A2 SOCIAL INFLUENCE - Explanations For Conformity Flashcards
What are the two reasons for conformity identified by Deutsch and Gerard (1955)?
- The desire to be accepted (Normative Social Influence, NSI)
- the desire to be right (Informational Social Influence, ISI).
What is Informational Social Influence (ISI)?
- ISI occurs when an individual conforms because they believe the group has better information and they want to be correct.
- It is a cognitive process.
- If the majority is correct, the conformer will be too
- If the majority is incorrect, then they at least won’t stand out
What are the key factors that make ISI more likely?
- Ambiguous situations where the answer is unclear.
- Complex or difficult situations.
- Crisis situations requiring rapid action.
- Belief that others are experts.
What type of conformity is ISI likely to lead to?
internalisation
What is Normative Social Influence (NSI)?
- NSI occurs when an individual conforms to group norms to be liked, accepted, or avoid rejection.
- It is motivated by the fundamental need for social acceptance.
- More likely to occur if the conformer is similar to the conformee
What are the key factors that make NSI more likely?
- Situations involving strangers where rejection is a concern.
- Stressful situations where social support is needed.
- Desire to fit in and avoid ridicule.
What type of conformity is NSI likely to lead to?
Compliance.
How does ISI differ from NSI in its focus?
ISI focuses on the need to be right and relies on cognitive evaluation, while NSI focuses on the need to be liked and involves social acceptance.
What research supports Informational Social Influence (ISI)?
Lucas et al. (2006) found that students conformed more to incorrect answers on difficult mathematical problems, especially if they felt their math skills were poor. This supports ISI as conformity was higher in ambiguous or difficult situations.
What research supports Normative Social Influence (NSI)?
Asch (1951) found participants often conformed to incorrect answers in his line-judging experiments because they feared rejection, even when the correct answer was obvious.
What is a weakness of NSI related to individual differences?
Not everyone is equally affected by NSI. For example, nAffiliators, who have a high need for social approval, are more likely to conform. McGhee and Teevan (1967) found students with high affiliation needs conformed more.
What is a weakness of ISI related to individual differences?
ISI does not affect everyone equally. For example, Asch (1955) found that students conformed less (28%) compared to other participants (37%), suggesting some individuals are less likely to rely on others for information.
Why might the NSI explanation for conformity lack population validity?
It does not apply to everyone equally, as some individuals are less concerned about being liked and are therefore less affected by NSI.
How might NSI and ISI work together in explaining conformity?
In Asch’s experiments, conformity was reduced when a dissenting participant was present. The dissenter could reduce NSI by providing social support or reduce ISI by offering an alternative source of information. It suggests that ISI and NSI are not separate processes but often work together, making it difficult to determine which is driving conformity in certain situations.
Why might supporting studies for NSI and ISI lack ecological validity?
- Many supporting studies (e.g., Asch) are conducted in lab settings, where tasks like judging line lengths do not reflect real-world situations.
- This means participants’ behavior in the lab may not mirror their behavior in everyday life, making the explanations less relevant to real-life conformity.
