Conformity Flashcards
Compliance
conforming in public, not in private
identification
conforming publicly and privately- can change when leave group
Internalisation
Privately accepting majority view. New attitudes and behaviours become part of value system
Informational social influence
When people are unsure of how to act and so look to others for information on what to do
Normative influence
A change in public behaviour but not in private attitude
Independence
When someone is independent of the group and resistant to pressure. If behaviour converges it is becase views coincide
Anti-conformity
Someone consistently opposes the group to be different and stand out. Behaviour defined by majority.
What 3 kind of factors explain conformity?
- individual
- situational
- cultural
Give 4 examples of individual factors?
- Gender
- Self-esteem
- Parenting and life experience
- Need for social approval
Give 3 examples of situational factors?
- Group cohesiveness
- Importance of task
- Size of majority
Give 2 examples of cultural factors?
- Individualist vs collectivist
- Time period
Minority influence
Minorities that are active + organised and that advocate + defend their position consistently can create social conflict, doubt + uncertainty amongst the majority, can lead to social change.
Individualist vs collectivist cultures
Collectivist- conformity higher e.g. China- Conformity seen as +ve as interdependence more highly valued than independence
Time period
Western culture in the 1950s encouraged conformity, changed in 60s and 70s with events such as the black civil rights movement
Group cohesiveness
Williams and Sogon- if people know each other, conformity can be higher
