social influence conformity

Question 1

what is conformity

Answer 1

A change in a person’s behaviour or opinion as a result of a real or imagined pressure from a person or group of people ( Elliot Arson 2011)

Question 2

who suggested that there were three different that which a person conforms to the opinion of the majority

Answer 2

Herbert Kelman (1958)

Question 3

what are the three different ways that Hebert Kelman suggested that a person can conform to a majority opinion

Answer 3

Internalisation

Identification

Compliance

Question 4

what is internalisation

Answer 4

Occurs when a person genuinely accepts the groups norm.

Results in a private as well as a public change of opinions/ behaviour.

Change is likely to be permanent because attitudes have been internalised i.e. become part of the way the way the person thinks.

The change in behaviour/opinions persist even in the absence of other group members

Question 5

what is identification

Answer 5

Sometimes we conform to opinions/ behaviour o a group because there is something about the group we value.

We identify with the group, so we want to be part of it. This may mean we publicly change our opinions/behaviour to achieve this goal - even if we don’t privately agree with everything the group stands for

Question 6

what is compliance

Answer 6

This type of conformity involves simply “going along with others” in public, but privately not changing personal opinions and/or behaviour.
Compliance results in only a superficial change . It also means that a particular behaviour or opinion stops as soon as group pressure stops.

Question 7

what are the reasons for conformity

Answer 7

Morton Deutsch and Harold Gerald (1955) developed a two process theory, arguing that there are two main reasons people conform based on two central human needs:

• need to be right (ISI)
• need to be liked (NSI)

Question 8

what is informational social influence (ISI)

Answer 8

This is about who has the better information - you or the rest of the group.

Often we are uncertain about what behaviours or beliefs are right or wrong e.g. you may not know the answer in class but if most of the class agrees on one answer you accept that answer because you feel they are likely to be right

This happens because people want to be right. ISL is a cognitive process because it is to do with what you think

Question 9

what is normative social influence

Answer 9

This is about norms i.e. what is “normal” or typical behaviour for a social group
Norms regulate the behaviour of groups and individuals so it is not surprising that we pay attention to them.
People do not like to appear foolish and prefer to gain social approval rather than be rejected. Therefore NSI is an emotional rather than cognitive process.