Conformity: Types and explanations

Question 1

What is a ‘type’ of conformity?

Answer 1

A way in which people conform

Question 2

What is an ‘explanation’ of conformity?

Answer 2

A reason why people conform

Question 3

How did Elliot Aronson define conformity in 2011?

Answer 3

A change in a person’s behaviour or opinions as a result of real or imagined pressure from a person or a group of people.

Question 4

What did Herbert Kelman propose in 1958?

Answer 4

In 1958, Kelman suggested that there are three ways in which people conform to the opinion of a majority.

Question 5

Name the three types of conformity proposed by Herbert Kelman in 1958.

Answer 5

Internalisation, identification and complience

Question 6

When are people likely to conform via internalisation?

Answer 6

Internalisation occurs when a person genuinely accepts the group norms. This is thought to be the deepest level of conformity because people conform both publicly and privately, meaning that the change in behaviour persists even in the absence of other group members.

Question 7

If one conforms via internalisation, is their changed behaviour likely to be permanent or temporary?

Answer 7

The change in behaviour is likely to be permanent because attitudes have been internalised, meaning they have become part of the way a person thinks.

Question 8

When are people likely to conform via identification?

Answer 8

Identification occurs when one conforms to the behaviour or attitudes of a group because there is something about the group that the person values. One identifies with the group, so they want to be a part of it.

Question 9

What is compliance?

Answer 9

Compliance involves simple ‘going along with others’ publicly, but continuing to hold a different view privately. This is therefore thought to be the shallowest level of conformity because compliance only results in a superficial change.

Question 10

If one conforms via compliance, is their changed behaviour likely to be permanent or temporary?

Answer 10

The changed behaviour is only temporary because the particular behaviour or opinion stops as soon as group pressure is released.

Question 11

What was developed by Morton Deutsch and Harold Gerard in 1955?

Answer 11

In 1955, Deutsch and Gerard developed a two-process theory, arguing that there are two main reasons people conform. They are based on two central human needs:

1. The need to be right (ISI)
2. The need to be liked (NSI)

Question 12

What are the two reasons, given by Deutsch and Gerard, for why people conform?

Answer 12

Informational social influence and normative social influence

Question 13

What is informational social influence?

Answer 13

Agreeing with the majority view or behaviour because we believe they know better or are more likely to be correct. The reason individuals follow the behaviour of the majority is because people want to be right.

For example, you may not know the answer to a question in class but if most of the class agrees on one answer, you accept that answer because you feel they are likely to be right.

Question 14

Why is informational social influence classified as a cognitive process?

Answer 14

ISI is a cognitive process because it is to do with what you think.

Question 15

In what situations is informational social influence likely to be present?

Answer 15

ISI is likely to happen in situations that are new to a person (so you don’t know what is right) or situations where there is some ambiguity, so it isn’t clear what is right. It is also typical in crisis situations where decisions have to be made quickly. Finally, it also occurs when one person (or a group) is regarded as being more of an expert.

Question 16

Which of the three types of conformity is informational social influence likely to lead to?

Answer 16

Internalisation

Question 17

What is normative social influence?

Answer 17

Normative social influence is an explanation of conformity that says we agree with the opinion of the majority because we want to be accepted, gain social approval and be liked.

Question 18

Why is normative social influence classified as an emotional process?

Answer 18

Because people dislike appearing foolish and prefer to gain social approval rather than be rejected.

Question 19

In what situations is normative social influence likely to occur?

Answer 19

NSI is most likely to occur in situations with strangers where you may feel concerned about rejection. It may also occur with people you know because we are most concerned about the social approval of our peers. It may be more pronounced in stressful situations where people have a greater need for social support.

Question 20

In an exam, how can an example of compliance be easily identified?

Answer 20

The example will usually display a person feeling uncomfortable in a situation.

Question 21

In an exam, how can an example of identification be easily identified?

Answer 21

The example will usually portray an individual as having a connection to a group (they value that group).

Question 22

Evaluation point: ‘One strength of normative social influence derives from supporting research evidence’. Write a paragraph outlining this AO3 point.

Answer 22

One strength of normative social influence derives from supporting research evidence. For example, when Asch asked a group of male participants to compare the length of lines, he found that many conformed to a clearly wrong answer. When asked why they had conformed, most participants responded by saying it was because they felt self-conscious giving the correct answer and facing rejection from the rest of the group. This research therefore acts as a strength of NSI because it supports the concept that people conform to be accepted, gain social approval and be liked. As a result. NSI has reliability because findings regarding explanations of conformity have remained consistent over time. Conversely, NSI does lack external validity, and consequently real-life application, because Asch’s supporting research was conducted in a laboratory environment with artificial stimuli. In this light, NSI is environmentally reductionist because it fails to consider environmental influences over one’s behaviour. The work of Schultz can however counter this because he found they were able to change the behaviour of hotel guests by printing messages that suggested other guests were using fewer back towels.

Question 23

Evaluation point: ‘One limitation of normative social influence is its association with inconsistency’. Write a paragraph outlining this AO3 point.

Answer 23

One limitation of normative social influence is its association with inconsistency. For example, NSI does not affect everyone in the same way. While people who are less concerned with being liked by others remain largely unaffected by NSI, those who are concerned with being liked have a greater need for affiliation. Asch supported this theory in his study which found that students were less conformist (28% conformity) compared to non-student participants (37% conformity). This therefore acts as a limitation of Deutsch and Gerard’s two-process theory because it alludes to the idea that NSI cannot be used as a consistent explanation of conformity. In this light, NSI can be criticised for being environmentally reductionist because it fails to consider individual differences, such as confidence levels and needs for affiliation, which might impact whether or not someone conforms. Consequently, a nomothetic law cannot be produced because NSI as an explanation of conformity can’t be generalised to everyone.

Question 24

Evaluation point: ‘One limitation of Deutsch and Gerard’s two-process theory is its simplistic approach to explaining why people conform’. Write a paragraph outlining this AO3 point.

Answer 24

One limitation of Deutsch and Gerard’s two-process theory is its simplistic approach to explaining why people conform. Turner specifically criticised the theory for ignoring the human desire to belong to a group. Consequently, he proposed a third explanation of conformity, known as referent social influence (RSI), which argues that we conform to maintain the norms of the group we see ourselves belonging to. This criticism therefore acts as a weakness of the two-process theory because it highlights how Deutsch and Gerard simplify human behaviour down into two basic explanations: informational social influence and normative social influence. In this light, explanations of conformity are environmentally reductionist because they reduce behaviour down into two simplistic concepts, thus ignoring wider influential factors.