Conformity within a group entails members changing their attitudes and beliefs in order to match those of others within the group. Those that conform tend to be obedient and compliant. In order to conform, the group member must attribute someone as having the legitimacy and credibility to lead or influence the group's behaviour. Without this "leader", conformity toward the group's goals will be less prevalent. If a member of the group fails to conform to the groups needs, he/she would lose credibility with the rest of the group.
Introducing an ally who resisted the majority caused conformity levels to drop sharply (5%). The presence of an ally makes an individual feel more confident and better able to stand up to the majority. Asch also discovered that people are better able to resist pressure to conform if the decision has a moral dimension. For Asch’s participants, the costs of conforming were not particularly great given the insignificance of the task. However if the behaviour is judged as immoral such as joining others in cheating there is less evidence of conformity as the costs are perceived as greater.
In Stanley Milgram’s experiments, people torn between obeying an experimenter and responding to another’s pleas to stop the shocks usually chose to obey orders, even though obedience supposedly meant harming the other person. People were most likely to obey when the person giving orders was nearby and was perceived as a legitimate authority figure; when the person giving orders was supported by a prestigious institution; when the victim was depersonalized or at a distance; and when no other person modeled defiance by
Good leadership Being a manager means you must have self-discipline and leadership skills. If you can't lead then you shouldn't be in charge. Good leadership means being communicative, diplomatic but at the same time courageous to say what you think. Being a leader means you won't be inconsistent just to be Mr. or Mrs. Popular. You will gain more respect by sticking to your instincts, doing what you believe is right but not being so rigid that you can't revise your opinions.
Why do people conform? Explanations(theories of conformity) There are two type of social influence. One of it is normative social influence, it is based on our desire to be liked. We conform because we want to be appear ‘normal’ and we think that others will approve of and accept us. Going against the majority might lead to exclusion or rejection from the group.
Orders are called orders because that is exactly what they are, not suggestions. In the heat of battle, following orders saves lives. There is no time to think it through or suggest other options. Your sergeant gives an order and he expects it to be followed as well as when you might give an order to your subordinates. That is one reason why basic/boot seems so scary to some people because they know they will have a power struggle with the drill sergeants.
Another big takeaway was that despite the brutality and emotions of combat, a leader must remain calm, see the big picture, and anticipate the “next steps” for his unit and the enemy. Tom Hiebert: We Were Soldiers was published just as I was getting ready to take command. The timeless value of the book then, as it remains to me to this day, is in demonstrating to young leaders the value of setting and maintaining standards and discipline in training as these translate directly to success in combat. Also, LTG Moore compares and contrasts the effects in combat of good solid leadership (and, again, standards and discipline) with the lack thereof in the second part of his book concerning the exploits of McDade and 2-7 Cavalry at LZ [landing zone] Albany. I tried to carry these lessons with me everywhere as a company commander.
This is yet another factor to be taken into consideration when assessing the reasons as to why it is only natural for laymen to accede to how they are expected to live. In the Milgram experiment, we see a similar relationship being formed between the teacher and the subject, only on a smaller scale and in a slightly different context. When the subject takes notice of the fact that he is inflicting serious pain upon the learner, he attempts to resist authority by claiming that he is no longer willing to participate in the experiment, as it violates his moral code. In Chapter 5 of Obedience to Authority, this concept is exhibited in many dialogues between the experimenter and subject. “Subject: Well, that’s your opinion.
It was partially due to the fact that Dawson was his superior officer and instructed him to do so and the other reason was because he idolized Dawson and did not want to disappoint him. Multiple times throughout the film Downey would not respond or act until Dawson did or told him to. Downey abandoned his morals not only because he was ordered to but also because he was afraid of being reprimanded and
Course #: ENG 1101 September 15, 2011 Conformity is an adaptation in behavior due to the real or imagined influence of others. Conformity is the tendency to support our manner, beliefs, and behaviors with those around us. It's a powerful energy that can take the form of observable social force or subtler unconscious. As much as we like to think of ourselves as individuals, the fact is that we're determined to fit in, and that frequently means going with the flow. Conformity is a social observable fact that affects people’s behavior and opinion.