. This is peer pressure most of the time. This is not the only reason why people go to conformity, it isn't always because of a fear to fit in. Sometimes other people's opinions make you question your own and change your mind about it so you think the same as them because they convince you to believe that what they said is right. Timing is important in some situations as well; for example, in the Asch experiment, there was a time limit 
where everyone was staring at the subject waiting for an answer, and the subject feels pressured to quickly answer. They answer what everyone else is answering because they don't have enough time to question themselves. A time when people conform to a lot is when they go out to eat with others, and they base what they order on what everyone else is ordering. For example, the person could want pop but would order water just because everyone else was. Another example is when one person in a group likes something but does not admit they do because others in the group do not like it. When it comes to cults, they are taught the same ideas over and over again, and they have time to reconsider the options but they don't want to for fear of consequences or being left out. Also, when you're taught the same thing over and over again like that, you will start to believe it yourself even if it is against morals.]]> 2017-03-24 14:10:31 UTC https://padlet.com/jbartlett5/vu6p1p063a31/wish/162419686 Nicolas https://padlet.com/jbartlett5/vu6p1p063a31/wish/162420744 The experiments inform of a phenomenon that well all know well, and that is the fear of being the outsider in the group, even when someone tries to act "unique" they are merely conforming to another social group, so in a situation were action or in-action would turn you truly unique no one wants to for fear of being shunned. 
Examples in daily life:
1. Liking a certain genre of music to be liked.
2. Acting and speaking in a certain manner to conform.
3. Having a "correct" political opinion to avoid legal trouble.]]> 2017-03-24 14:13:20 UTC https://padlet.com/jbartlett5/vu6p1p063a31/wish/162420744 Amira tlamallem343 https://padlet.com/jbartlett5/vu6p1p063a31/wish/162420907 The series of experiments conducted all point towards two main features of being in a group. The first is that when placed into a group, an individual tends to "go with the flow" in hopes that they won't be in an awkward situation by being the odd-one-out. When faced with a situation where a person is unsure what to do, they usually go with the popular consensus. This can yield more devastating effects when situations are more serious. The second is following orders of a person in authority for fear of the risks associated. These two influences on behaviour were combined during The Jonestown Massacre, so it had a greater affect.
Examples:
1. Attending a live presentation; when it was done one person stood up and applauded; everyone else followed
2. Peer pressure
3. Witnessing more people join one side vs another in a debate]]> 2017-03-24 14:13:46 UTC https://padlet.com/jbartlett5/vu6p1p063a31/wish/162420907 Basil Mohamed, and Taylor Hanley https://padlet.com/jbartlett5/vu6p1p063a31/wish/162421952 Based on the two experiments, humans generally become influenced by other group based on the group size, and because the group's actions influences people to conform to that group, whether willingly or unwillingly. Others might willingly conform to the group because of trying to maintain the consistency and the cohesiveness of the group, and not being part of the group would cause him to feel isolated from others. It could also be based on social pressure, where although the actions of the group are not deemed to be appropriate, many people in society generally follows that rule which creates pressure on an individual to conform to the larger group.   

Examples
1. The teacher assigns their students to join a group to work on a project and the individual doesn't want to be in a certain group because they're not active. However, the student acknowledges the teacher's authority, and knows that the teacher wants them to listen to him/her, the student naturally conforms to the group fearing that he would disobey the teacher.
2. Gang members, where they recruit people on a crime mission, and one person doesn't want to be part of it. They decide to reward him something if he joins them, and the person naturally conforms to the group in order to attain his reward. 

3. A person who is with his friends are at a mall where his friends decides to steal something. Although the person doesn't want to follow what his friends are doing because it goes against his morals, he still follows them unwillingly because of fear to stand up against his friends.]]> 2017-03-24 14:16:13 UTC https://padlet.com/jbartlett5/vu6p1p063a31/wish/162421952 Evelyn and Emily https://padlet.com/jbartlett5/vu6p1p063a31/wish/162424329 A lot of the time, society falls into the peer pressure of others and does
 things just for the benefit of fitting in. Insecurity is a big issue, seeing that 
the main reason people do this is because they're not confident people and think if they do these things, they will be liked. 
A few examples may include internet challenges such as the Kylie Jenner Lip challenge or the cinnamon challenge
that could be potentially harmful. These "challenges" were both dangerous to your body and did not benefit you in anyway. People with a low self esteem level attempted these because it is a way to get noticed and accepted for doing the same as others. Another example, friends who say one thing in a one-on-one setting, but are willing to agree with the majority when in a group setting. Or people who choose their wardrobe based on what's popular, but not what they actually like.
This reflects to the video with the man saying the numbers that everyone else said just for the reason that he didn't want to stand out. The group or leader influence is more present, but with a cult it's more about personal choice to join.]]> 2017-03-24 14:22:34 UTC https://padlet.com/jbartlett5/vu6p1p063a31/wish/162424329 Abigail Schilke Garrett van Marum https://padlet.com/jbartlett5/vu6p1p063a31/wish/162427108 Garrett- The problem of humanity when it comes to conformity is mostly due to the fact that humanity wants acceptance in their lives by people in Secondary Social Groups. If a said person doesn't have any friends, they are more likely to conform to the ideals of another social group or join a cult in order to gain some form of acceptance, fully going along with the machinations of said groups because they 
don't want to be exiled from the group and treated as an outcast again. In the case of the Ashe experiment, many people have adopted a "if everyone else is saying it, ergo they must be right" and just go along with whatever is said, or it could be that the norm is the default, and that people build their personalities and styles around it, but some find it too difficult or too tedious to develop in this form and just leave themselves at the default, which could create the conforming ideals of society as a whole today.

