Types of and explanations for conformity (lesson 1) Flashcards
A01 A03
what is conformity
conformity is a change in a persons behaviour or opinions as a result of real or imagined pressure from a person or group of people
what were the three suggested types of conformity made by kelman
kelman suggested three levels of conformity, compliance (shallow) identification (intermediate and internalisation (deep)
what is the type of conformity, compliance
compliance is agreeing with the group publicly but keeping personal opinions. resulting in a temporary change in behaviour
what is the type of conformity, identification
identification is when we value membership in a group so we will conform to their behaviour to be a part of the group. even if we don’t fully agree
what is the type of conformity, internalisation
the deepest level of conformity, personal opinions genuinely change to match the group. this is a permanent change in beliefs
what are the two explanations of social influence
Informational social influence, which is when in situations when the correct behavior is uncertain, we look to the majority for guidance on how to behave because we want to be correct. ISI often results in internalization, permanently adopting views. the other explanation is normative social influence. this is in situations when the individual wants to appear normal and be one of the majority, so they are approved not rejected. NSI often results in compliance.
what evidence was there for normative social influence by Ash
when given an unambiguous line length test participants would choose the incorrect answer when the incorrect answer was selected by confederates. when interviewed they said they conformed to avoid rejection by the others. this shows people will show compliant behavior in order to fit in and be approved of by the majority.
why does Ash’s line study lack mundane realism
the experiment was unusual and not like a task performed in day-to-day life, therefore lacks mundane realism. it could be argued that conformity would act differently in real-world situations
what evidence is there for informational social influence by Jenness in 1932
jenness asked participants first alone, and then in groups to make a guess about how many jelly beans were in a jar, and then second guess alone the number of jellybeans in the jar. jenness found that the individuals’ second guess would deviate more towards the group estimation. demonstrating ISI.
why did jeness’s experiment lack mundane realism
the task in Jenness’s experiment was unusual and not a task performed in everyday life, therefore it lacks mundane realism. it could be argued that conformity would act in a different way in real-world situations
why do individual differences come into play when discussing this topic
because some people are more able to resist social pressures to conform based on their personality.
