SB 4 - Factors Affecting Conformity

Question 1

Informational Social Influence

Answer 1

when uncertainty leads to a person adopting the behaviour of others. They conform because they don’t know what to do and want to be correct.

When we are not sure how to behave, we copy others. They act as informational resources for how to behave because we presume they know what they are doing.

Question 2

Normative Social Influence

Answer 2

Normative influence is the ability that others have to influence an individual to conform to the social norms.

People want to be accepted and they have a need for social approval (the need to ‘fit in’).

Normative influence need not be internalised — we do not have to agree with the norms to be accepted, just abide by them (compliance).

Question 3

Individual Factors

Answer 3

Some people are more likely to conform than other due to things such as their: -
Personality
Age
Sex (studies show women conform more than men)
Self-esteem

Question 4

Situational Factors

Answer 4

Whether people conform or not can depend on: -
Group size
Unanimity
Task difficulty
If you know people in the group

Question 5

Cultural Factors

Answer 5

Cultural background can have an effect on levels of conformity.
In some societies, the willingness to conform is valued, while in others it is not. For example, in the West we value people who can think independently and sometimes do things that are against the wishes of general society. In some cultures (e.g. China, Japan), this type of action is very much frowned upon