Types and explanations of conformity.

Question 1

What is conformity?

Answer 1

A change in a person’s behaviour or opinions as a result of real or imagined pressure from a person or group of people.

Question 2

What are the three types of conformity?

Answer 2

Compliance
Identification
Internalisation

Question 3

Describe compliance.

Answer 3

Shallow, temporary form of conformity.

Change in public behaviour but not in private beliefs.

Associated with normative social influence.

Question 4

Describe internalisation.

Answer 4

Deepest, permanent form of conformity.

Change in both public behaviours and private beliefs.

Associated with informational social influence.

Question 5

Describe identification.

Answer 5

Moderate form of conformity.

Conform to behaviours and beliefs of the group because there is something about the group they value.

Identification occurs because we want to be accepted into the group.

However, beliefs are internalised.

Question 6

Describe informational social influence.

Answer 6

Cognitive reason for conformity.

Conformity to be right.

More likely around experts or in difficult/ambivalent situations.

Question 6

Describe normative social influence.

Answer 6

Emotional reason for conformity.

Avoid rejection and gain approval from the group.

More likely to occur around strangers/ close friends.

Question 7

Evaluation points.

Answer 7

+ Lucas et al. : support for ISI.

• Hard to distinguish between NSI and ISI. Dissenter reduces conformity: this could be due to either.

+ Research support for NSI: Asch post experiment interviews.

• McGhee and Teevan: nAffiliators/ individual differences.