Conformity

Question 1

Define the term ‘Conformity’.

Answer 1

Conformity is when an individual changes their behaviour or beliefs to fit in with those of a group, due to group pressure.

Question 2

Describe ‘Internalisation’ in the context of conformity.

Answer 2

Internalisation is when an individual changes their public and private views or behaviour to match those of a group- the group has genuinely changed the person’s mind. This is a long-lasting change and will continue outside of the group situation.

Question 3

Explain the concept of ‘Identification’ in relation to conformity.

Answer 3

Identification is when an individual changes their public views to match those of a group, because they value the group and wish to be part of it (identify with it). There may be a difference between the individual’s public and private views. The change is likely to last as long as the individual is with the group.

Question 4

What does ‘Compliance’ mean in the context of conformity?

Answer 4

Compliance is when an individual changes their public, but not private, behaviour or views to match those of a group-this is a superficial type of conformity. This is a short-term change and will only last as long as the individual in in that situation.

Question 5

How does ‘Informational social influence (ISI)’ explain conformity?

Answer 5

Informational social influence (ISI) is when someone is influenced because they look to others for guidance- they are uncertain how to behave and believe the group knows more than them. This happens in new or uncertain situations. ISI tends to lead to internalisation.

Question 6

Define ‘Normative social influence (NSI)’ and its role in conformity.

Answer 6

Normative social influence (NSI) is when someone is influenced to fit in with the social norms and values of a particular group to gain their approval- they conform in order to not stand out or appear different. The individual’s private views can differ, so NSI often results in compliance.

Question 7

What did Lucas et al (2006) find in their study on conformity?

Answer 7

Lucas et al (2006) found that when presented with difficult maths problems to solve, participants were more likely to conform to the majority answer, showing that people will conform due to the need for information (ISI).

Question 8

What was the aim of Asch’s Research(1951) on conformity?

Answer 8

The aim of Asch’s Research(1951) was to see if people will conform to a majority, even with an obvious answer.

Question 9

Describe the procedure of Asch’s conformity experiment.

Answer 9

123 American males participated in groups of 6-8, but only one was a true participant while the rest were confederates. They had to answer out loud which line, from a choice of three, matched a ‘control’ line. There were 18 trials, and on 12 of them, the confederates all gave the same wrong answer. The real participant gave their answer last or last-but-one.

Question 10

What were the findings of Asch’s conformity experiment?

Answer 10

36.8% of the answers given by the participants were conforming answers. 75% of participants conformed at least once.

Question 11

What conclusions were drawn from Asch’s conformity experiment?

Answer 11

People will conform to a majority, even if that majority is wrong. Participants said they conformed in order to fit in.

Question 12

How did group size affect conformity in Asch’s experiment?

Answer 12

Asch found that a majority of 3 (e.g. 4 against 1) causes conformity to rise significantly, to around 30%. Adding people onto the majority did not make much difference.

Question 13

How did unanimity affect conformity in Asch’s experiment?

Answer 13

Asch found that introducing a dissenting confederate, who disagreed with the others, caused conformity to drop significantly.

Question 14

What were the limitations of Asch’s conformity experiment?

Answer 14

The task used was insignificant and not a reflection of real-life conformity. The study only tested American men of undergraduate age, making it hard to generalise the results. The results may be specific to the era, as 1950s USA may have been more conformist due to the fear of communist spies.

Question 15

What was the aim of Zimbardo’s Research?

Answer 15

To investigate if behaviour in prisons is due to the roles people play, and whether people will conform to a social role.

Question 16

Describe the procedure of Zimbardo’s Research.

Answer 16

The study was set up in the basement of the Psychology department of Stanford University. Participants were advertised for, and randomly assigned to the role of prisoner or prison guard. The prisoners were taken to a local police station, before being transported to the prison. They had to wear a ‘uniform’ and were given numbers to replace their names.

Question 17

Describe the role of the guards in the prison study.

Answer 17

The guards were given their own uniform, including sunglasses that meant their eyes couldn’t be seen. They were told that they could do whatever was necessary to keep order in the prison, short of physically assaulting the prisoners. They used tactics to control the prisoners, such as waking them in the night to perform head counts, trying to break alliances, and making them perform degrading tasks.

Question 18

What were the findings of the prison study?

Answer 18

The prisoners were initially rebellious, but became increasingly subdued and depressed as the guards acted more brutally. The study had to be stopped after 6 days due to the extreme behavior of the guards. By the end, the guards and prisoners were fully immersed in their roles.

Question 19

Define conformity to social roles as demonstrated in the prison study.

Answer 19

Conformity to social roles is when individuals adapt their behavior to fit the expectations of a given role. In the prison study, the guards and prisoners conformed to their roles to such an extent that they began to exhibit extreme behaviors.

Question 20

How did the study measure conformity to a role versus conformity to a stereotype?

Answer 20

Critics argue that the study measured conformity to a stereotype rather than a role. This is because some participants based their behavior on characters they had seen in films, rather than on the actual roles they were assigned.

Question 21

What were the ethical issues associated with the prison study?

Answer 21

The study subjected participants to psychological harm, which could have been long-lasting. The right to withdraw was made difficult, perhaps because the superintendent of the study made it hard for one prisoner to withdraw.

Question 22

Describe the concept of normative social influence.

Answer 22

Normative social influence is a type of social influence that leads to conformity. It is the influence of other people that leads us to conform in order to be liked and accepted by them. This can lead to public compliance, but not necessarily private acceptance of the group’s norms.

Question 23

Define informational conformity.

Answer 23

Informational conformity is a type of social influence where people look to others in situations where they are unsure about something and assume that these others know more or better. This can lead to both public compliance and private acceptance of the group’s norms.