Conformity and Competence Frustration: A Self-Determination Theory Perspective

Several studies conducted in the mid-20th century found evidence to suggest that perceived incompetence leads to higher levels of conformity. However, there have been very few replications of these studies in the last 40 years, which casts doubt upon their relevance to contemporary human social behaviour. To address this issue, the present research involved a conceptual replication of these original studies within a self-determination theory perspective. Using a sample of 126 participants, participant feedback was manipulated to induce either perceived competence (competence satisfaction) or perceived incompetence (competence frustration), and then the effects of these manipulations on levels of conformity was measured. As expected, competence frustration led to higher levels of conformity, whereas competence satisfaction led to lower levels of conformity. These findings support the idea that the relationship between perceived competence and conformity is analogous to the relationship between frustration of the basic psychological need for competence-as outlined by self-determination theory-and controlled behavioural regulation. Implications of this successful replication and potential future directions are discussed.