Types of Conformity and Explanations of Conformity

Question 1

Outline compliance as a type of conformity

Answer 1

Occurs when someone accepts influence as they hope to achieve a favourable reaction from those around them. An attitude is adopted not because of its content, but because of the rewards or approval associated with its adoption

Question 2

Outline identification as a type of conformity

Answer 2

Where someone adopts behaviour as they want to be associated with a person/group

Question 3

Outline internalisation as a type of conformity

Answer 3

When someone accepts influence as the content of the attitude/behaviour proposed is consistent with their own value system

Question 4

Outline normative social influence (NSI) as a explanation of conformity

Answer 4

• Want to be liked
• Want to be accepted by the rest of the group, want to fit in
• This means we will say or do things for popularity within that group

Question 5

Outline informational social influence as a explanation of conformity

Answer 5

• Need to be right
• When we are in an ‘ambiguous’ situation, we will see what others do and assume they’re right

Question 6

Give evaluation for information social influence (research support)

Answer 6

• Fein at al (2007) found judgements of candidate performance in the US presidental debates was influenced by knowledge of the reaction of others
• Lucas et al (2006) gave students were given a maths test, with easy and hard questions. They conformed to the wrong answer more frequently for the difficult questions. This was truer for the students who rated their maths ability as poor

Question 7

Give evaluation for information social influence (moderated by type of task)

Answer 7

• Features of the task moderate the impact of majority influence. For some judgements there are more clear physical criteria for validation while for others there may be no physical way of validating them .
• For example, deciding if Bristol is the most highly populated city in SW of England can be determined through objective means (statistics) while judging whether if its fun cannot be made an objective criteria. Consequently, these kinds of judgements must be made on the basis of social consensus.
• As a result, majorities should exert greater influence on issues of social rather than physical reality, which is supported by Laughlin (1999)

Question 8

Give evaluation for normative social influence (research support)

Answer 8

Schultz et al (2008) conducted a study where hotel guests were given the normative message that 75% of guests reused their towels, This led to a 25% decrease in their own towel use. People changed their behaviour to fit in with what they consider to be normal

Question 9

Give evaluation for normative social influence (individual differences)

Answer 9

People who aren’t concerned with being liked are less likely to confirm. People who have a high need for association with others are called nAffiliators. McGhee and Teevan (1964) found people with a high need for affiliation are more likely to conform