Michael, there's a substantial body of literature going back over 40 years that supports the idea that what you call 'affinity' (we tend to call it similarity) increases conformity. Festinger's social comparison theory, published in 1954, considered similarity to be a key variable in predicting social behavior. ________________________________ From: [email protected] [[email protected]] Sent: Saturday, April 11, 2009 11:49 AM To: Teaching in the Psychological Sciences (TIPS) Subject: [tips] Milgram/Asch/Madoff
Milgram demonstrated conformity as obedience,Asch's was conformity as agreement,but Madoff added a new paradigm which is conformity as affinity.The ethnic-religious (E-R) affinity factor was very powerful.Many people trusted Madoff as an investor,not so much through personal contact but through the trust of others who were of similar e-r affinity.The dude even duped his own synagogue and was really sticking it up to multiple charities and foundations. The affinity variable should really be investigated by researchers as a powerful influential factor overriding cognitive appraisals. Unfortunately, some did not heed Ronald Reagan's advice "trust but verify." Michael Sylvester.PhD Daytona Beach,Florida --- To make changes to your subscription contact: Bill Southerly ([email protected]) --- To make changes to your subscription contact: Bill Southerly ([email protected])
