Obedience, Conformity, and Social Roles: Active Learning in a Large Introductory Psychology Class

Abstract

Sixty-five undergraduates participated in a small-group activity designed to help them apply the findings from classic studies of conformity, obedience, and social roles. Students designed and demonstrated a study to illustrate the influence of obedience, conformity, or social roles in a real-life context. Each group generated 3 variables and described how each variable might moderate the power of social influence in their situation. Evaluation indicated that most students found the activity enjoyable and helpful for understanding the role of social influence in their daily lives. Students preferred the activity to a lecture and recommended using the activity again in future introductory psychology classes.