Types & Explanations for Conformity (Social Influence)

Question 1

Who proposed the three types of conformity and what are they?

Answer 1

Kelman (1958) proposed three types of conformity:
- Compliance
- Internalisation
- Identification

Question 2

What is compliance?

Answer 2

• When an individual goes along with the group to gain their approval or to avoid their disapproval.
• This is because fitting is desirable.
• It is a temporary change in a persons attitude, they publically agree but privately disagree.

Question 3

What is internalisation?

Answer 3

• When an individual goes along with the group because they have accepted the groups views.
• If the group is trustworthy and the individual has gone along with them on previous occasions, internalisation is more likely.
• The individual publically and privately agrees with the group, it is more of a permanent change.

Question 4

What is identification?

Answer 4

• When an individual is influenced because they want to be associated with another person or group.
• They adopt the groups attitudes and behaviours to feel more a part of the group.
• Identification has elements of both compliance and internalisation.
• They accept the views of the group as true because they want to be a part of the group.

Question 5

What are the two explanations for conformity in which we can be influenced by society (leading to conformity)?

Answer 5

• Normative social influence
• Informational social influence

Question 6

What is normative social influence?

Answer 6

• When someone conforms because they want to be liked and accepted by the group.
• This results in compliance.
• They change their views to fit in and publicly agree but privately disagree.
• This is a temporary change.

Question 7

What is the research to support normative social influence?

Answer 7

SCHULTZ ET AL (2008):
- Found that hotel guests exposed to the normative message that 75% of guests reused their towels each day (rather than requiring fresh towels) reduced their own towel use by 25%.

Question 8

What is informational social influence?

Answer 8

• Where someone conforms because they do not know what to do, but they want to be correct.
• They follow the majority because they assume that the majority know what the right thing is to do.
• They therefore internalise others ideas and publically/privately agree.
• This is a permanent change in attitudes and behaviour.

Question 9

What is the research to support informational social influence?

Answer 9

• Wittenbrink and Henley Found that participants exposed to negative information about African Americans (which they were led to believe was the view of the majority) later reported more negative beliefs about a black individual.

Question 10

What are the strengths of types & explanations for conformity?

Answer 10

Research to support both Normative and Informational social influence

Normative- Schultz et al, investigated reusing hotel towers, more likely to comply when told the majority were reusing them (normal)

Informational- Asch, in task difficulty variation pps were more likely to conform with confederates, self efficacy, the need to be right

Question 11

What are the limitations for types of and explanations for conformity?

Answer 11

• The findings may not be reflected in real life as many other factors can affects conformity such as social support.
• There may be individual differences in normative social influence. McGhee and Teevan (1967) found that students who were nAffiliators were more concerned about being liked and were more likely to conform.
• Research only focuses on short term effects of social influence —> doesn’t measure this long term. E.g. views accepted in public through compliance may later be forgotten due to new information received.