1.1 Conformity Flashcards
Social influence
Process by which an individuals attitudes, beliefs or behaviour are modified by the presence or action of others
Conformity
Occurs when an individual changes their behaviour or beliefs due to ‘real’ or imagined group pressure
Types of conformity
Compliance, identification, internalsiaitn
Compliance
Changes public behaviour but not their private beliefs or behaviour
To gain apporoval
Temporary
Example of compliance
When friends pressure you into drinking alcohol when you don’t truly want to, and will not drink outside of such social events
Internalisation
Genuinely changing public beahviour/ beliefs and private behaviour
Accept majority view as correct
Permanent
Example of internalisation
Being brought up in a religious household, and becoming religious yourself
Identification
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
Example of identification
Acting more professional and less silly when you arrive at your office to work
2 explanations for conformity
NSI - normative social influence
ISI - informational social infleunce
ISI
Informational social influence
- look for others for guidance to be correct/right
- new uncertain sirisirons
Cognitive - permanent belief change
NSI
Normative social influence
- to be liked and accepted by group
- when concerned about rejection/social approval
- emotional provess
Temporary behaviour
Evidence for ISI
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
Example of NSI
A person starting to smoke because they are surrounded by other people who smoke
Who were ppts in Asch’s study
123 male American undergrad in groups of 6
1 true ppts and 5 confederates
Aims of Asch’s study
To investigate conformity and majority influence
Procedure in Asch’s study
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
Findings of Asch’s study
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
Limitations of conformity
Indicusal differences
- diff locus of control - more likely to conform in social pressure situations
Asch conclusion
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%
2 differences between internalisation and compliance
Public and private acceptance
Public acceptance and private rejection
What support for NSI provided by Asch’s study
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
“Asch’s study is a child of its time” - explain what is meant by this
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
Asch criticised for an artificial task + situation
Ppts knew they were in a study
