Conformity of Witnesses with Low Self-Esteem to Their Co-Witnesses

Abstract

We investigated the conformity of Japanese female students with varying self-esteem levels in a co-witness memory experimental paradigm. We had 24 Japanese female student pairs (18 - 26 years old) watch a video clip of a simulated criminal event together. Utilizing a presentation trick, we presented two different versions of the video clip simultaneously on the screen but allowed the viewers to observe only one without their being aware of the duality. Conformity responses were detected through analysis of the answer patterns showing change from their own to their partner’s in pre- and post-memory tests. We also assessed self-esteem and divided the participants into three groups according to their levels. The results showed that participants with low levels of self-esteem tended to conform to their co-witness more often than those with high self-esteem scores. We found that personality traits would be crucial factors in conformity through the present study.