1.1 Types of conformity and explanations for conformity Flashcards
define conformity
when the behaviour of an individual or small group is influenced by a larger or dominant group
what is conformity?
a form of social influence that results from exposure to the majority position and leads to compliance with that position.
it is the tendency for people to adopt the behaviour, attitudes and values of other members of a reference group.
define compliance
going along with things even if you disagree with them
going along with the majority, even if you don’t share their views
you do this to appear ‘normal’ in order to avoid exclusion or rejection from the group, this is called normative social influence
when does compliance occur
when an individual accepts influence because they hope to achieve a favourable reaction from those around them
an attitude or behaviour is adopted not because of its content, but because of the rewards or approval associated with its adoption
what is identification
a form of influence where an individual adopts an attitude or behaviour because they want to be associated with a particular group or person
define identification
doing what’s expected of you to fulfil a role
conforming to what’s expected of you to fulfil a social role
this means changing your behaviour because you want to fit a specific role in society, or trying to imitate the behaviour of a role model.
what is informational social influence
a form of influence, which is the result of a desire to be right - looking to others as a way of gaining evidence about reality
define internalisation
accepting the majority’s views as your own
going along with the majority and believing in their views - you’ve accepted and internalised them so they’re now your own too
you look to others for information about how to behave, this is called informational social influence
What did linkenbach and perkins conclude when looking at the effect of social influence on bad habits in young adults
young adults exposed to the message that the majority of the age peers did not smoke were subsequently less likely to take up smoking.
when does internalisation occur?
occurs when an individual accepts influence because the content of the attitude or behaviour proposed is consistent with their own value system
what is normative social influence?
a form of influence whereby an individual conforms with the expectations of the majority in order to gain approval or to avoid social disapproval
summarise types of conformity?
compliance - conforming to gain approval
internalisation - conforming because of an acceptance of their views
identification - accepting influence because of a desire to be associated with a group
identification has elements of compliance and internalisation
summarise explanations for conformity?
normative social influence - conformity based on the desire for approval
more likely to occur when individual believes they are under surveillance by the group
informational social influence - based on an acceptance of information from others as evidence about reality
more likely if the situation is ambiguous or where others are experts
evaluate normative and informational social influence as explanations for conformity
difficulties distinguishing between compliance and internalisation
research support for normative influence, e.g. smoking take up
research support for informational influence e.g. attitudes about african americans
people underestimate the impact of normative influence on their behaviour
informational influence is moderated by type of task
what are the 2 explanations for conformity?
normative social influence
informational social influence
