Two determinants of conformity were examined: distance of a deviant individual from the mean of a group's judgments and homogeneity of the judgments about the group mean. The consequences of knowing four others' judgments of weights were assessed. After initial estimates of each weight were obtained, Ss were given fictitious estimates representing others' judgments. Ss farther from the group norm were more influenced; movement toward the group was enhanced by homogeneity of group judgments.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
AschS. E.Studies of independence and conformity: I. A minority of one against a unanimous majority. Psychol. Monogr., 1956, 70, No. 9 (Whole No. 416).
2.
EdwardsA. L.Experimental design in psychological research. New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston, 1960.
3.
FisherS.LubinA.Distance as a determinant of influence in a two-person serial interaction situation. J. abnorm. soc. Psychol., 1958, 56, 230–238.
4.
GerardH. B.Anchorage of opinion in a face to face group. Hum. Relat., 1954, 7, 313–326.
5.
GoldbergS. C.Three situational determinants of conformity to social norms. J. abnorm. soc. Psychol., 1954, 49, 325–329.