Conformity: Types and Explanations

Question 1

Outline the term ISI in regards to conformity

Answer 1

• Informational Social Influence
• Theory by Deutsch and Gerard
• We conform in order to be right
• Occurs when we look to the majority group for the right answer as we are unsure in our own knowledge
• Genuinely believe the majority to be right

Question 2

Outline the term NSI in regards to conformity

Answer 2

• Normative Social Influence
• Theory by Deutsch and Gerard
• We conform in order to be liked
• We wish to be liked by the majority group so we go along with them even if we don’t agree with them
• Following the crowd in order to fit in with the ‘norm’

Question 3

Outline the term compliance in regards to conformity

Answer 3

• Timeframe of behaviour = Temporary change (“surface level”)
• Public behaviour = Changes
• Private behaviour = No change
• Motivation for behaviour = To be liked by the group (NSI)
• E.g. skipping lessons with your friends but privately you know it is wrong and are worried about the consequences

Question 4

Outline the term identification in regards to conformity

Answer 4

• Timeframe of behaviour = Temporary change →continues as long as you’re a group member
• Public behaviour = Changes
• Private behaviour = Changes
• Motivation for behaviour = To be liked by the group (NSI)
• E.g. bullying someone because the rest of the group thinks it’s cool, but stopping when you are no longer a part of the group

Question 5

Outline the term internalisation in regards to conformity

Answer 5

• Timeframe of behaviour = Permanent change
• Public behaviour = Changes
• Private behaviour = Changes
• Motivation for behaviour = To be right (ISI)
• E.g. becoming an environmentalist after learning about the damaging impact of global warming

Question 6

What are two strengths for NSI and ISI?

Answer 6

1.) Supporting evidence for NSI: empirical evidence supporting Deutsch and Gerard’s concept of NSI, Schultz found that 75% of hotel guests reuse their towels when exposed to messages suggesting other guests do the same, suggests that people do conform to be liked especially if they are acting differently to everyone else, therefore adds support and increases validity of NSI as an explanation for conformity

2.) Supporting evidence for ISI: empirical evidence supporting Deutsch and Gerard’s concept of ISI, Lucas asked students to give answers to easy or difficult math questions and found higher conformity to incorrect answers when the questions were difficult than easy, suggests students conformed because they were unsure of their own answers and didn’t want to be seen as less able than others (social desirability bias), therefore supports and increases validity of ISI as an explanation for conformity

Question 7

What are two limitations for NSI and ISI?

Answer 7

1.) Individual differences in NSI means explanation doesn’t apply to everyone: McGhee and Teavan found some people classed as nAffiliators are more concerned with being liked and how others view them, suggests NSI does not influence everyone in the same way as nAffiliators are more concerned with getting social approval than others so are more likely to conform, therefore Deutsch and Gerard’s two-process theory is incomplete as it does not consider individual differences

2.) ISI and NSI work together so it may not be possible to tell them apart: for example if somebody makes a new friend and wants their social approval it is NSI, but if this friend then introduced them to a religion and they converted it would be ISI (they convert for their approval but also because they want to be right), suggests that both NSI and ISI play a key role in the behaviour of a person because they convert for the approval from their friend but also because they want to be right in what they believe in, therefore both NSI and ISI are present in some scenarios and it may be hard to differentiate the two