Using Student Response Systems ("Clickers") to Combat Conformity and Shyness

This study addressed how trait levels of classroom shyness can influence conformity when students answer opinion questions in different ways. We recruited 128 introductory psychology students to indicate their opinion on 50 controversial questions by raising their hand or anonymously pressing a button on a keypad ("clicker"). Compared to hand-raising, keypad responses had greater variability, suggesting that students were less likely to conform to the group's opinion. Students who typically experience shame and anxiety in class did not conform any more than other students did, but they felt more uncomfortable raising their hands and indicated a stronger preference for using keypads when answering controversial questions.