explanations for conformity - essay plan

Question 1

AO1 - who developed the theory?

Answer 1

Deutsch and Gerald developed a two process theory that explained why people conform

Question 2

AO1 - NSI

Answer 2

• emotional process
• typically driven by need to be liked/fear of rejection

Question 3

AO1 - ISI

Answer 3

• cognitive process
• driven by the need to be right

Question 4

AO3 - research support (strength of NSI)

Answer 4

• supports NSI as an explantation for conformity
• when interviewing participants some had conformed because they felt self-conscious giving the correct answer - they were afraid of judgement/disapproval
• when participants wrote answers down - conformity rates were 12.5% (because there was no normative group pressure
• this shows that at least some conformity is motivated by a fear of rejection by the group - which is what NSI is
• HOWEVER Asch’s study does have weaknesses
  
  • low ecological validity
  • may impact the effect that the research has in its ability to act as supporting evidence for NSI

Question 5

AO3 - individual differences (limitation of NSI)

Answer 5

• NSI cannot predict conformity in every case
• some people are incredibly concerned about being liked by others - nAffiliators
• Paul McGhee and Richard Teevan found students who were nAffiliators were more likely to conform
• this shows NSI underlies conformity more than it does for others - individual differences in conformity that cannot be fully explained by one general theory of situational pressures

Question 6

AO3 - supported by research (strength ISI)

Answer 6

• ISI is supported by research from the study be Lucas et al (2006)
• found participants conformed more often to incorrect answers they were given when the maths problems were difficult
  
  • because when the problems were harder the situation was more ambiguous
  • participants didn’t want to be wrong so relied on the answers given
• this shows ISI is a valid explanation for conformity because results are what ISI would predict

Question 7

AO3 - lack of clarity (general limitation)

Answer 7

• it can often be unclear whether NSI or ISI is at work in research studies (or real life)
• Asch’s study (1955) found conformity is reduced when there is another dissenting participant
  
  • dissenter may reduce power of NSI - as they provide social support
  • OR dissenter may reduce power of ISI - as they provide a different source of social information
• this shows it is hard to separate ISI and NSI and that both processes probably operate in together in most real-world conformity situations