social influence: types and explanations of conformity Flashcards
What are the three ways in which people conform to the opinion of a majority according to Herbert Kelman?
Internalisation, Identification, Compliance
These are the types of conformity described by Kelman in 1958.
Define Internalisation in the context of conformity.
A person genuinely accepts group norms, resulting in a permanent change in opinions/behaviour
Internalisation means that attitudes have been internalised and become part of the person’s thinking.
What is the outcome of Internalisation?
Permanent change in opinions/behaviour
The change persists even in the absence of other group members.
What does Identification involve in conformity?
Conforming to a group’s opinions/behaviour because of valuing the group
This may lead to public changes in opinions/behaviour even if there is no private agreement.
What characterizes Compliance in conformity?
Going along with others in public without changing personal opinions
Compliance leads to a superficial change that stops when group pressure ceases.
What are the two main reasons people conform according to Morton Deutsch and Harold Gerard?
Need to be right (ISI) and Need to be liked (NSI)
This is part of their two-process theory developed in 1955.
Define Informational Social Influence (ISI).
Conforming because you believe the group is correct, accept as we want to be correct too
ISI leads to a permanent change in opinion/behaviour (internalisation) and is a cognitive process.
In what situations is Informational Social Influence (ISI) likely to occur?
New situations, ambiguous situations, crisis situations
ISI occurs when individuals are uncertain about what behaviours or beliefs are right.
Define Normative Social Influence (NSI).
Conforming to group norms to gain social approval or avoid rejection
NSI is an emotional process that leads to temporary change in opinions/behaviour.
When is Normative Social Influence (NSI) likely to occur?
In situations with strangers or with friends where social approval is important
NSI is more pronounced in stressful situations where there is a greater need for social support.
True or False: Internalisation results in a temporary change in behaviour.
False
Internalisation leads to a permanent change in opinions/behaviour.
Fill in the blank: Normative social influence (NSI) leads to _______ change in opinions/behaviour.
temporary
NSI is associated with compliance rather than internalisation.
What does NSI stand for?
Normative Social Influence
NSI refers to the influence of other people that leads us to conform in order to be liked and accepted by them.
What was a key finding from Asch’s 1951 study regarding conformity?
Participants conformed less when giving answers privately
This suggests that normative pressure reduces when individuals do not fear disapproval from the group.
In Asch’s study, what percentage of conformity fell when participants wrote their answers down?
12.5%
This indicates that private responses can significantly reduce normative influence.
What does ISI stand for?
Informational Social Influence
ISI is the influence of others leading us to conform because we believe they have accurate information.
What did Todd Lucas et al. (2006) find regarding conformity and difficult math problems?
Participants conformed more often to incorrect answers on difficult problems
This demonstrates that ambiguity in a situation can lead individuals to rely on others for correct answers.
How did participants behave when problems were easy in Lucas et al.’s study?
They ‘knew their own minds’ and conformed less
This suggests confidence in one’s own knowledge reduces reliance on others.
What is a limitation of distinguishing between NSI and ISI in research?
It is often unclear which influence is at work
Both NSI and ISI may operate simultaneously in conformity situations.
What effect did a dissenting participant have on conformity in Asch’s 1955 study?
Conformity was reduced
The presence of a dissenter provides social support and may offer alternative information.
What term describes individuals who have a strong need for affiliation?
nAffiliators
These individuals are more likely to conform due to their concern for social acceptance.
What was the finding of McGhee and Teevan (1967) regarding nAffiliators?
They were more likely to conform
This highlights individual differences in conformity that NSI does not universally explain.
True or False: Both NSI and ISI operate together in most real-world situations.
True
Most conformity situations involve a combination of both influences.
Fill in the blank: Some people are greatly concerned with being liked by others, which makes them _______.
nAffiliators
This group is characterized by their strong need for social relationships.
What is internalisation?
A deep type of conformity where we take on the majority view because we accept it as correct. It leads to a far-reaching and permanent change in behaviour, even when the group is absent.
Internalisation results in a lasting change in beliefs and behaviours.
What is identification in the context of conformity?
A moderate type of conformity where we act in the same way as the group because we value it and want to be part of it. But we don’t necessarily agree with everything the group/majority believes.
Identification involves a desire to fit in while maintaining some personal beliefs.
Define compliance.
A superficial and temporary type of conformity where we outwardly go along with the majority view, but privately disagree with it. The change in our behaviour only lasts as long as the group is monitoring us.
Compliance does not result in a permanent change in beliefs.
What is informational social influence (ISI)?
An explanation of conformity that says we agree with the opinion of the majority because we believe it is correct. We accept it because we want to be correct as well. This may lead to internalisation.
ISI is driven by the desire to be accurate and informed.
What does normative social influence (NSI) refer to?
An explanation of conformity that says we agree with the opinion of the majority because we want to gain social approval and be liked. This may lead to compliance.
NSI is motivated by the desire for social acceptance.
