Abstract
Research on the relationship between conformity and temptation to lie utilized a measure of temptation to lie from 40 subjects by administration of the Machiavellian Scale several weeks prior to the experimental sessions. The first experimental session measured group conformity. Subjects who agreed with a simulated group more than six times were considered conformers. The data showed that the conformers yielded on the average more than three times as much as the independents. In the second experimental situation, stimuli for belief that no correct answer could be objectively obtained were presented. The only way a subject would obtain a significant number of so-called correct answers was to lie. Subjects whose scores were three standard deviations greater than those expected by chance were considered liars. The results showed that lying was not a function of conformity. The Machiavellian Scale, administered again to the same subjects, showed that subjects who cheated were more tempted to lie again, while those who had not succumbed to temptation were less likely now to lie. A significant relationship between conformity and absolute changes in attitude supported the hypothesis that individuals who conform change their attitudes more readily than individuals who remain independent. Implications for decision making are discussed.
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