Social Psychology 11/24/98

The Nature of Conformity in the two paradigms

Informational pressure, & Social Comparison Theory

Public compliance & Normative Social pressure

Contagion

Obedience to Authority

Foot-in-door effect (or, compliance breeds compliance)

What Milgram did.

When he asked psychologists to predict how many would comply, they estimated that 1 in 1000 would.

In contrast, he found that 63% obeyed to the end.

Went door-to-door eliciting support for "safe driving."

Two weeks later, all of the subjects were asked if they would be willing to place a large, hideously ugly sign saying "Drive Carefully" on their lawn.

Half the subjects were simply asked this question cold. The other half were first asked to sign a petition in favor of safe driving.