Conformity - Types and Explanations Flashcards
define internalisation
a deep type of conformity where we take on the majority view because we accept it as correct, it leads to a far - reaching and permanent change in behaviour - even when the group is absent
define identification
moderate type of conformity - we act the same way as the group because we value it and want to be part of it. We don’t necessarily agree with everything the group / majority believes
define compliance
compliance: superficial/ temporary conformity , we outwardly go along with the majority view - but privately disagree with it. The change in behaviour only lags as long as the group is monitoring us
define informational social influence
informational social influence : explanation of conformity that says we agree with the opinion of the majority as we believe it is correct. We accept it because we want to be correct as well - may lead to internalisation
normative social influence
normative social influence : an explanation of conformity that says we agree with the opinion of the majority as we want to gain social approval and be liked - may lead to compliance
what did Herbert Kerman 1958 say?
In 1958, Herbert Kerman suggested that there are three ways in which people conform to the opinion of a majority :
internalisation, identification and compliance
when does internalisation happen?
occurs when a person genuinley accepts the group norms
what does internalisation result in?
a private as well as public change in opinion / behaviour
what is this change like?
usually permanent as attitudes have been internalised - become part of the way one thinks
does this change in behaviour persist?
yes even in the absence of the group/ members
when does identification occur?
we conform to opinions/behaviour of a group because there is something about the group we value
we identify with the group so want to be a part of it
what does identification do to ones opinions / behaviour?
it may mean we publicly change our opinions/ behaviour to be accepted by the group
even if we dont privately agree with everything the group stands for
what is compliance conformity?
it involves ‘simply going along with others ‘ publicly, but in private not changing personal opinions / behaviour
what does compliance result in?
only superficial change
what does this mean about behaviour?
that a particular behaviour/ opinion stops as soon as group pressure stops
what did Morton Deustch and Harold Gerard (1955) develop?
a two process theory - arguing that there are two main reasons people conform
what are the two main reasons people conform?
they are based on two central human needs:
- the need to be right
- the need to be liked
what is informational social influence?
about who has the better information, you or the rest of the group
explain ISI?
often we are uncertain about what beliefs / behaviours are right/wrong
we follow the behaviour of the group / majority, because we want to be right
what process is ISI?
cognitive as it is to do with what you think
it leads to permanent change in behaviour/ influence
when is ISI most likely to happen?
in situations that are new to a person or if there is some ambiguity
it also occurs in crisis situations where decisions need to be made quickly and we assume that the group is more likely to be right
what is normative social influence about ?
what is normal behaviour of a social group
what do norms do?
they regulate the behaviours of groups and individuals so it is not surprising that we pay attention to them
people dont like to look foolishand prefer to gain social status
what type of processing is the NSI?
emotional
what does the nsi lead to ?
temporary change in opinion/ behaviour (compliance)
when is the nsi most likely to occur?
in situations with strangers where you may feel concerned about rejection
with people you know because we are most concerned about the social approval of our friends
when is the nsi sometimes more pronounced?
in stressful situations where people have greater need for social support
what is a strength of NSI?
that evidence supports it as an explanation of conformity
give an example of this strength?
when Asch (1951) interviewed his participants , some said they conformed because they felt self-conscious giving the correct answer and afraid of disapproval
what happened when participants wrote down their answers?
conformity fell to 12.5% this is because giving answers privately meant there was no normative group pressure
therefore what does this show?
that at least some conformity is due to a desire not to be rejected by the group disagreeing with the group for disagreeing with them
what is a strength of ISI?
there is research evidence to support ISI from the study by Todd Lucas (2006)
what did Lucas find ?
that participants conformed more often to incorrect answers they were given when the maths problems were difficult
this is because when the problems were hard, the situation became unclear
the participants did not want to be wrong so they relied on the answers they were given
therefore, what does this show?
that the ISI is a valid explanation of conformity because the results are what the ISI would predict
However, what is often unclear?
whether the NSI or ISI at work in research studies (or in real life)
for example, Asch (1955) found that conformity is reduced when there is one other dissenting participant
what may the dissenter do in the NSI?
they may reduce the power of the NSI, because they provide social support or may reduce the power of ISI because they provide alternative sources of social information
both interpretations are possible
therefore , what is a counterpoint of the NSI and ISI?
it is hard to separate them and both processes probably operate together in most real work conformity situations
what is a limitation of the NSI?
it doesn’t predict conformity in every case
what are nAffiliators?
people who are greatly concerned with being liked by others , they have a strong need for ‘affiliation’ -they want to relate to people
what did Paul McGhee and Richard Teevan (1967) find?
that students who were nAffiliators were more likely to conform
this shows that NSI underlies conformity for some people more than it does for others
therefore, what does this suggest?
there are individual differences that conformity that cannot be fully explained by one general theory or situational pressures
