Group gains or shared pains: how social pressure influences criterion shifting

Criterion shifting reflects a complex interplay between cognitive strategies and external influences, yet individuals differ markedly in their tendency to adjust decision thresholds. While some readily adapt their criteria in response to task demands, others maintain more rigid thresholds, raising questions about the extent to which external pressures - such as social influence - can drive greater flexibility. Findings from social psychology reveal that social pressure can heavily impact individual decision-making, suggesting that such pressures may also impact individual criterion shifting tendencies. Two experiments were conducted to explore how different social contexts influence criterion shifting and memory performance during recognition tests. Experiment 1 sought to assess whether monetary rewards or social competition could alter criterion shifting strategies. However, neither manipulation significantly affected the extent of criterion shifting. In Experiment 2, participants were informed that their performance would affect other group members, which resulted in higher discriminability scores (d_a) but did not affect criterion shifting tendencies. These findings suggest that criterion shifting tendencies remain robust even in socially motivated contexts, further emphasising their stability across external influences.