Abigail- I think both of these experiments have to do with peer pressure. I also think an individual who is lost/confused conforms to the crowd because they are the only standard of "normal". I also think it comes down to people people want to feel loved and want love from other people. 
To receive love from other people, they must join their "groups".

Garrett- As an example of this in my day to day life, there was a certain social group when I went to public school that essentially "ran the class" as the "alpha males/females". They were normally a tight knit group of kids that were limited to seven members, but occasionally they did allow someone else to join their circle. However, this caused everyone to aspire to be like them, listen to the same music, wear their uniforms in the same way, talk like they talked, etc. They even decided kids that didn't emulate them weren't even worth noticing and actually pretended they didn't exist. I was comfortable being under their radar, and mostly hung out with the "outcasts" that didn't fit any mold for a social group and just did their own thing.

Abigail- someone joining a religion maybe that they know is not right because their family is a part of the religion

Abigail- The world kind of expects you to fit in where you are placed. For example, if have eight siblings many who are under the age of ten (young). People expect me to love kids  and be a  "family girl" even  though I  am not good with kids. I do not feel like I belong to this label/group 
that people have placed me in. ]]> 2017-03-24 14:30:21 UTC https://padlet.com/jbartlett5/vu6p1p063a31/wish/162427108 Aisha and Hajer https://padlet.com/jbartlett5/vu6p1p063a31/wish/162427154 -The Milgram and Asch experiments cannot represent everyone in society, but generally people would want to be with and have the same mindset as the majority, because that's what they might think is more correct . It includes social pressure and peer pressure as well, and it is technically the "nature" of conformity and compliance. There is also a feeling of being vulnerable and voicing what you truly think, which can be very scary.
Examples:
-In school, when the teacher asks the class a question and you do not say anything like everyone else, you do not feel like the odd one out for knowing the answer but instead try toblend in. If the teacher who is the authority told the class the sky is green and no one would speak up and disagree
would you speak up?
-Bullying is also another major example, one might conform to the thoughts and opinions of the
bully, who has the position of authority, since they are the ones that "rule" the grounds, to not risk being the one bullied themselves. One can definitely be bullied into conformity.
-When taking drivers ed, there would be open book tests, and we would self-grade. After each test we would each have to read out our answers for each question. Did you choose 1,2,3,4 etc. but since we were marking it, some people may have been given the opportunity to not circle until you were told the right answer. So, if you said I choose 1 and everyone else said 4, it was hard to tell whether you were right and you should conform to everyone elses answer.

]]> 2017-03-24 14:30:30 UTC https://padlet.com/jbartlett5/vu6p1p063a31/wish/162427154 Asmaa and Taylor Clark https://padlet.com/jbartlett5/vu6p1p063a31/wish/162427692 Both experiments show that human beings strive to be accepted as part of a social group.  Our desire for group acceptance is so strong that we may temporarily disregard our own well-being simply to be perceived as one of the group. A real life example of this is why some students decide to smoke or take drugs because being accepted is more important to them than their health. As humans we fear of rejection;  when people feel they belong to th a group they become reluctant to express their own opinions because they can foresee negative consequences of not fitting in with the majority. For example in the cult a struggle that some maybe would be facing is not being able to express their opinion.
In terms of timing for example the Jonestown massacre they were pressured into drinking the kool-aid because of their desire to be part of the group as well as fear of being rejected by being disobedient. Another real life example it is almost like a gym class someone has embarrassed themselves to many times within a certain sport it makes them gain a fear of ever playing that sport or any other because they don’t want that embarrassment in front of a whole "athletic" group so they just sit out. 
]]> 2017-03-24 14:31:54 UTC https://padlet.com/jbartlett5/vu6p1p063a31/wish/162427692