Conformity Flashcards
what are the 3 types of conformity?
- compliance
- internalisation
- indentification
what is compliance?
when an individual changes their behaviour to fit in with the majority. they publically accept the behaviour but do not change their private view. it only lasts as long as the group is present
what is internalisation?
the behaviour/belief of the majority is accepted by the individual and it becomes part of their own belief system. acceptance is both public and private; it is a permanent form of conformity.
what is identification?
the individual accepts the majority point of view in order to fit in with the group. it becomes part of his/her belief system as long as they are part of the group
what is the explanation of compliance?
Normative social influence
it is based on human’s fundamental fear of rejection and the need to be liked. the individual needs to gain approval/avoid disapproval.
what is a strength of the normative social influence explanation? (towels)
Schulz et al conducted a test to study conformity. in a control condition, hotel guests had a sign telling them it was environmentally beneficial to reuse their towels. in an experimental condition, guests had this sign and also were told that 75% of guests choose to reuse their towels. in the latter experiment, the guests conformed to the majority and reduced the need for fresh towels by 25%
what is a strength of the normative social influence explanation? (smoking)
Linkenbach and Perkins found that teenagers exposed to the message that their peers of the same age dont smoke were subsequentely less likely to take up smoking. this is a strength because it shows that desire to fit in can influence people’s behaviours.
what is the explanation of internalisation?
informational social influence
it is based on the fundamental need to be correct. for informational social influence to occur, the situation is likely to be ambiguous and so you assume the others are experts. the individual changes their behaviour to make sure they are right
what is a strength of the informational social influence explanation?(racism)
p’s exposed to negative information about african americans, which they believed was the view of the majority, later reported more negative beliefs about a black individual
what is a strength of the informational social influence explanation? (presidential debate)
p’s watched a presidential debate on a TV in a lab. they were also shown what was supposedly the reactions of other p’s towards the candidates. watching others reactions produced a large shift of the p’s judgement of the candidates performance
what is a limitation of the informational social influence explanation? (factual)
it is not a valid explanation of conformity for all instances. it is more likely to explain conformity when you are making a judgement about something which doesnt have objective data. ie something not factual
