Types of conformity

Question 1

What is conformity?

Answer 1

Conformity is when the behaviour of an individual or small group can be influenced by a larger more dominant group

Question 2

What are the 3 types of conformity?

Answer 2

Internalisation
Compliance
Identification

Question 3

What is internalisation?

Answer 3

Going along with the majority and believing in their views- you have accepted their views

Question 4

What is informational social influence?

Answer 4

When you are in an unfamiliar situation and have to look to others for information about how to behave

Question 5

What is compliance?

Answer 5

Agreeing with the majority even if you don’t agree with the views

Question 6

What is normative social influence?

Answer 6

You just appear to do what is normal as going against the majority may cause rejection from the group

Question 7

What is identification?

Answer 7

Conforming to what’s expected of you to fulfil a social role. Changing your behaviour because you want to fit a social role or imitate a role model

Question 8

What was Sherif (1935) experiment?

Answer 8

Sherif used a visual illusion called the auto-kinetic effect where a stationary light viewed in a dark room appears to move. Participants were falsely told the experimenter would move the light. In public the group of 3 would repeatedly guess at how far the light had moved.

Question 9

What were the results of Sherif’s experiment?

Answer 9

When participants were alone, the estimations between participants varied widely while when they were in a group the estimates were similar.

Question 10

What was the conclusion for Sherif’s experiment?

Answer 10

Participant’s estimates were effected by other peoples. They were affected by informational social influence

Question 11

Evaluation of Sherif’s lab experiment.

Answer 11

Lab- good control of variables- reduced chance of extraneous variables- cause and effect can be established- can be replicated
Artificial environment- low ecological validity

Question 12

Evaluation of Sherif’s repeated measure.

Answer 12

Participant variables were kept constant

Question 13

Evaluation of Sherif’s ethical issues.

Answer 13

The issue of deception as participants were told that the light was moving when it wasn’t

Question 14

Evaluation of Sherif’s sample size.

Answer 14

The sample was quite limited- they were all male so they can’t be generalised and aren’t representative of society

Question 15

What was Asch’s experiment?

Answer 15

In groups of 8 participants judged line lengths by saying out line which comparison line the standard line matched. There was only one real participant in the group

Question 16

What were Asch’s results?

Answer 16

In the control group the participant got the answer wrong 0.7% of the time and in the critical trial 37% of the time participants conformed

Question 17

What was Asch’s conclusion?

Answer 17

The control group showed that it was easy to complete the task however 37% of people were wrong showing they conformed due to normative social influence

Question 18

Asch’s evaluation of lab experiment.

Answer 18

Lab- good control of variables- reduced chance of extraneous variables- cause and effect can be established- can be replicated
Artificial environment- low ecological validity

Question 19

Evaluation of ethical issues of Asch’s experiment

Answer 19

The participants were deceived and may have felt embarrassed when they were told the results. They also were not protected from psychological stress

Question 20

Evaluation of Asch’s sample size.

Answer 20

The sample was biased as only males from the same age group were used.

Question 21

What situational factors were Asch’s participants influenced by?

Answer 21

Group size
Task difficulty
Social support

Question 22

What did task difficulty have to do with Asch’s experiment?

Answer 22

The harder the experiment the more likely people are to conform

Question 23

What does social support have to do with Asch’s experiment?

Answer 23

If the participant had a fellow confederate agree with them the rate of conformity fell to 5.5%

Question 24

What does group size have to do with Asch’s experiment?

Answer 24

The smaller the group size the easier it is to resist conformity. There are little changes however after 3 confederates.

Question 25

What was Zimbardo (1973) study?

Answer 25

How people conform to social roles