Pranjal Saxena

Y9424

Course Project

Mentor: Prof. Amitabha Mukherjee

Effect of trust and gender on social conformity in Recognition Memory

Abstract:

The study aims at establishing conformity effects in the case of recognition memory with stimuli involving faces of people. The results indicate a decrease in correct responses by a participant when faced with a group pressure situation of incorrect responses by 4 other participants. Conformity affects recognition of old images more than rejections of new images. The analysis also focussed on studying difference in conformity for cases with trust involved among the group and results indicated a greater tendency to conform among friends than strangers. Moreover, the conformity effects were compared for male and female participants and a greater tendency of conforming was found for males. This deviated from the established notions of women being more conforming in the society, possibly because the task difficulty varying for both males and females due to difference in information processing strategies in both the genders. Females perform better at recognition tasks as they give emphasis to minute details of the stimuli.

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REFERENCES:

[1]: Axmacher N, Gossen A, Elger CE, Fell J (2010) "Graded Effects of Social Conformity on Recognition Memory". PLoS ONE 5(2): e9270. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0009270

[2]: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conformity Date accessed: 26th September,2011.

[3]: Reysen MB (2005)" The effects of conformity on recognition judgements". Memory 13: 87-94.

[4]: McKelvey, Wendy; Kerr, Nancy H. (1988). "Differences in conformity among friends and strangers". Psychological Reports 62 (3): 759-62

[5] Eagly, Alice H.; Chrvala, Carole, Psychology of Women Quarterly, v10 n3 p203-20 Sep 1986: "Sex Differences in Conformity: Status and Gender Role Interpretations."

[6] Richard B. May and Corinne Hutt :" Modality and Sex Differences in Recall and

Recognition Memory" , Child Development Vol. 45, No. 1, Mar., 1974

[7] McGivern RF, Huston JP, Byrd D, King T, Siegle GJ, Reilly J., Brain Cogn. 1997 Aug;34(3):323-36, :" Sex differences in visual recognition memory: support for a sex-related difference in attention in adults and children."

[8] www.onemillionpeople.com : Author: charity: water,Date accessed: 5^th October, 2011.

[9] Asch, S. E. (1951). "Effects of group pressure upon the modification and distortion of judgment". In H. Guetzkow (ed.) Groups, leadership and men. Pittsburgh, PA: Carnegie Press.

Pranjal Saxena SE 367