Conformity: Types and explanations Flashcards
What are the three types of conformity?
Identification, Internalisation and Compliance
What are the two types of explanations for conformity?
Informational Social Influence
(ISI)
Normative Social Influence (NSI)
Explain Identification
A deeper type of conformity where we take on the majority view of a group we admire or identify with in public and privately. This is a stronger type of conformity but is generally temporary and not maintained once leaving the group.
Explain Internalisation
The deepest type of conformity where we take on the majority view publicly and privately because we accept it is correct. This leads to a permanent change in opinion and behaviour.
Explain Compliance
A superficial and temporary type of conformity. We publicly go along with the group to gain approval, be accepted and fit in. In private, our opinions remain unchanged.
What are the two differences between internalisation and compliance?
Public acceptance and private rejection.
Public and private acceptance.
Explain Informational Social Influence
(ISI)
Looking at the majority group for information because we believe the majority would be right.
Explain Normative Social Influence (NSI)
When you wish to be liked and wish to be like everyone else, even though we may not agree with them.
‘fitting in with the crowd’
Supporting evidence for the normative social influence
Supporting evidence for the normative social influence explanation of conformity comes from Schultz et al. For example Schultz et al found that 75% of hotel guests reuse their towels when they were exposed to messages which suggested that their fellow hotel guests were reusing their towels as well. This suggests that people do conform to group behaviours in order to be liked. Therefore this increases the validity of the two-process theory.
Supporting evidence for the Informational social influence
Supporting evidence for the informational social influence explanations of conformity comes from Lucas et al. Lucas et al asked students to give answers to mathematical problems that were either easy or difficult. There was higher conformity to incorrect answers when they were difficult. This was most evident for students who rated their own mathematical ability as poor. This shows that the students conformed because they doubted their own maths ability and wanted to be right so they went along with their peers’ answers. Therefore this supports the concept of informational social influence as part of Deutsch and Gerard’s theory.