SPSS201 Exam Notes: Conformity, Obedience, and Group Behaviour for Nelson Mandela University (NMU) General & Applied Psychology

Conformity, obedience, and group behaviour are central themes in social psychology because they explain how people’s thoughts and actions are shaped by the presence of others. In SPSS201 at Nelson Mandela University (NMU), these topics are especially important for understanding everyday life, institutions, and South African social contexts, from classrooms and workplaces to communities and public organisations. This study guide sets out the core theories, classic experiments, key terms, ethical debates, and real-world applications needed for a strong exam performance.

1. Foundations of Social Influence in SPSS201

1.1 What social influence means

Social influence refers to the ways in which other people affect an individual’s beliefs, emotions, and behaviour. In social psychology, influence is not limited to direct pressure. It also includes subtle cues such as norms, expectations, roles, and the desire to belong. Conformity, obedience, and group behaviour are all forms of social influence, but they differ in the source and type of pressure involved.

At a basic level, social influence can be divided into three broad forms:

Conformity — changing behaviour or beliefs to match a group.
Obedience — following the direct orders of someone in authority.
Group behaviour — the patterns that emerge when people act in groups, including cooperation, competition, leadership, conflict, crowd effects, and decision-making.

These processes matter because humans are social beings. People rarely think, feel, or decide in complete isolation. Even when alone, individuals often internalise social expectations from family, peers, institutions, religion, and media. Social influence therefore helps explain why people comply with rules, why they resist pressure, and why groups sometimes make better decisions than individuals, but also why they can make worse ones.

1.2 Why these topics matter in psychology

In psychology, conformity and obedience are studied because they show that behaviour is not simply a reflection of personality. Situations can strongly shape action. This insight was one of the major revolutions in twentieth-century social psychology. It challenged the idea that bad behaviour is always caused by “bad people” and suggested instead that ordinary people may behave harmfully when placed in powerful social contexts.

These topics remain relevant for several reasons:

They explain everyday compliance, such as wearing uniforms, queueing, or accepting classroom rules.
They help analyse institutional life, including police structures, military training, healthcare hierarchies, and workplaces.
They clarify political and social events, where crowds, authority, and group identities can promote cooperation or violence.
They inform community psychology and public health, especially when behaviour change depends on norms and trusted leadership.
They support an understanding of prejudice, exclusion, and discrimination, because groups often enforce norms that disadvantage outsiders.

For NMU students, especially those studying general and applied psychology, these concepts are practical because they connect theory to South African realities such as township life, student politics, labour relations, protest action, and the legacy of apartheid authority structures.

1.3 Key concepts and distinctions

A strong exam answer must distinguish carefully between related terms.

Concept	Core meaning	Typical source of pressure	Common outcome
Conformity	Adjusting behaviour or beliefs to match a group	Peers or group norms	Agreement, uniformity, belonging
Obedience	Following explicit instructions	Authority figure	Compliance with orders
Compliance	Public agreement without private acceptance	Request or social pressure	Surface-level change
Internalisation	Deep acceptance of a belief	Persuasion or repeated exposure	True attitude change
Identification	Adopting behaviours to belong to a valued group	Desire for membership	Temporary or context-based change
Social norms	Shared rules about expected behaviour	Group culture	Regulated conduct
Descriptive norms	What people actually do	Observing others	Behavioural imitation
Injunctive norms	What people approve or disapprove of	Moral or social approval	Rule-following

These distinctions are not just semantic. They help explain why a person may appear to agree with a group in public but privately disagree, or why someone may follow a command only because an authority figure is present.

1.4 The social nature of human behaviour

A central assumption in social psychology is that people are influenced by the real or imagined presence of others. This includes:

Direct presence, such as being watched by classmates.
Indirect presence, such as living according to cultural values.
Imagined presence, such as anticipating criticism, approval, or punishment.
Internalised presence, where social norms become part of the self.

This idea helps explain why people sometimes behave differently alone and in groups. A person may be quiet in a lecture hall but outspoken in a friend group; a worker may follow strict safety rules when supervised but become careless when supervision is weak; a student may conform to group opinion even when uncertain.

The self is therefore not purely individual. It is shaped in relation to others. Identity, belonging, status, and reputation all influence behaviour. Social influence does not only produce weakness or loss of autonomy; it also enables coordination, cooperation, cultural continuity, and social order. Without some form of conformity and obedience, societies would struggle to function.

