Conformist transmission is triggered by difficulty, uncertainty, and stakes

Evidence

There is some laboratory evidence for conformist transmission, both in humans and sticklebacks (a fish), though there is not nearly as much as for the model-based cues discussed above. Nevertheless, when problems are difficult, uncertainty is high, or payoffs are on the line, people tend to use conformist transmission. — Joseph Henrich, The Secret of Our Success, 181

Categorization

• QUESTION: If conformist transmission appears when uncertainty is high and stakes are on the line, does coercion exploit exactly those conditions to amplify conformity among vulnerable youth?
• corroborated: 2 independent passages support this claim — Joseph Henrich, The Secret of Our Success: How Culture…, 181
• XREF: connects to: Conformist transmission lets learners aggregate dispersed wisdom rapidly — Joseph Henrich, The Secret of Our Success: How Culture…, 179; Conformism stays adaptive under rapid change though heavy social learning does not; Uncertainty, disadvantage, and competition in a setting amplify perceived threat. — Walter G. Stephan, Oscar Ybarra, Kimberly Rios Morrison, Intergroup Threat Theory, 13 (+6 more)

Broader Connections

• Conformism stays adaptive under rapid change though heavy social learning does not #qualifies (0.85)
• Conformity pressure suppresses dissent and alternative evaluation in policy decisions #exemplifies (0.78)
• Uncertainty, disadvantage, and competition in a setting amplify perceived threat. #expands (0.75) — Walter G. Stephan, Oscar Ybarra, Kimberly Rios Morrison, Intergroup Threat Theory, 13
• Reflexive trust can absorb more uncertainty with less risk #complicates (0.72)
• Uncertainty-reduction strategies induce rather than replace trust. #complicates (0.72) — Shapiro, Susan P., The Social Control of Impersonal Trust, 63