Types of Conformity

Question 1

What is Compliance?

Answer 1

Compliance is the most superficial type of conformity.

• Individuals may go along with the group in order to gain their approval or avoid their disapproval when exposed to the views or actions of the majority.
• Individuals may engage in a process of social comparison, concentrating on what others say or do so that they can adjust their own actions to fit in with them.
• Compliance does not result in any change in the person’s underlying attitude, only in the views and behaviours they express when in that group

Question 2

What is Identification?

Answer 2

Identification is a deeper type of conformity.

• An individual might accept influence because they want to be associated with another person or group.
• By adopting the group’s attitudes and behaviours, they feel more a part of it.
• Identification has elements of both compliance and internalisation, as the individual accepts the attitudes and behaviours they are adopting as right and true, but the purpose of adopting them is to be accepted as a member of the group.
  -This conformity might be temporary or limited to certain situations.

Question 3

What is internalisation?

Answer 3

Internalisation is the deepest level of conformity.

• When exposed to the views of other members of a group, individuals are encouraged to engage in a validation process, examining their own beliefs to see if they or the others are right.
• Close examination of the group’s position convinces the individual to accept the groups’ views.
• This is particularly likely if the group is generally trustworthy in their views and if the individual has tended to go along with them on previous occasions.
• This can lead to acceptance of the group’s point of view both publicly and privately and this can be permanent.

Question 4

A03 - Describe Kelman’s research support for conformity

Answer 4

Research supports the classification of the types of conformity.

• Kelman sent Black American students a message that suggested it was important to keep some private schools with all-black students.
• This was initially opposed by most students.

Kelman then introduced three variations:
- Compliance = students were told the message came from a very powerful man who could withdraw funding from any college that didn’t agree with him
- Identification = When the communicator was presented as an attractive individual whose opinions were supported by an overwhelming majority of black college students
- Internalisation = When the message was allegedly from a very credible source

Question 5

A03 - Describe Man’s integrational conformity

Answer 5

Man suggested a fourth type of conformity: ingratiational conformity.

• This is where a person conforms to social norms in order to gain approval and social rewards from the group.
• This is similar to compliance, but stems from the individual desiring rewards, rather than fearing rejection
• Although this fourth type may explain certain behaviours that occur in a social group setting, it is hard to scientifically distinguish between desire for social rewards and fear of rejection in studies.
• Therefore, this theory may not be a practical addition to the classification of conformity.