1.5 The role of norms and sanctions

Social behaviour is held together by norms and sanctions. Norms are expectations about how one should behave. Sanctions are the rewards or punishments that follow norm adherence or violation.

Common sanctions include:

Praise, inclusion, and approval for norm compliance
Ridicule, exclusion, criticism, or punishment for norm violation

Norms can be explicit, such as traffic rules, or implicit, such as expectations around dress, turn-taking, and respect. In many contexts, people conform not because they strongly agree, but because they want to avoid social cost. This is especially important in collectivist settings where harmony, respect, and group cohesion may be strongly emphasised.

1.6 South African relevance

In South Africa, social influence must be understood in relation to history and inequality. During apartheid, authority systems shaped obedience through law, surveillance, and institutional power. After democracy, new norms emerged around human rights, inclusion, and democratic participation, but group pressure and obedience still matter in schools, communities, and organisations.

Examples include:

Students conforming to peer norms in residences or lecture groups
Workers following organisational hierarchies
Communities responding to local leaders and traditional authorities
Protest dynamics, where crowd identity and collective emotion can intensify action
Health behaviour, where people may follow trusted community norms around vaccination, HIV treatment, or sanitation

Understanding social influence in this context helps explain why some people resist harmful norms while others comply even when they privately disagree.

2. Conformity: Theory, Types, and Classic Research

2.1 Defining conformity

Conformity is the tendency to change one’s behaviour, attitudes, or beliefs to align with group norms or expectations. The pressure can be direct or indirect, explicit or subtle. Conformity does not always mean blind acceptance. Sometimes a person conforms because they believe the group is correct. At other times they conform to avoid rejection.

Conformity is usually stronger when:

The group is unanimous
The task is ambiguous
The person feels uncertain
The group is important to the individual
The person is under public observation
The culture values harmony and collective approval

Conformity therefore reflects both information needs and social needs.

2.2 Types of conformity

A useful exam framework is to distinguish three major forms:

1. Compliance

The person publicly agrees with the group but privately disagrees.

Example: a student nods along in class although unsure.
Motivation: avoid conflict, gain approval, reduce embarrassment.
Change is superficial and may disappear when pressure is removed.

2. Internalisation

The person genuinely accepts the group’s position.

Example: after discussion, a student truly believes a new study method is best.
Motivation: the group seems credible or persuasive.
Change is deep and lasting.

3. Identification

The person changes behaviour to identify with a valued group.

Example: a first-year student adopts the style and language of a residence group to fit in.
Motivation: belonging and group membership.
Change may remain only as long as identification remains important.

These categories are often assessed in exams because they show that conformity is not one single process. Public agreement, private acceptance, and identity-based adoption are psychologically different.

2.3 Normative and informational influence

Two major explanations of conformity are normative social influence and informational social influence.

Normative social influence

This occurs when people conform because they want to be liked, accepted, or not rejected.

The motive is social approval.
The person may know the group is wrong but still conform.
It is often stronger in public situations.

Example: A student laughs at a joke they do not find funny because everyone else is laughing.

Informational social influence

This occurs when people conform because they believe others have better information.

The motive is accuracy.
The person assumes the group knows something they do not.
It is strongest in ambiguous or unfamiliar situations.

Example: During a practical lab demonstration, a student follows the group because they think the others understand the procedure better.

2.4 Sherif’s autokinetic experiment

One of the earliest studies of conformity was Muzafer Sherif’s autokinetic experiment. Participants viewed a small point of light in a dark room. Because of a visual illusion, the light seemed to move even though it was stationary. When asked to estimate how much it moved, people first gave different answers. However, when they answered in groups, their estimates gradually converged.

This study showed that in ambiguous situations people use others as a source of information. Over time, a shared norm develops. The importance of Sherif’s work lies in demonstrating that group norms can emerge even without explicit pressure. People may unconsciously align with others because uncertainty makes social cues valuable.

Key lessons from Sherif:

Conformity can arise from ambiguity
Group norms may become stable and self-reinforcing
Social reality is partly constructed through interaction
Individual judgments can shift toward a collective standard

2.5 Asch’s line judgment studies

Solomon Asch conducted the most famous research on conformity. Participants were shown a standard line and three comparison lines, and they had to identify which comparison line matched the standard. The task was easy, and when participants answered alone, error rates were very low. In groups, however, confederates deliberately gave wrong answers. Many participants conformed to the incorrect group response at least once.

