Social influence: Types of conformity and explanations for conformity Flashcards
What is conformity?
A person’s desire to fit in with a social group can interfere with the ability to make moral or safe decisions.
What are the three types of conformity?
Compliance
Identification
Internalisation
What is compliance?
It is where a person publicly changes their behaviour and beliefs to fit that of a group and avoids disapproval. However, privately, the person does not accept the behaviours and beliefs of the group – they just comply with them.
What’s identification?
Identification is a stronger type of conformity than compliance because it involves the person both publicly and privately changing their behaviour and beliefs to fit that of a group they want to be part of. However, the person only identifies with these beliefs as long as they are associated with the group – upon leaving the group, the original behaviours and beliefs return.
What’s internalisation?
It is where a person both publicly and privately changes their behaviour and beliefs to those of a group – but permanently. So, unlike identification, individuals who internalise beliefs and behaviours maintain those beliefs and behaviours even after leaving the social group. e.g change in religions
What are the explanations for conformity?
Informational social influence and normative social influence.
What is informational social influence and a study to support it?
Conforming out of the desire to be right.
Study -Jenness sweet study
Participants were asked how many sweets they thought of in a jar privately than in a group
After group discussion they found participants changed their opinions.
What’s normative social influence and what study supports it?
Complying out of the desire to be liked
- Study - Asch’s line study 1951
What are strengths of normative influence?
Schultz et al 2007 found that when hotel guests saw a message that 75% of guests refused their towels, they used new towels themselves.
What are the weaknesses of normative influence?
NSI does not affect everyone’s behaviour in the same way. People who were less concerned with being liked are less affected by NSI than those who care more about being liked.
What are strengths of informational influence?
Lucas et al 2006 asked students to give answers to maths questions that were easy or more difficult. There was greater conformity to incorrect answers when they were difficult rather than when they were easy. This shows people conform in situations where they feel they don’t know the answers.
What are the weaknesses of informational influence?
Individual Differences - assumes we all need to perceive reality correctly. However, Asch 1955 found students were less conformist (28%) than other participants (37%).
However one limitation of NSI is that there are also individual differences. Some people are more concerned about being liked and accepted than others, these individuals are called naffiliators. McGhee and Teevan found that these people were much more likely to conform in similar situations than others.
