Conformity

Question 1

What is conformity?

Answer 1

When a persons attitudes, beliefs or behaviours are modified by the presence of actions of others (usually matching group majority)

Question 2

Compliance

Answer 2

Person conforms publicly but continues to privately disagree

Question 3

Identification

Answer 3

Person conforms publicly as well as privately because they have identified with the group and feel group membership

Question 4

Internalisation

Answer 4

Person conforms publicly and privately as they have internalised and genuinely accept views of group norm

Question 5

Normative social influence

Answer 5

Desire to be liked
Agrees with opinion of the group majority because we want to be accepted
Linked to compliance

Question 6

Informational social influence

Answer 6

Desire to be right
Agrees with opinion of group because we think they’re correct
Linked to internalisation

Question 7

What is social influence

Answer 7

The change in behaviour that one person causes in another either intentionally or unintentionally

Question 8

Evaluation of explanations of conformity (NSI)
Strength
Supported by research

Answer 8

P: NSI is supported by research
E: Asch’s study found that people were more likely to give wrong answer just because others did. They felt self conscious
C: shows NSI as people agree with majority but privately disagree. They’re compliant

Question 9

Evaluation of explanations of conformity (NSI)
Limitation
Individual differences

Answer 9

P: affected by individual differences
E: some people known as nAfilliators. They care more about being liked
C: do not fully understand why some conform to be liked and others don’t

Question 10

Evaluation of explanations of conformity (ISI)
Strength

Answer 10

P: supported by research
E: students more likely to conform when given hard maths Qs rather than easy ones
C: shows internalisation as we have desire to be right so look to group for guidance

Question 11

Evaluation of explanations of conformity (ISI)
Limitation

Answer 11

P: Affected by individual differences
E: students in research were less affected by ISI (28%) compared to non students conforming 37%
C: not fully understand why some conform to be right and others don’t

Question 12

Conformity research
Asch

Answer 12

6-8 male ‘student’ seated around a desk
1 naive participant told they are taking part in a test on visual perception
18 different sets of cards shown to each group. Confederates lie on 12/18 critical trials
Repeated with 123 participants
Control trials with confederates - wrong answer given 0.7 % of time
Critical trials - naive participant conformed 37% of time

Question 13

Asch conclusions

Answer 13

Conformity increased when confederates were added 0.7% vs 37%
Participants showed NSI

Question 14

Change to procedure:
Task difficulty

Answer 14

Asch made the lines more similar so it was harder to distinguish between lines
- conformity increases. Supports ISI as they look to group for guidance

Question 15

Variation 2: group size

Answer 15

Asch altered the number of confederates. He looked at the effect of 2,3,4 + confederates
With 2 confederates conformity was low - 14%
With 3 confederates conformity rose to 32%. Little change in conformity after that
Shows NSI as there was a desire to be liked as there was more people in the group

Question 16

Variation 3: unanimity of the group

Answer 16

One confederate agreed with naive participant. Confederate known as ‘dissenter’
This made it easier for participant to not conform
Conformity dropped to 5% - shows there is less pressure so they can freely give correct answer

Question 17

Limitation of Asch’s research
Ethical issues

Answer 17

P: ethical issues
E: Asch breached informed consent as the participant didn’t know there was confederates. So he couldn’t properly consent. Also deception as he isn’t know it was a conformity study.
C: unethical studies can not only have a negative effect on participants well being but can also damage the reputation of psychology

Question 18

Strength of Asch’s research
Lab

Answer 18

P: conducted in a lab
E: Asch could have high control of EVs and use standardised procedures in his study. Eg he always had 12 critical trials where confederates said wrong answer
C: establish C+E relationship eg the group majority caused conformity. Also standardised procedures meant that the results could be replicated so are reliable.

Question 19

Limitation of Asch
Lab setting

Answer 19

P: conducted in lab setting
E: artificial environment
C: results lack ecological validity so cannot be generalised to real life so results may not tell us about conformity in every day life

Question 20

Limitation of Asch
Male sample

Answer 20

P: sample used only men (123 males)
E: androcentric sample. Difficult to generalise findings to women
C: displaying Beta bias where differences between men and women are ignored when there may be actual differences. this means that we don’t know whether women would conform in the same way

Question 21

Limitation of Asch
Temporal validity

Answer 21

P: Asch’s study lacks temporal validity (results can’t be generalised to different times)
E: Asch’s study was conducted in 1950s and more recent applications of his work have found conformity rates to be much lower
C: Asch’s research can’t be applied to modern daytime thus making Asch’s study a child of its time

Question 22

Conformity to social roles - Zimbardo
Social roles are …

Answer 22

The parts people play in various social groups. We have expectations of what is classed as appropriate behaviour based on these roles

Question 23

Zimbardos Stanford prison experiment
- CONTROLLED OBSERVATION

Answer 23

21 male student volunteers randomly assigned as prisoners or guards
Aim was to see why prison guards behave brutally
Prisoners given loose smock, to wear and a cap 🧢 and they were identified by number
Guards had wooden club, handcuffs and mirror shades

Question 24

Findings of Zimbardos Stanford prison experiment

Answer 24

Guards treated prisoners harshly
Within 2 days prisoners rebelled. After rebellion was put down, prisoners became subdued, depressed and anxious
On 4th day a prisoner went on hunger strike so guards put him in the ‘whole’
Zimbardo ended study after 6 days instead of intended 14

Question 25

Conclusions of Zimbardos Stanford prison experiment

Answer 25

Prisoners and guards conformed to their social roles
Deindividuation has occurred - so conformed to social role given to them behaving in ways they normally wouldn’t

Question 26

Evaluation of Zimbardo
Ethical issues

Answer 26

P: ethical issues breached
E: Ps we’re not told the true aim or implications of research so couldn’t give informed consent. Deception occurred as they were told the experiment was for another reason or for conformity to social roles. Prisoners believed they wouldn’t leave.
C: study had negative effect on participants and prisoners ended up being assaulted by guards

Question 27

Strength of Zimbardo
High control

Answer 27

P: he had high levels of control on his study, e.g. selection of participants and set up of environment
E: before participants went into the prison they were checked to see if they were mentally stable and had no past issues and didn’t abuse drugs or alcohol
C: help to establish a C+E relationship between conformity to social rules and the participants behaviours. It removes EVs that may have had an effect on how participants behaved.

Question 28

Limitation of Zimbardo
Artificial environment

Answer 28

P: conducted in an artificial environment; the basement of Stanford uni
E: participants may have displayed demand characteristics which is what affects a persons behaviour when they are aware of what the researches aim is. the demand characteristic was John Wayne who had adjusted his behaviour in order to perform as a character from a film when he guessed the aim
C: results lack ecological validity so can’t be generalised to every day life

Question 29

Limitation of Zimbardo
All male sample

Answer 29

P: sample consisted of US males
E: sample is androcentric. So results can’t be generalised to women.
C: we would criticise Zimbardo‘s work as displaying beta bias as we are ignoring any possible differences between men and women so we don’t know if women would conform in the same way

Question 30

Limitation of Zimbardo
Temporal validity

Answer 30

P: lacks temporal validity - can’t be generalised to different times
E: this was shown in a replication study conducted by BBC in 2006. They found that prisoners took over the prison and subjected the guards to harassment and disobedience.
C: this can’t be applied to modern day life so it is a child of its time