Important findings from Asch’s studies:

Around 75% of participants conformed at least once
On average, participants conformed on about one-third of critical trials
Conformity dropped when even one ally gave the correct answer
Conformity also dropped when responses were private
The pressure was strongest because the task was clear, so error could not be explained by uncertainty

Asch’s studies reveal the power of normative influence. Participants often knew the group was wrong, yet still agreed publicly to avoid standing out. The research is often used to show that social pressure can produce compliance even when reality is obvious.

2.6 Factors that increase or reduce conformity

Conformity is not fixed. It changes depending on situational factors.

Factors that increase conformity

Unanimity of the group
Task difficulty
Public responding
High group cohesion
High group status or expertise
Cultural emphasis on collectivism
Lack of social support for dissent

Factors that reduce conformity

Presence of an ally
Private decision-making
Strong personal confidence
Prior knowledge
Diverse group composition
Norms supporting debate or dissent

The “ally effect” is especially important. Even a single dissenter can reduce pressure dramatically because it breaks unanimity. This shows that conformity is not simply a weakness of character; it is heavily shaped by social structure.

2.7 Cultural and contextual considerations

In individualist cultures, conformity may be viewed as a threat to autonomy. In collectivist cultures, conformity may be interpreted more positively as respect, social harmony, and relational responsibility. Neither view is entirely complete. All societies require some conformity for coordination, but excessive conformity can suppress innovation, whistleblowing, and moral resistance.

In South Africa, students may encounter multiple norm systems at once: family expectations, peer culture, university rules, community values, and professional standards. A person may conform to one group and resist another. This helps explain why conformity should be understood as context-specific rather than as a fixed personality trait.

2.8 Exam-ready evaluation of conformity research

A strong evaluation should include both strengths and limitations:

Strengths

Demonstrated the importance of social context
Used controlled experiments that allowed causal inference
Generated practical insights into group pressure
Influenced later research on persuasion, dissent, and decision-making

Limitations

Some studies used artificial tasks with limited ecological validity
Participants often knew they were in an experiment
Historical and cultural context may limit generalisation
Conformity can differ in real-life settings involving emotion, identity, and power

Despite these limitations, conformity research remains foundational because it shows that social influence can shape even simple judgments.

3. Obedience: Authority, Power, and the Psychology of Following Orders

3.1 Defining obedience

Obedience is behaviour that follows a direct command from an authority figure. Unlike conformity, which usually involves peer pressure or group norms, obedience involves a hierarchy. The authority may be a teacher, manager, police officer, religious leader, parent, military superior, or any person perceived as having legitimate power.

Obedience is important because it makes coordinated systems possible. Organisations rely on it for discipline, efficiency, and chain of command. However, obedience also raises moral danger when people obey harmful or unethical orders. The central psychological question is therefore not whether people obey, but when, why, and at what cost.

3.2 Milgram’s obedience studies

Stanley Milgram conducted the most influential studies of obedience. Participants believed they were taking part in a learning experiment. They were instructed by an experimenter to administer electric shocks to another person whenever wrong answers were given. In reality, no genuine shocks were delivered, but participants thought they were increasing the voltage up to dangerous levels.

The original finding was striking: a large proportion of participants continued obeying the experimenter despite distress. Many went further than they expected to go before the study. The key lesson was that ordinary people may obey authority even when doing so conflicts with conscience.

Milgram’s work is often summarised in terms of situational power. Rather than assuming that cruelty comes from sadistic personalities alone, Milgram showed that authority, legitimacy, gradual escalation, and responsibility transfer can drive obedience.

3.3 Why people obey

Several psychological processes help explain obedience.

Legitimacy of authority

People are more likely to obey if they believe the authority is legitimate. A person in uniform, a formal role, or an institutional setting often commands more obedience than a stranger.

Agentic state

Milgram argued that people sometimes enter an agentic state, in which they see themselves as carrying out another person’s wishes rather than acting on their own moral responsibility. The individual becomes an “agent” for authority.

Gradual commitment

Obedience often develops step by step. Small acts lead to larger ones. Once a person has complied with a minor demand, refusing a larger demand becomes harder because they feel committed.

Diffusion or displacement of responsibility

People may feel less personally responsible when an authority figure gives the order. This reduces guilt and makes harmful action easier.

