P1 Social Psychology - Types of Conformity

Question 1

What are the types of conformity?

Answer 1

• Compliance
• Internalisation
• Identification

Question 2

What is compliance?

Answer 2

It occurs when an individual accepts influence because they hope to achieve a favourable reaction from those around them. An attitude or behaviour is adopted in public but not in private so it’s only for a temporary amount of time.

Question 3

What is internalisation?

Answer 3

It occurs when an individual accepts influence because the content of the attitude or behaviour is consistent within their own value system. This behaviour is present publicly and privately.

Question 4

What is identification?

Answer 4

A form of influence where an individual adopts an attitude or behaviour because they want to be associated with a particular person or group.

Question 5

What are the two explanations for conformity?

Answer 5

1. Normative social influence
2. Informational social influence

Question 6

What is normative social influence?

Answer 6

This is where a person conforms in order to be accepted and belong to a group. They do this because it avoids social rejection.

Question 7

What is informational social influence?

Answer 7

This is where a person conforms because they have a desire to be right, and look to others who they believe may have more information. This type of conformity occurs when a person is unsure of a situation or lacks knowledge.

Question 8

What is the evaluation for types of conformity?

Answer 8

1. One strength is that the power of normative social influence is supported by research on adolescent smoking (Likenbach and Perkin - teenagers message of no smoking)
2. Another strength is that informational social influence helps to explain why social stereotypes develop. (research found that participants exposed to negative information about African Americans had negative beliefs about black individuals)
3. However, although normative influence has an effect on peoples behaviour they often do not realise that other people’s behaviour is influencing them - people underestimate the impact of normative social influence.