... the group are more informed or expert than themselves or the task at hand is difficult. An individual is more likely to conform with a group which they like and to which they want to belong. There is more conformity, when the norm is directive. This means when what is being said is what is ought to be done, or indicating approval or disapproval rather than jus descriptive saying that it is what most people do. One of the earliest experiments in social psychology was a study of the formation of a social form, carried out by Mustaf Sherif in 1935. Mustaf's experiment involved the 'autokinetic effect' whereby a point of light in an otherwise totally dark environment will appear to move randomly. Subjects were invited to estimate the amount of 'movement' they observed. They made their estimates in groups where each member could hear the others' estimates. Ultimately, ...

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