Socialisation into obedience

From childhood, people learn to respect teachers, parents, officials, and institutions. Obedience is therefore not only situational; it is also learned culturally.

3.4 Variations in Milgram’s findings

Milgram changed the procedure in different ways to test what affected obedience. These variations are highly examinable because they show the conditions under which obedience increases or decreases.

Variation	Effect on obedience	Interpretation
Experimenter in same room and authoritative	High obedience	Direct authority is powerful
Experimenter gives commands by phone	Lower obedience	Physical distance weakens authority
Victim in same room	Lower obedience	Closer suffering increases empathy
Participant must place victim’s hand on shock plate	Much lower obedience	Greater personal involvement increases resistance
Two experimenters issue conflicting commands	Very low obedience	Authority ambiguity reduces compliance
Ordinary person gives orders	Much lower obedience	Legitimacy matters

The pattern is clear: obedience rises when the authority is close, legitimate, and supported by institutional cues; it falls when the victim becomes more visible or the authority less credible.

3.5 Ethical issues in obedience research

Milgram’s studies are essential in psychology, but they also generated major ethical debate.

Main ethical concerns

Deception: participants were misled about the real purpose of the study.
Stress and distress: many participants showed visible anxiety.
Right to withdraw: some participants felt unable to stop.
Informed consent: full consent was not possible because of deception.
Debriefing: participants needed careful explanation after the study.

Modern research ethics would require strict scrutiny, but Milgram’s work remains influential because it exposed the tension between scientific knowledge and participant welfare. The ethical controversy itself is now part of the study’s significance.

3.6 Criticisms of Milgram

Obedience research is not beyond criticism.

Demand characteristics

Some critics argue that participants may have guessed the shocks were fake or suspected the procedure was staged. Even if this were true for some participants, the emotional evidence suggests many believed the situation was real enough to create genuine tension.

Historical context

The post-war context of the study may have influenced participants. Memories of obedience to Nazi authority may have been especially salient, making the research historically important but potentially time-bound.

Cultural and gender limitations

The original samples were limited and did not represent all social groups. Later replications have broadened the picture, but results still vary across cultures and contexts.

Overemphasis on obedience

Critics argue that focusing only on obedience may obscure resistance, dissent, and moral courage. Real life includes both compliance and refusal.

3.7 Resistance to authority

Not everyone obeys. Understanding resistance is as important as understanding obedience.

Factors associated with resistance include:

Presence of social support
Strong moral identity
Confidence and internal locus of control
Low legitimacy of the authority
Visible harm to the victim
Conflict among authorities
Opportunities to discuss and reflect

Resistance is a crucial exam concept because it shows that obedience is not inevitable. People can challenge harmful authority if conditions support dissent.

3.8 South African applications

In South African settings, obedience can be seen in many institutional contexts:

Students following lecturers’ rules in large classes
Junior employees complying with managerial authority
Citizens obeying police instructions
Health workers following protocols during emergencies
Community members responding to traditional or local leadership

Obedience can be positive when it supports safety, coordination, and rule of law. But it becomes dangerous when people obey unethical orders, ignore injustice, or fear challenging authority. South African history makes this especially important because authoritarian systems have long used obedience as a tool of control.

4. Group Behaviour: Roles, Identity, Dynamics, and Collective Action

4.1 What group behaviour includes

Group behaviour refers to the way individuals act when they are part of a collectivity. It includes not only conformity and obedience, but also leadership, role performance, cooperation, competition, social facilitation, deindividuation, group polarisation, groupthink, and crowd behaviour. Group behaviour matters because groups are everywhere: families, classrooms, residence halls, sports teams, online communities, religious congregations, protest marches, and workplaces.

A group is more than a collection of individuals. It is a social system with norms, roles, status relations, goals, and shared meanings. Once people join a group, their behaviour often changes in predictable ways.

4.2 Social roles and role expectations

A social role is a set of expectations attached to a position in a group or institution. Roles guide behaviour by telling people what is appropriate for a teacher, student, leader, parent, or worker. Role expectations can be formal or informal.

Examples:

A lecturer is expected to explain content, assess students, and maintain discipline.
A student is expected to attend, participate, and complete tasks.
A residence leader may be expected to organise and mediate conflicts.
A team captain may be expected to motivate and coordinate.

