Conformity: Types and explanation

Question 1

What did Deutsch and Gerrard develop?

Answer 1

a two- process theory

Question 2

What did the two - process theory argue?

Answer 2

there are two main reasons why people conform

Question 3

Why do people like to conform ?

Answer 3

based on two central needs:

• the need to be right
• the need to be liked

Question 4

Normative Social Influence

Answer 4

an explanation of conformity that refers to performing behaviour, or supporting an opinion in order to gain acceptance from surrounding peers

Question 5

What is an example of normative social influence?

Answer 5

dressing like a group of people and saying you like the same things as them with the intention of becoming friends with them

Question 6

Why do people continue to act in a manner they may not privately agree with?

Answer 6

to avoid censure and rejection

Question 7

What is Normative Social Influence described as?

Answer 7

emotional process rather than cognitive

Question 8

What are the strengths of Normative Social Influence?

Answer 8

• Research support by Asch

- practical value of NSI explanation

Question 9

What did Asch do?

Answer 9

-when given an unambiguous line length test participants wold choose the incorrect answer when the incorrect answer was selected by confederates

Question 10

Kelman suggested 3 levels of conformity?

Answer 10

• compliance (shallow)
• identification (intermediate)
• internalisation ( deep)

Question 11

Type: Compliance

Answer 11

agreeing with the group but keeping personal opinions.

- results in a temporary change in behaviour

Question 12

Type: Identification

Answer 12

we value membership of a group so we will conform to their behaviour or ideas to be a part of the group even if we don’t fully agree

Question 13

Type: Internalisation

Answer 13

deepest level of conformity, personal opinions genuinely change to match the group
- results in permanent change in belief

Question 14

Explanation: Informative Social Influence

Answer 14

in situations where the correct behaviour is uncertain, we look to the majority for guidance on how to behave because we want to be correct
- results in internalisation, permanently adopting view of the majority

Question 15

Explanation: Normative Social Influence

Answer 15

in situations when the individual wants to appear normal and be one of the majority, so they are approved not rejected
- results in compliance or a superficial change in behaviour

Question 16

Conformity

Answer 16

is a change in a persons behaviour or opinions a result of real or imagined pressure from a person or a group of people

Question 17

What did Asch find when interviewed afterwards?

Answer 17

participants said they conformed to avoid rejection by others

Question 18

What did Asch’s findings show?

Answer 18

people will show compliant behaviour in order to fit in and be approved by the majority

Question 19

What is a criticism of Asch’s experiment?

Answer 19

the task in Asch’s line experiment was unusual and not a task performed in everyday life therefore lacks mundane realism and could be argued that conformity would act differently in real life situations

Question 20

How much did the participant conform in Asch’s study? [%]

Answer 20

• gave the wrong answer 36.8% of the time

- overall conformed 75% of the time

Question 21

What is the practical value of NSI?

Answer 21

recent research by Garandeau and Cillessen emphasised the role of NSI in bullying

Question 22

What did Garandeau and Cillessen show?

Answer 22

how groups with a low quality offriendship may be may be manipulated by a bully so that victimisation of another child provides the group with a common goal creating pressure on all group members to comply

Question 23

Why is Garandeau and Cillessen’s findings a strength?

Answer 23

research illustrates that sometimes the desire for acceptance is so strong It outweighs an individuals moral code which shows NSI assumption is supported

Question 24

What are the strengths on Informational Social Influence ?

Answer 24

-supporting evidence for ISI from Jenness

Question 25

What did Jenness do?

Answer 25

• who asked participants to do an ambiguous task first alone, then in groups, then make a second guess alone the number of jellybeans in a jar
• there is no obvious correct answer

Question 26

What did Jenness find?

Answer 26

the individuals second guess would move closer to the groups guess demonstrating ISI with women conforming more

Question 27

What is a criticism of Jenness task?

Answer 27

the task was unusual and not like a task performed In day to day like therefore lacks mundane realism and could be argued that conformity would act differently in real like situations

Question 28

What is a limitation of Informative Social Influence?

Answer 28

individual differences

Question 29

What did Asch’ study find in terms of ISI?

Answer 29

students were less conformist than other participants

Question 30

What did Perrin and Spencer find?

Answer 30

conducted a study involving science and engineering students and found very little conformity

Question 31

Why is the opposing research for Informative Social Influence?

Answer 31

it shows it fails to account for individual differences

Question 32

What is Informative Social Influence?

Answer 32

an explanation of conformity that can be defined as who has the better information as often people are uncertain about what behaviour is right or wrong in ambiguous situations

Question 33

What is Informational Social Influence described as?

Answer 33

a cognitive process due to the ambiguity of the situation