Response latencies in a social conformity paradigm: effects of a referent's competence

On each of 300 trials of a social conformity paradigm, subjects predicted which of two stimuli υ or Π) would appear on a stimulus screen following consideration of a reference group's prediction. The stimulus (either an υ or Π) then appeared and subjects identified the stimulus as quickly as possible by pulling a particular reaction trigger. In addition to the typical measure of conformity (the proportion of conforming predictions), two latencies were measured: the interval between the reference prediction and the subject's verbal prediction (decision time), and the interval between the stimulus presentation and the subject's identification response (choice reaction time). Competence of the reference group was manipulated in two ways: by instructions that depicted the reference group as a either competent predictor or incompetent predictor, and by the percentage of correct predictions made by the reference group (i.e., 75%, 50%, or 25% correct). Both competence manipulations influenced the proportion of conforming responses such that subjects conformed more often to a 75% correct reference than to a 50% or 25% correct reference and subjects' conforming proportions were inflated when they had been instructed (prior to the task) that the reference was competent. Decision latencies were not influenced by the instructional manipulation of competence. However, subjects' decision latencies were shorter when the subject had been correct rather than incorrect in a preceding prediction. These results were explained using confidence notions. Also, subjects were faster to conform than disagree with a competent reference prediction. Conflict theory was used to interpret those results. Reaction times were not influenced by the instructional manipulation of competence. However, reaction latencies were influenced by the prediction outcome of the subject, the references prediction competence, and the prediction outcome of the reference group in directions supporting a two process theory of expectancy.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Science

Level thesis:degree_level

masters

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Psychology

Department dc:contributor.department

Psychology

Grantor dc:publisher

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Year dc:date.issued

1975

Author dc:creator

• Farris, John C.

Statement dc:rights

• In Copyright

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Language dc:language.iso

en

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/10919/65057

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/65057