Role behaviour is powerful because people often adapt to the role rather than acting purely according to stable personality. Classic social psychology shows that role expectations can shape identity, sometimes leading to positive order and sometimes to abuse of power.

4.3 Group norms and cohesion

A group norm is a shared expectation about behaviour within a group. Norms can regulate dress, language, humour, loyalty, and decision-making. Group cohesion refers to the degree of attachment, commitment, and attraction members feel toward the group.

High cohesion can produce:

Strong cooperation
Loyalty
Faster coordination
Shared identity

But it can also produce:

Pressure against dissent
Exclusion of outsiders
Overconfidence
Resistance to criticism

This double effect is central. Cohesion can hold a group together and also make it dangerous when it becomes too closed or defensive.

4.4 Social facilitation and social inhibition

The presence of others affects performance. Social facilitation is the tendency for performance on simple or well-learned tasks to improve when others are present. Social inhibition is the tendency for performance on difficult or unfamiliar tasks to worsen in the presence of others.

Why this happens:

The presence of others increases arousal.
Arousal enhances dominant responses.
On simple tasks, the dominant response is correct.
On difficult tasks, the dominant response may be incorrect.

Example:

A skilled runner may perform better in front of a crowd.
A novice speaker may become more anxious and perform worse during a presentation.

This concept is useful because it shows that groups do not only influence beliefs; they influence performance.

4.5 Deindividuation

Deindividuation refers to a psychological state where self-awareness and personal accountability are reduced, often in groups or crowds. When people feel anonymous, they may act in ways they would normally avoid.

Conditions that encourage deindividuation include:

Large crowds
Uniforms or masks
Low personal identifiability
Strong emotional arousal
Focus on group identity rather than self

Possible outcomes:

Reduced self-control
Increased impulsivity
Greater conformity to immediate group norms
Intensified aggression or prosocial behaviour, depending on group values

Deindividuation is not automatically violent. If the group norm is helpful, anonymous settings can promote generosity or collective support. The key point is that anonymity increases the power of the situation.

4.6 Group polarisation

Group polarisation is the tendency for group discussion to strengthen the group’s initial leaning toward a more extreme position. If a group begins cautiously, discussion may make it more cautious; if it begins in favour of risk, discussion may make it more risky.

Why polarisation occurs:

People hear arguments supporting the dominant direction
Individuals want to be seen as committed to group values
Members compete to appear more loyal or more informed
Shared identity reinforces the initial tendency

This is highly relevant to student groups, political discussion, online forums, and activist organisations. It explains why discussions do not always produce moderation. Sometimes they make positions more extreme.

4.7 Groupthink

Groupthink is a faulty decision-making process that occurs when the desire for harmony and unanimity suppresses realistic appraisal of alternatives. In groupthink, members may avoid disagreement, ignore warning signs, and overestimate the group’s invulnerability.

Common symptoms include:

Illusion of unanimity
Self-censorship
Pressure on dissenters
Belief in the group’s morality or special status
Rationalisation of poor decisions

Groupthink is dangerous because it creates an appearance of consensus without genuine critical evaluation. It is especially likely in highly cohesive groups with strong leaders and little external challenge.

4.8 Leadership in groups

Leadership is the process of influencing and coordinating group activity. Leaders can be task-oriented, relationship-oriented, or both. Effective leadership depends on context.

A good leader may:

Clarify goals
Organise roles
Encourage participation
Manage conflict
Support accountability

An authoritarian leader may:

Demand obedience
Suppress dissent
Centralise control

A democratic leader may:

Invite discussion
Encourage shared decision-making
Balance authority with participation

Leadership matters because group behaviour is often shaped by whether power is shared or concentrated. In educational and community contexts, leadership style can determine whether a group becomes collaborative or oppressive.

4.9 Crowd behaviour and collective action

Crowds are temporary group formations, often united by emotion, location, and shared purpose. Crowd behaviour can be cooperative, celebratory, destructive, or politically transformative. Collective action, such as protests or strikes, is often driven by perceived injustice, shared identity, and hope for change.

Crowd psychology should not be reduced to irrationality. Crowds may become volatile, but they may also express solidarity, resistance, and democratic agency. In South Africa, collective action has long been central to political life, including labour mobilisation, student activism, and community protest.

