Impacts of Self-Categorization on Conforming Behaviour

1190

Abstract

The paper discusses the impact of self-categorization on conforming behavior and resistance to it. The following hypotheses were tested in the research: a) the level of conformity towards in-group members is higher than that towards out-group members; b) one’s perception of oneself as an in-group member increases inner conformity, whereas perceiving oneself as an out-group member increases outer conformity. The outcomes of the research showed that those subjects who identified themselves with the in-group displayed persistent changes in behavior (inner conformity), while the others who identified themselves with the out-group were able to resist the group’s influence and thus displayed less conformity.

General Information

Keywords: conformism, conformity, referent informational influence, self-categorization, identification

Journal rubric: Experimental Research

Article type: scientific article

For citation: Agadullina E.R., Goremyko M.V. Impacts of Self-Categorization on Conforming Behaviour. Sotsial'naya psikhologiya i obshchestvo = Social Psychology and Society, 2012. Vol. 3, no. 4, pp. 30–40. (In Russ., аbstr. in Engl.)

References

  1. Aronson E., Uilson T., Eikert R. Social'naya psihologiya: psihologicheskie zakony povedeniya cheloveka v sociume. M., 2004.
  2. Levin Dzh., Zhdanyuk B. Konformizm i podchinenie // Social'naya psihologiya / Pod red. S. Moskvovichi. SPb., 2007. 
  3. Abrams D., Wetherell M., Cochrane S., Hogg M. A., Turner J. C. Knowing what to think by knowing who you are: Self-categorization and the nature of norm formation, conformity and group polarization // British journal of social psychology. 1990. № 29.
  4. Allen V. L., Newtson D. Development of conformity and independence // Journal of personality and social psychology. 1972. V. 22. № 1.
  5. Allen, V.L., Wilder, D. A. Impact of group consensus and social support on stimulus meaning: Mediation of conformity by cognitive restructuring // Journal of personality and social psychology. 1980. V.39.
  6. Baron R.S., Vandello J.A., Brunsman B. The Forgotten Variable in Conformity Research: Impact of Task Importance on Social Influence // Journal of personality and social psychology. 1996. V. 71. № 5.
  7. Berke D. S., Sloan C. A., Parrott D., Zeichner A. Effects of Female Gender Role and Gender Norm Conformity on Aggression in Men: Does Positive Masculinity Reduce the Risk? // Psychology of Men and Masculinity. 2011.
  8. Bond R., Smith P.B. Culture and Conformity: A Meta-Analysis of Studies Using Asch's (1952b, 1956) Line Judgment Task // Psychological Bulletin. 1996. V. 119. № 1.
  9. Campbell J., Feirey P. Informational and normative routes to conformity: the effect of faction size as a function of norm extremity and attention to the stimulus // Journal of personality and social psychology. 1989. V. 57. № 3.
  10. Cooper H. M. Statistically Combining Independent Studies: A Meta-Analysis of Sex Differences in Conformity Research // Journal of personality and social psychology. 1979. V. 37. № 1.
  11. David B., Turner J.C. Studies in self-categorization and minority conversion. The in-group minority in intragroup and intergroup contexts // British journal of social psychology. 1999. № 38.
  12. David B., Turner J.C. Studies in self-categorization and minority conversion: Is being a member of the out-group an advantage? // British journal of social psychology. 1996. № 35.
  13. Gergen K.J., Bauer R. Interactive effect of self-esteem and task difficulty on social conformity // Journal of personality and social psychology. 1967. V. 6. № 1.
  14. Haslam A., Reicher S. D. When Prisoners Take Over the Prison: A Social Psychology of Resistance // Personality and social psychology review. 2012. V. 16. № 2.
  15. Hogg M. Social Identity, Self-Categorization, and the Communication of Group Norms // Communication Theory. 2006. V. 16. № 1.
  16. Hornsey M. J.,  Majkut L., Terry D.J., McKimmie V.M. On being loud and proud: Non-conformity and counter-conformity to group norms // British journal of social psychology. 2003. V. 42.
  17. Kim H., Markus H. Deviance or Uniqueness, Harmony or Conformity? Cultural analysis // Journal of personality and social psychology. 1999. V. 77. № 4.
  18. Martina R., Martin P. Y., Smith J.R., Hewstone M. Majority versus minority influence and prediction of behavioral intentions and behavior // Journal of experimental social psychology. 2007. V. 43.  № 5.
  19. Molouki S. Alone in a crowd of sheep: asymmetric perceptions of conformity and their roots in an introspection illusion// Journal of personality and social psychology. 2007. V. 92. № 4.
  20. Oakes P., Turner J. Is limited information processing capacity the cause of social stereotyping // European review of social psychology. 1990. V. 1.
  21. Parent M., Moradi B., Rummel C., Tokar D. Evidence of construct distinctiveness for conformity to masculine norms // Psychology of men and masculinity. 2011. V. 12. № 4.
  22. Reicher S.D., Haslam A.S., Smith J.R. Working Toward the Experimenter: Reconceptualizing Obedience Within the Milgram Paradigm as Identification-Based Followership // Perspectives on psychological science. 2011. V.7. № 4.
  23. Simon B., Hastedt C., Aufderheide B. When Self-Categorization Makes Sense: The Role of Meaningful Social Categorization in Minority and Majority Members' Self-Perception // Journal of personality and social psychology. 1997. V. 73. № 2.
  24. Turner J. Towards a cognitive redefinition of the social group // Social identity and intergroup relations / Ed. H. Taifel. Cambridge. 1982.
  25. Turner J., Hogg M., Oakes P., Smith P. Failure and defeat as determinants of group cohesiveness // British journal of social psychology. 1984. V. 23.
  26. Wood W., Christensen N. Conformity to sex-typed norms, affect and the self-concept // Journal of personality and social psychology. 1997. V. 73. № 3.

Information About the Authors

Elena R. Agadullina, PhD in Psychology, Associate Professor, School of Psychology, National Research University Higher School of Economics, Moscow, Russia, ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1505-1412, e-mail: eagadullina@hse.ru

Mariya V. Goremyko, Department of Psychology, Higher School of Economics, e-mail: maria.goremyko@gmail.com

Metrics

Views

Total: 3137
Previous month: 9
Current month: 19

Downloads

Total: 1190
Previous month: 8
Current month: 5