conformity Flashcards
what is conformity?
to change what we do, think or say due to the influence or pressure of a majority group
what is compliance?
going along with others publicly, but privately not changing opinions/behaviour
what is identification?
conform to the opinions/behaviours of a group to be a part of it publicly and may/may not agree privately
what is internalisation?
genuinely accepts group norms. private and public change implied and attitudes are internalised.
PET paragraph for conformity
P: there is some research evidence which supports for informational social influence as an explanation of conformity
E: e.g. Lucas et al found that students showed greater conformity to incorrect answers during a maths task when it was more difficult
T: this suggests people are more likely to conform when they don’t know the answer as predicted by ISI.
what is informational social influence?
when a person follows the majority of the group based on the assumption that they are right and we are wrong. this is a cognitive process leading to permanent change
what is normative social influence?
the need to be liked and to fit in, avoid rejection by following the norms of the group. it is an emotional process leading to temporary change to gain temporary social approval.
