Types and explanations of conformity

Question 1

Definition of conformity

Answer 1

A change in a person’s behaviour or opinions due to real or imagined pressure from an individual or group

Question 2

What is internalisation?

Answer 2

• Publicly and privately going along with the majority
• Permanent change
• Deepest type of conformity

Question 3

What is identification?

Answer 3

• Publicly changing opinions but not privately
• Temporary change
• Moderate conformity

Question 4

What is compliance?

Answer 4

• ‘Going along with others’
• Publicly going along with the majority but not in private
• Temporary type of conformity

Question 5

What is ISI?

Answer 5

• Informational Social Influence
• Following the majority because we want to be right
• Leads to internalisation

Question 6

What is NSI?

Answer 6

• Normative Social Influence
• Following the majority because we want to be liked
• Leads to compliance
• May occur in situations with strangers or when scared of rejection

Question 7

What is the research support for NSI?

Answer 7

• Asch
• Some participants said they conformed because they felt self-conscious
• When participants wrote their answers down, conformity fell to 12.5%
• This is because answers were given privately and there was no normative group pressure.

Question 8

What is the research support for ISI?

Answer 8

• Lucas et al
• Participants conformed more when the maths questions were more difficult
• Participants didn’t want to be wrong, so relied on the answers that were given.