Explanations for conformity Flashcards
What are the two explanations for conformity
Normative social influence (NSI)
Informational social Influence (ISI)
What is the Dual Process Model
Deutsch and Gerard (1955) proposed that there are two reasons WHY people conform: normative and informational social influence
what is NSI the desire to be
Liked
what type of conformity does NSI relate too
Compliance
What forms the basis of NSI
the need to gain acceptance and approval as well as a desire to avoid disapproval
What needs to occur for NSI to take place
an individual must feel that they are under surveillance by the group, therefore they will conform publicly, but not necessarily privately
What is the evidence for NSI
Linkenbach and Perkins, 2003) showing that when adolescent were exposed to the message that the majority of their peers did not smoke, they themselves were less likely to subsequently start smocking, this shows the important of desire to fit in with a reference group
what is ISI the desire to be
right
what does ISI involve
a change in an individual’s point of view so that it is in line with others. Therefore, there is a change in both public and private attitudes (internalisation) – taking on others’ beliefs and behaviour as one’s own.
as well as feeling accepted what does ISI need
individuals also need to feel confident that their perceptions and beliefs are correct.
what happens if the individual is not able to check the facts about something on their own
they must rely on the opinions of others to guide them about the right thing to do – they look to others who they think are correct.
when is ISI most likely to occur
if the situation is unfamiliar or ambiguous, or in the presence of people deemed ‘experts’- the change in attitude or behaviour is often internalised (they see others as a source of information).
:) P: Normative social influence can explain the results of conformity studies in unambiguous situations e.g. Asch.
E: After interviewing his participants, Asch concluded that some participants felt compelled to accept the mistaken majority’s norms to avoid being rejected. They therefore showed distortion of action, agreeing publicly, but not privately with the group.
Asch also suggested that normative social influence is moderated by the size of the group. As the size of the majority increases, there appears to be a heightened pressure to ‘fit in’ and be accepted as conformity increases.
C: However, Asch’s study may tell us little about why people conform in everyday life, due to the artificial nature of the task and unrealistic situation.
:) P: Informational social influence can explain conformity in ambiguous situations in which both public and private agreement occurs e.g. Jenness, Asch.
E: For example, in the ‘task difficulty’ variation of Asch’s research the differences between the comparison line lengths were made much smaller, so they were more similar in length. The ‘correct’ answer was therefore less obvious. Asch found that conformity increased.
C: This suggests that in instances of uncertainty, individuals will look to others for guidance as to how to behave.
:( P: However it can be difficult to measure and/or distinguish between the two explanations.
E: Normative and informational social influence may not be separate and independent explanations as Deutsch and Gerard argued.
It has been suggested that NSI and ISI often complement each other, working together to influence levels of conformity. Both NSI and ISI can explain conformity in Asch’s study and the variations. In post-experimental interviews, participants claimed that they conformed due to the risk of being ridiculed (NSI). They also thought that their perception of the lines must have been inaccurate (ISI).
Moreover, it isn’t always possible to be sure whether NSI or ISI is at work in laboratory studies or in real-life conformity situations.
C: Furthermore, alternative explanations for conformity e.g. dispositional factors (leadership/intelligence) have been put forward.