4.10 South African examples of group behaviour

South African university life provides many examples:

Residence groups developing strong norms around dress, speech, and social belonging
Student organisations using leadership structures to mobilise action
Sporting teams showing social facilitation under competitive pressure
Protest groups experiencing polarisation when grievances intensify
Community networks shaping norms around mutual support or exclusion

Group behaviour therefore has both academic and lived relevance. It helps explain how solidarity is built, but also how exclusion and pressure emerge.

5. Applications, Ethical Questions, and Exam Strategies

5.1 Real-world applications

Conformity, obedience, and group behaviour are not abstract topics. They appear in practical settings across South Africa and beyond.

Education

Students may conform to peer norms, obey lecturers, or resist institutional rules. Understanding these processes helps explain classroom participation, cheating, academic integrity, and residence culture.

Workplaces

Employees often obey supervisors and adapt to organisational culture. Excessive obedience can prevent whistleblowing, while healthy group norms can improve teamwork and safety.

Health

Health campaigns depend on norms, credible authority, and group endorsement. People are more likely to adopt behaviour when they see respected others doing the same.

Politics and civic life

Group identity can promote participation, but it can also intensify polarisation. Authority structures can either support democracy or suppress dissent.

Community and family life

Families teach children obedience and norms. Communities also regulate behaviour through social approval and sanction.

5.2 Moral and ethical questions

These topics raise deep ethical issues.

When is obedience justified?

Obedience is justified when authority is legitimate, rules are fair, and the outcome protects others. Examples include emergency evacuation, clinical protocols, and lawful safety measures. It is unjustified when orders violate human rights, dignity, or safety.

When does conformity become harmful?

Conformity is harmful when it prevents truth-telling, suppresses diversity, or supports discrimination. It is beneficial when it sustains coordination, respect, and social trust.

Can groups be both protective and dangerous?

Yes. Groups provide identity, belonging, and support, but they may also produce exclusion, prejudice, and aggression. The same mechanisms that create unity can also create pressure to exclude outsiders.

5.3 How to answer exam questions effectively

For SPSS201 exams at NMU, strong answers should do more than define terms. They should compare concepts, use research evidence, and explain relevance.

A high-quality answer usually includes:

Clear definitions of conformity, obedience, or group behaviour.
Named studies such as Sherif, Asch, and Milgram.
Explanation of mechanisms like normative influence, informational influence, legitimacy, and group cohesion.
Evaluation of strengths and limitations.
Application to South African contexts.
A balanced conclusion that recognises both positive and negative aspects.

5.4 Typical exam distinctions to remember

Question focus	What to emphasise
Conformity vs obedience	Peer/group pressure vs authority command
Normative vs informational influence	Approval motives vs accuracy motives
Compliance vs internalisation	Public agreement vs private acceptance
Obedience research	Authority, agentic state, responsibility transfer
Groupthink	Cohesion, pressure, poor decision-making
Deindividuation	Anonymity, reduced self-awareness, impulsivity
Group polarisation	Discussion leading to more extreme positions

5.5 Common mistakes students make

Students often lose marks by:

Confusing conformity with obedience
Describing studies without explaining their findings
Ignoring the difference between public compliance and private acceptance
Treating all group effects as negative
Leaving out ethical critiques
Failing to link theory to social reality
Using vague language instead of precise psychological terms

A polished answer should show conceptual control. For example, it is better to write “participants conformed due to normative social influence in a unanimous group” than to write “they copied others because of pressure.”

5.6 A concise comparative summary

Topic	Main focus	Key question	Main danger
Conformity	Matching group norms	Why do people align with others?	Loss of individuality
Obedience	Following authority	Why do people obey orders?	Moral harm through hierarchy
Group behaviour	Collective processes	How do people act in groups?	Polarisation, groupthink, deindividuation

5.7 Final synthesis

Conformity, obedience, and group behaviour reveal that human action is deeply social. People are shaped by norms, authority, roles, identities, and the presence of others. Sometimes these influences create order, belonging, and cooperation. At other times they produce silence, wrongdoing, and irrational escalation. The core insight of SPSS201 is that behaviour must be understood not only in terms of individual personality, but also in terms of the social context in which the person is acting.

For NMU students, the most important takeaway is that social influence is neither simply good nor bad. It is a normal part of life that can support collective functioning or undermine ethical judgment depending on how power, norms, and responsibility are organised. A strong exam answer therefore shows both the power of the group and the possibility of resistance.