Conformity

Question 1

What is the assumption of the social approach?

Answer 1

• our behaviour can be influenced by others

Question 2

What are the two cultures involved in the assumptions of the social approach?

Answer 2

• individualistic = individual needs most important (UK & AUS)
• collectivist = overall needs of family/ group are put first (Chine & India)

Question 3

What is an example of an individualist culture?

Answer 3

• relationship entered as partner makes them happy and in love
• based on what those individuals want/ need

Question 4

hat is an example of an collectivist culture?

Answer 4

• relationship as decided by family to please them

Question 5

What was the earliest experiment into conformity?

Answer 5

• Jenness 1932

Question 6

Define conformity.

Answer 6

• the tendency to change what we do (behaviour) or think and say (attitudes) in response to the influence of others or social pressure
• this pressure can be real or imagined

Question 7

What is a basic example of majority influence?

Answer 7

• fashion trends

Question 8

What is the two process model and who researched it?

Answer 8

• explains why people conform
• Deutsch & Gerald 1955

Question 9

What are the two models of the two process model?

Answer 9

• normative social influence
• informative social influence

Question 10

What is normative social influence?

Answer 10

• explains why people conform to these norms within a group because they want to be accepted by that group

Question 11

What is believed in NSI will happen if you go against these social norms?

Answer 11

• disliked or rejected

Question 12

Define norms.

Answer 12

• behaviours seen as the accepted way of doing things

Question 13

What type of process in NSI and why?

Answer 13

• emotional process because it is about how you feel
• can be stronger in stressful situations where people have a greater need for social support

Question 14

What is informative social influence?

Answer 14

• who has better information, you or someone else
• when we are unsure of what is right or wrong we conform to the views of others because we want to be right

Question 15

What type of process is ISI and why?

Answer 15

• a cognitive process
• it is about what you think

Question 16

When is ISI most likely to happen?

Answer 16

• in situations that are new to you (don’t know what is right) or situations that ambiguous
• occurs when someone is seen as an expert or at least being regarded as one in comparison to others

Question 17

What is research support evaluation of conformity (NSI & ISI)?

Answer 17

• Asch’s line experiment 1951
• going with majority if there is a pressure of being rejected

Question 18

What is a weakness evaluation of conformity (NSI & ISI)?

Answer 18

• in real-life NSI & ISI are interlinked
• less likely to conform if there is someone else who does not agree = reduce power of NSI & ISI
• both usually operating in real-life

Question 19

What is a strength evaluation of Asch’s line experiment?

Answer 19

• lab conditions used = controlled variables + standardised so each participant has the the same experimental conditions

Question 20

What is a weakness evaluation of Asch’s line experiment?

Answer 20

• gender bias = women are more likely to conform as they can be more concerned about maintaining social relationships than men
• culture bias = studies in collectivist societies are more common to conform
• Asch’s findings may generally underestimate the true level of conformity