Conformity: Types and explanations

Question 1

Who suggested the three types of conformity?

Answer 1

• Herbert Kelman

Question 2

What are the three types of conformity?

Answer 2

• Internalisation
• Identification
• Compliance

Question 3

What is internalisation?

Answer 3

• Internalisation occurs when a person genuinely accepts the groups norms.
• This results in a private and public change in opinions and behaviour
  -This change is permanent and persists even in the absence of other group members

Question 4

What is identification?

Answer 4

• Conforming because we value membership in the group and care about their values and beliefs
• this means we publicly change our opinions even if we privately do not agree with what the group stands for

Question 5

What is compliance?

Answer 5

• This is the weakest form of conformity and only results in a superficial change
• We conform publicly but privately we do not change our personal opinions in order to fit in

Question 6

Who developed ISI and NSI?

Answer 6

• Deutsch and Gerard

Question 7

• What is ISI and NSI?

Answer 7

• A two process theory

Question 8

What is ISI?

Answer 8

• informational social influence
• This is when we conform in order to be right and not appear dumb
• This is likely to occur in situations which are ambiguous and where decisions need to made quickly

Question 9

What type of process is ISI?

Answer 9

• A cognitive process

Question 10

What type of change does ISI bring?

Answer 10

• A permanent change

Question 11

What is NSI?

Answer 11

• normative social influence
• This is when we conform to not appear foolish and to gain social approval from others rather than rejection
• This occurs in more stressful situations where people have a greater need for social support

Question 12

What type of change does NSI cause?

Answer 12

• A temporary change

Question 13

What type of process is NSI?

Answer 13

• an emotional process

Question 14

What is a strength of NSI?

Answer 14

• NSI has research support. For example, Asch interviewed his participants and said that they conformed as they were self - conscious and gave the wrong answers due to fear of disapproval
• When participants wrote the answers down, conformity fell to 12.5%
• This was because there was less pressure and not a chance for rejection

Question 15

What is a strength of ISI?

Answer 15

• There is research support by Todd lucas
• Lucas et al found that participants conformed more when maths problems were difficult.
• This is also because the situation was ambigous
• Therefore, ISI is a valid explanation of conformity as the results are what ISI predicted
  Counterpoint: It may be unclear whether NSI or ISI is at work. This is because in Asch’s study, conformity was reduced when there was another dissenting participant. The dissenter may reduce the power of NSI (social support) or reduce the power of ISI (alternative source of information). Therefore, it is hard to seperate NSI and ISI as they may operate together

Question 16

What is a limitation of NSI?

Answer 16

• There may be individual differences in NSI
• For example, Mcghee and Tavern found that some people seek more social support and have a greater concern with being liked
• Some people are nAffiliators and are more likely to conform
• This shows that individual differences may not be explained by a general theory