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The effects of reinforcement and social approval on conforming behaviour
Author(s) -
Endler Norman S.,
Minden Harold A.,
North Corileen
Publication year - 1973
Publication title -
european journal of social psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.609
H-Index - 111
eISSN - 1099-0992
pISSN - 0046-2772
DOI - 10.1002/ejsp.2420030308
Subject(s) - conformity , psychology , reinforcement , situational ethics , social approval , social psychology , social pressure , developmental psychology
The effects of reinforcement, social approval and sex on conformity were studied. Seventy‐two male and 72 female college Ss were divided into equal high and low need for social approval groups. Each group was assigned to 1 of 3 experimental conformity conditions: (a) True‐agree; (b) neutral; and (c) true‐disagree. The groups were tested via a social conformity apparatus. It was found that: (a) Reinforcement for agreeing with a contrived group consensus (true‐agree group) elicited more conformity than social pressure without reinforcement (neutral group), which in turn elicted more conformity than reinforcement for disagreeing with the consensus (trueA‐ disagree group); (b) females conformed more than males; (c) there was a slight tendency for high social approval Ss to conform more than low social approval Ss. Conformity was explained in terms of social learning, and it was suggested that the situational factor of reinforcement was a more important determinant of conformity than the motivational factor of social approval. The modified conformity scoring procedure used focuses on the conformity process.