Lecture Notes: Conformity and Obedience

Introduction

Conformity and Obedience: Two distinct yet related psychological concepts often confused but having different meanings.
Conformity: Adjusting behavior or thinking to align with a group (peer pressure).
Obedience: Following orders and obeying authority without cognitive engagement ("I'm just following orders").
Both can be positive (e.g., safety behaviors) or negative (e.g., peer pressure leading to questionable behaviors, historical atrocities).

Conformity: Running out of a building when others do.
Obedience: Following authoritative instructions like a firefighter advising against entry into a burning building.

Peer pressure leading to negative behaviors, commonly seen in children and teens.
Historical implications of obedience, e.g., the Holocaust context where ordinary people committed atrocities.

Compliance:
- Behavior done for rewards or to avoid punishment.
- Example: Paying taxes for fear of punishment; TSA screenings to board a plane.
- Compliance fades once rewards/punishments are removed.
Identification:
- Behavior done to emulate someone admired.
- Continues as long as admiration/respect persists.
- Example: Supporting a sports star, then withdrawing support after a negative incident.
Internalization:
- Public and private conformity with a behavior.
- Integrated into personal beliefs and values.
- Example: Starting to exercise due to friends, continuing due to personal belief in its benefits.

Normative Social Influence:
- Conforming to gain social approval or avoid rejection.
- Example: Pretending to like a popular singer to avoid group disapproval.
Informational Social Influence:
- Deferring to others who seem more knowledgeable.
- Example: Asking locals for restaurant recommendations when new to an area.

Understanding the nuances between conformity and obedience, and their subtypes, is crucial in analyzing social behavior.
Both have significant impacts on individual and group behavior, with varying motives and levels of engagement.