Conformity: Types and Explanations Flashcards
What are the three types of conformity suggested by Herbert Kelman?
The three types of conformity are Internalisation, Identification, and Compliance.
What is Internalisation in conformity?
Internalisation occurs when a person genuinely accepts the group norms, resulting in a permanent change in opinions/behaviour that persists even in the absence of the group.
What is Identification in conformity?
Identification occurs when a person conforms to a group’s opinions/behaviour because they value the group and want to be part of it, leading to public change without necessarily agreeing privately.
What is Compliance in conformity?
Compliance involves going along with others in public while privately maintaining personal opinions/behaviour, resulting in only a superficial change that stops when group pressure ceases.
What theory did Morton Deutsch and Harold Gerard develop in 1955?
They developed a two-process theory explaining conformity based on two central human needs: the need to be right (ISI) and the need to be liked (NSI).
What is informational social influence (ISI)?
ISI is about who has the better information - you or the rest of the group. It leads to a permanent change in opinion/behaviour (internalisation).
When is ISI most likely to occur?
ISI is most likely to happen in new situations, ambiguous situations, or crisis situations where quick decisions are needed.
What is normative social influence (NSI)?
NSI is about norms, or what is considered normal or typical behaviour for a social group. It leads to a temporary change in opinions/behaviour (compliance).
When is NSI likely to occur?
NSI is likely to occur in situations with strangers or with people you know, especially in stressful situations where social approval is more important.
What is one strength of NSI?
Evidence supports NSI as an explanation of conformity.
For example, participants in Asch’s (1951) study conformed due to self-consciousness and fear of disapproval.
What happened when participants wrote their answers down in Asch’s study?
Conformity fell to 12.5% when answers were written down, indicating reduced normative group pressure.
This shows that some conformity is due to a desire not to be rejected by the group.
What does Lucas et al.’s (2006) study support?
It provides evidence for ISI, showing participants conformed more to incorrect answers when math problems were difficult.
This indicates that in ambiguous situations, participants rely on others’ answers.
What happens when math problems are easy according to Lucas et al.?
Participants ‘knew their own minds’ and did not conform to incorrect answers.
This suggests that confidence in one’s knowledge reduces conformity.
What is a counterpoint regarding NSI and ISI?
It is often unclear whether NSI or ISI is at work in research studies or real life.
For example, Asch (1955) found conformity is reduced with one dissenting participant, which could indicate either process.
What is the implication of having a dissenting participant in conformity studies?
A dissenting participant may reduce the power of NSI by providing social support or reduce ISI by offering an alternative source of information.
Both interpretations are possible, complicating the separation of NSI and ISI.
