Social Influence Flashcards
3 types of conformity
Compliance
Internalisation
Identification
Compliance
= type of conformity
Most superficial type of conformity
Person conforms publicly with the views or behaviours expressed by others
BUT privately disagrees with the views.
Internalisation
=type of conformity
Deepest level of conformity
Aka conversion
Some views are taken on at deep and permanent level
Identification
=type of conformity
Deeper type of conformity
Individual is exposed to the views or behaviours
Seen publically the same and privately
Only temporary
What 3 factors affect conformity levels
Size of the group
Task difficulty
Unanimity
Size of the group
=factors that affect conformity levels
Conformity rates increases as the size of the majority increases
There is a point where further increase in the size of the majority does not lead ti further incraese in conformity
Task difficulty
=factors that affect conformity levels
Greater conformity rates are seen when the task difficult increases as the right answer becomes less obvious
Unanimity
=factors that affect conformity levels
Conformity rates decline when the majority does not agree at all
Conformity
Yielding to group pressures
Normative social influence
When someone conforms because they want to be liked and be part of the group.
When a persons need to be accepted or have approval from a group drives compliance
Informational social influence
When someone conforms because they want to be right, so they look to others by copying or obeying them.
Asch’s study partiicpants:
123 male American undergraduates in groups of 6
Consisting of 1 true participant and 5 confederates
Aim of Asch’s study
To investigate conformity and majority influence
Procedure of Asch’s study
P and confederates were preened with 4 lines, 3 comparison lines and 1 standard line.
Asked to state which of 3 lines was the same length as a stimulus line.
Real P answered last or second to last
Confederates would give an incorrect answer 12 out of 18 trials
Asch observed how often the P would give the same incorrect answer as the confederates versus the correct answer
Findings- Asch’s study
36% conformed
25% never conformed
75% conformed at least once
Group size- factors affecting level of conformity
Individual is more likely to conform when in a larger group
Participants of zimbardo study
24 American male undergraduate students
Aim of zimbardos. Study
To investigate how readily people would conform to the social roles in a simulated environment
Also to investigate why ‘good people do bad things’
Where was zimbardos study
Basement of the Stanford university psychology building
