Conformity: Types and explanations Flashcards
conformity definition
-a change in a person’s behaviour or opinions
-as a result of a real or imagined pressure
-from a person or group of people
(Aronson 2011)
Types of conformity
origin
Herbert Kelman (1958) 3 ways to conform
types of conformity
Internalisation
Identification
Compliance
Internalisation
- deep conformity
- conform as accept as correct
- permanent change with and without group
Identification
- moderate conformity
- conform as value/want to be part of group
- don’t always agree with everything
Compliance
- superficial conformity
- go along with group view in public, but don’t change opinions
- temporary change- only when with group
Explanations for conformity
origin
-Deutsch and Gerard (1955)- two process theory
└need to be right (ISI) / liked (NSI)
Explanations for conformity
Informational social influence
Normative social influence
Informational social influence
-agree with conformity as we believe it is correct – we want to be correct too
└→internalisation
Normative social influence
-agree with conformity as we want to be accepted/liked
└→compliance
Normative social influence
strengths
Research support for NSI
└Asch (1951)
└participants conformed as self-conscious
└when wrote down- conformity dropped to 12.5 %
Normative social influence
limitations
Individual differences in NSI
-nAffiliators
└people less concerned with being liked
└less affected by NSI
-McGhee and Teevan (1967)
└students needing affiliation conformed more
Informational social influence
strengths
Research support for ISI
-Lucas et al (2006)
└greater conformity to more difficult maths problems- especially from people bad at maths
└people conform in situations they don’t know the answer
Informational social influence
limitations
Individual differences in ISI
-Asch (1955)
└students (28%) less conformist than other participants (37%)
-Spencer (1980)
└little conformity with science students
Herbert Kelman (?)
1958
types of conformity
origin
Deutsch and Gerard (?)
1955
Explanations for conformity
origin
Lucas et al (?)
2006
Research support for ISI
└greater conformity to more difficult maths problems- especially from people bad at maths
Individual differences in ISI
└Asch (?)
└students: ? %
└other participants: ? %
1955
└students: 28 %
└other participants: 37 %
Spencer (?)
1980
Individual differences in ISI
└little conformity with science students
Research support for NSI
└Asch (?)
└participants conformed as self-conscious
└when wrote down- conformity dropped to ? %
1951
12.5%
McGhee and Teevan (?)
1967
Individual differences in NSI
└students needing affiliation conformed more
