normative influence
view all of the following videos in their entirety and then respond to at least 3 of the following questions.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fCVlI-_4GZQ Milgram Obedience Study
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=760lwYmpXbc Stanford Prison Experiment
Discussion Questions
In what ways do you see normative influence operating among you and your peers? How difficult would it be to go against the norm? What would it take for you to not do
something just because all your friends were doing it?
What are some examples of how informational influence helps us do the right thing? How can we use descriptive norm information to change problem behaviors?
Is conformity more likely or less likely to occur when interacting with other people through social media as compared to face-to-face encounters?
When is obedience to authority a good thing and when is it bad? What can be done to prevent people from obeying commands to engage in truly deplorable behavior such as
atrocities and massacres?
In what ways do Milgram’s experimental procedures fall outside the guidelines for research with human participants? Are there ways to conduct relevant research on
obedience to authority without violating these guidelines?
Vocabulary
Conformity:Changing one’s attitude or behavior to match a perceived social norm.
Descriptive norm:The perception of what most people do in a given situation.
Informational influence:Conformity that results from a concern to act in a socially approved manner as determined by how others act.
Normative influence:Conformity that results from a concern for what other people think of us.
Obedience:Responding to an order or command from a person in a position of authority.
