Social Influene - ISI And NSI Flashcards
What is the definition of conformity?
A change in a persons behaviour or opinions as a result of real or imagined group pressure. It is a form of majority influence.
Who devised the three levels of conformity?
Kelman (1958)
What is the definition of compliance?
Compliance is the lowest level of conformity. Here a person changes their public behaviour, the way they act, but not their private beliefs. This is usually a short term change and is often the result of normative social influence.
What is the definition of identification?
Identification is the middle level of conformity. Here a person changes their public behaviour and their private beliefs, but only while they are in the presence of the group. This is usually a short-term change and is usually as a result of normative social influence.
What is the definition of internalisation?
Internalisation is the deepest level of conformity. Here a person changes their public behaviour and their private beliefs. This is usually a long-term change and often the result of informational social influence.
What is normative social influence?
The person conforms because of a need to be accepted by the group. Belonging to the group could be rewarding, or not belonging could lead to punishment. While they publicly conform, they still privately disagree and keep their old attitudes temporary.
What is informational social influence (ISI)?
This is based on our need to be right. In some social situations, we don’t know what to do. This means we look to what others are doing and conform to them because they might know instead. You both publicly conform and privately agree- this is known as conversion.
[AO3 PEEL]
What evidence does Asch’s study give into NSI using a peel structure?
P: Asch’s study into conformity provides evidence for NSI.
E: he found that many participants went along with the obviously wrong answer in the critical trials. In post-experimental interviews p’s said they changed their answer to avoid disapproval from the rest of the group. This shows compliance had occurred in order to ‘fit in’.
E: Asch also demonstrated in a later variation when p’s wrote down their answer instead of stating it aloud, conformity rates dropped to 12.5%. This shows the fear of rejection become less.
L: this shows that people change their behaviour due to pressure to be accepted by a group and increases the validity of NSI.
[AO3 PEEL]
What evidence does Jenness (1932) provide into explaining NSI in a peel structure?
P: One strength is that there is empiracle evidence to support ISI.
E: Jenness (1932) asked p’s to make independent judgments about the number of white beans contained in a jar and then discuss their estimates in a group. They then made a private estimate. Jenness found this second private estimate moved closer to the group estimate and females typically conformed more.
E: this study shows that internalisation of group beliefs will take place will occur especially if in an unfamiliar, ambiguous situation.
L: therefore, providing evidence that people will change their behaviour in order to feel ‘right’ which increases the validity of ISI.
[AO3 PEEL]
What is one strength of the theory of NSI in a peel structure?
P: one strength of the theory is NSI is there is empiricle evidence supporting the explanation that people conform to others because of a need to be liked.
E: for example, Linkenbach and Perkins (2003) made an anti-smoking campaign for teenagers in the USA, with a key message that ‘most children in their own age group do not smoke’. Only 10% of non-smokers went on to start smoking, compared to 17% in a town not exposed to the message. In another town where teens were told that people in their own age group did smoke 41% then started smoking.
E: this research supports the explanation of NSI because teenagers who are exposed to a simple message that most of their peers did not smoke were less likely to take up smoking. In addition, in areas where teens were told most peers did smoke, more teens started smoking.
L: this is the outcome predicted by NSI as it shows that people changed behaviour to fit with the norm and therefore it increases the validity of the explanation.
