Relation of Intelligence and Authoritarianism to Behavioral Contagion and Conformity

Abstract

A series of experiments ( 5 ) alas designed to study behavioral contagion in two-man groups. Each S of a pair was observed to see whether he would be influenced by the programmed activities of an experimental confederate. The test sequence permitted a comparison of each S's tendency to imitate the apparently spontaneous behavior of the confederate (behavioral contagion) and the extent of his yielding to the judgments of others (Asch-type conformity). For each of the 331 young soldier Ss, we also obtained responses to the 30-item California F Scale (authoritarianism) and Army G T scores (general intelligence) .' Results support previous findings (e.g., 1, 2, 3, 4 ) in that F Scale scores were negatively correlated (product-moment method) with intelligence (-.46) and positively correlated with Asch-type conformity (+ .37). Intelligence also showed a significant negative correlation with conformity (-.22). Therefore, any relationship benveen the F Scale and conformity could have been due in part to their mutual relationship with intelligence. However, with intelligence partialled out, the positive correlation between the F Scale and conformity remained significantly high (+.28, Z = 5.21) . In contrast, removing the effects of authoritarianism, the negative correlation between intelligence and conformity was no longer significant (-.07). None of the correlations mentioned departed significantly from linearity. It seems then that the California F Scale per se does have some value in predicting conformity behavior; while, within the limited range tested. intelligence per se does not. It is interesting to note in the current experimental series that Ss' behavior during the contagion manipulation did not significantly relate to subsequent yielding to group pressure on the conformity measure. Similarly, no meaningful relationship between the F scale o r intelligence and behavioral contagion was found.