Conformity: Key Words

Question 1

Conformity

Answer 1

A change in a person’s behaviour or opinion as a result of real or imagined pressure from a person or group of people - Elliot Aronson [2011]

Question 2

Internalisation

Answer 2

Deep. Private and public acceptance of group norms. Leads to a permanent change in behaviour, even when group is absent.

Question 3

Identification

Answer 3

Moderate. Change behaviour to be part of a group we identify with.Don’t necessarily agree with everything the majority believes.

Question 4

Compliance

Answer 4

Shallow. Go along with group publicly but no private change. The change in behaviour only lasts as long as the group is present.

Question 5

ISI

Answer 5

Informational Social Influence. Agree with the opinion of the majority because we believe it is correct. Assume others know better than us. May lead to internalisation.

Question 6

NSI

Answer 6

Normative social influence. Agree with the opinion of the majority because we want to be accepted, gain social approval, be liked. May lead to compliance.

Question 7

Group Size

Answer 7

Asch increased the group size by adding more confederates (increasing the size of the majority). Conformity increased up to a point then levelled of with GS greater than 3.

Question 8

Unanimity

Answer 8

The extent to which all the members of a group agree. This produced the greatest degree of conformity in the naive participants.

Question 9

Task Difficulty

Answer 9

Harder to work out the answer (lines are more similar). Conformity increases because naive PPS assume the majority is more likely to be right.

Question 10

Social Roles

Answer 10

The ‘parts’ people play as members of various social groups. Accompanied by expectations we have of what is appropriate behaviour.