EEG reveals an early influence of social conformity on visual processing in group pressure situations

TY - JOUR

T1 - EEG reveals an early influence of social conformity on visual processing in group pressure situations

AU - Trautmann-Lengsfeld, Sina Alexa

AU - Herrmann, Christoph Siegfried

PY - 2013/1/1

Y1 - 2013/1/1

N2 - Humans are social beings and often have to perceive and perform within groups. In conflict situations, this puts them under pressure to either adhere to the group opinion or to risk controversy with the group. Psychological experiments have demonstrated that study participants adapt to erroneous group opinions in visual perception tasks, which they can easily solve correctly when performing on their own. Until this point, however, it is unclear whether this phenomenon of social conformity influences early stages of perception that might not even reach awareness or later stages of conscious decision-making. Using electroencephalography, this study has revealed that social conformity to the wrong group opinion resulted in a decrease of the posterior-lateral P1 in line with a decrease of the later centro-parietal P3. These results suggest that group pressure situations impact early unconscious visual perceptual processing, which results in a later diminished stimulus discrimination and an adaptation even to the wrong group opinion. These findings might have important implications for understanding social behavior in group settings and are discussed within the framework of social influence on eyewitness testimony.

AB - Humans are social beings and often have to perceive and perform within groups. In conflict situations, this puts them under pressure to either adhere to the group opinion or to risk controversy with the group. Psychological experiments have demonstrated that study participants adapt to erroneous group opinions in visual perception tasks, which they can easily solve correctly when performing on their own. Until this point, however, it is unclear whether this phenomenon of social conformity influences early stages of perception that might not even reach awareness or later stages of conscious decision-making. Using electroencephalography, this study has revealed that social conformity to the wrong group opinion resulted in a decrease of the posterior-lateral P1 in line with a decrease of the later centro-parietal P3. These results suggest that group pressure situations impact early unconscious visual perceptual processing, which results in a later diminished stimulus discrimination and an adaptation even to the wrong group opinion. These findings might have important implications for understanding social behavior in group settings and are discussed within the framework of social influence on eyewitness testimony.

KW - Brain

KW - Brain Mapping

KW - Electroencephalography

KW - Female

KW - Humans

KW - Interpersonal Relations

KW - Male

KW - Social Conformity

KW - Visual Perception

KW - Young Adult

U2 - 10.1080/17470919.2012.742927

DO - 10.1080/17470919.2012.742927

M3 - SCORING: Journal article

C2 - 23163969

VL - 8

SP - 75

EP - 89

JO - SOC NEUROSCI-UK

JF - SOC NEUROSCI-UK

SN - 1747-0919

IS - 1

ER -