Do College Studnets Conform Under Social Pressures

Do College Students Conform Under Social Pressures

Erica Battle, Brandi Bossert, Gerdwine Bourdeau, Anna Corona, Tamir Jones

East Stroudsburg University

Conformity is when one changes their views, decision or behavior based off of someone else’s preference. This can be present immediately or can be prevalent over a period of time. Conformity is often neglected but according to social psychologists there are many reasons why people conform. Researchers, for example, Acsh and Sherif (1951) did studies where these factors were tested and determined. There were two types of conformity, informative conformity and normative conformity. Informative conformity is when an individual is going through a problem or a situation which they cannot find the solution because they have high doubt and decide to imitate what others would do in that given situation. Normative conformity is when a person changes their views thoughts and attitude to get a sufficient acceptance of others (Kenneth R. Lord, Myung-Soo Lee, and Peggy Choong (2001)).

Afar from previously stated variables there are other factors that play a role in which can answer the question, “Why do people conform?” It may be because they want to be liked, don’t want to be the odd man out, or want the sense of belonging. The size of majority may affect the decision making of the person as well as age. It has been stated that those who are older are less likely to conform than younger. Reason being is that older adults have matured and have found more of a sense of self, compared to younger adults who are always seeking acceptance.

Our group took a look into previous research done and found two studies which would give us some background information on conformity. The first study was done using only a confederate and gauging the participant’s level of conformity. The second study uses a primer to try and discern if subjects’ level of conformity can be manipulated prior to being studied. We will give a brief summary of each study in order to show the information we have obtained through this research.

In the first experiment Jack L. Powell, Aaron D. Drucker (2001) The Role of Peer Conformity in the Decision to Ride with an Intoxicated Driver. The role of peer conformity was observed when faced with the decision to ride with an intoxicated driver. The experimental participants included forty male and female undergraduates. The participants were told a cover story that they were investigating spatial relationships and cognitive maps, but no alcohol was ever brought up. The participants were told that they would be driven around the campus, blindfolded. They were also told that they would only remain within the University campus.

The participants were then brought to the experimental location where the experimenter greeted them and administered the consent form. The confederate was also issued the consent form in front of the other participants. After they had signed the consent forms, the driver had arrived and the experimenter walked over to the car and opened the door for the participants. Before the experiment began, the experimenter walked away pretending he needed something and then came back to ask the participants if they were nervous and if they thought the driver was intoxicated.