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Conformity And Deception Essay

635 Words3 Pages

Conformity is defined as a change in behavior or belief as the result of real or imagined group pressure. People usually fall into conformity in times of trying to fit in with the crowd and seeking social acceptance from others. However, there are times when it is okay to not conform. If one does not agree with society’s standard for normal attitudes, behaviors, and beliefs and believe that the norm is wrong, then they may choose to not conform in order to stand out and fight for what they believe in. For example, if conforming goes against the individual’s religion, culture, personal interests and beliefs, or what an authority figure says, such as their parents or guardian, then they may resist the pressure to conform. Additionally, a person …show more content…

Although deception is found in psychological research, there are a number of conflicts that arise when using it. One main issue of using deception is that it can anger the participants. If participants can figure out what is really happening in the study, they may become angry and negative effects can play a role on the attitudes and behavior of the research. Even after debriefing, the trust is lost and the participants may believe that the researcher is still continuing further deception. Deception also reduces the subject's power, which means the subject is no longer free to choose intelligently what conditions he or she will be exposed to. Furthermore, it implies an unfortunate view of the nature of humans, meaning, it implies that humans must be deceived under certain conditions because they cannot be trusted. As deception becomes more commonly known, it can ruin the reputation of psychology. “First, a reputation for lying might make it more difficult for a psychologist to establish a trusting relationship in therapy. And secondly, a negative public image might lead to overly restrictive legislation controlling the research process,” (Bassett 1982). Finally, the use of deception raises suspicion over the subject population. Raising suspicion has three issues: Do deceived subjects talk about their experiences to other potential subjects

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