1.1 Conformity

Question 1

Social influence

Answer 1

Process by which an individuals attitudes, beliefs or behaviour are modified by the presence or action of others

Question 2

Conformity

Answer 2

Occurs when an individual changes their behaviour or beliefs due to ‘real’ or imagined group pressure

Question 3

Types of conformity

Answer 3

Compliance, identification, internalsiaitn

Question 4

Compliance

Answer 4

Changes public behaviour but not their private beliefs or behaviour

To gain apporoval

Temporary

Question 5

Example of compliance

Answer 5

When friends pressure you into drinking alcohol when you don’t truly want to, and will not drink outside of such social events

Question 6

Internalisation

Answer 6

Genuinely changing public beahviour/ beliefs and private behaviour

Accept majority view as correct

Permanent

Question 7

Example of internalisation

Answer 7

Being brought up in a religious household, and becoming religious yourself

Question 8

Identification

Answer 8

Conforms to opinions of group because there is something about that group they value

Changes public behaviour to be accepted by group, even if they don’t privately agree

Short term whilst member of group

Question 9

Example of identification

Answer 9

Acting more professional and less silly when you arrive at your office to work

Question 10

2 explanations for conformity

Answer 10

NSI - normative social influence

ISI - informational social infleunce

Question 11

ISI

Answer 11

Informational social influence

• look for others for guidance to be correct/right
• new uncertain sirisirons
  Cognitive
• permanent belief change

Question 12

NSI

Answer 12

Normative social influence

• to be liked and accepted by group
• when concerned about rejection/social approval
• emotional provess
  Temporary behaviour

Question 13

Evidence for ISI

Answer 13

jenness 1932

101 psychologists as,Ed to estimate number of jelly beans in a glass jar
Individual estimate, then group discussion, then individual estimate

Final individual estimates mobbed towards the average estimate of the group

Question 14

Example of NSI

Answer 14

A person starting to smoke because they are surrounded by other people who smoke

Question 15

Who were ppts in Asch’s study

Answer 15

123 male American undergrad in groups of 6

1 true ppts and 5 confederates

Question 16

Aims of Asch’s study

Answer 16

To investigate conformity and majority influence

Question 17

Procedure in Asch’s study

Answer 17

Ppts + confeds presented 4 lines, 3 comparison lines and 1 standard line
- asked to state which of 3 lines was the same length as stimulus
Real ppt always answered 2nd to last
- confeds give same incorrect answer 12 out of 18 trials
- Asch observed how often ppts would give the same incorrect answer as the confeds versus correct answer

Question 18

Findings of Asch’s study

Answer 18

36.8% conformed
25% never confirmed
75% conformed at least one

• in controlled trial, only 1% of responses given by ppts were incorrect (eliminates eyesight, perception as extraneous variables - increasing validity

Question 19

Limitations of conformity

Answer 19

Indicusal differences

• diff locus of control - more likely to conform in social pressure situations

Question 20

Asch conclusion

Answer 20

When asking ppts in line study why they conformed, many said they felt self-conscious giving thr correct answer and were afraid of disapproval, NSI explanation

When writing their repsonses on paper, conformity rates fell to 12.5%

Question 21

2 differences between internalisation and compliance

Answer 21

Public and private acceptance

Public acceptance and private rejection

Question 22

What support for NSI provided by Asch’s study

Answer 22

Ppts went along with a wrong answer because other people did
When asked they said they feared disapproval by others

Supports: ppts conformed in order to be accepted and gain social approval

Question 23

“Asch’s study is a child of its time” - explain what is meant by this

Answer 23

Perrin and Spencer repeated Asch’s study in 1980 - 1% conformed out of 396

1950s particularly conformist time in America, made sense to conform to established norms

Meaning that people may have conformed bevause it was thr norm to do so
Now live in less conformist age

Question 24

Asch criticised for an artificial task + situation

Answer 24

Ppts knew they were in a study