Types of conformity, Explanations for conformity and variables affecting conformity.

Question 1

what are the 3 types of conformity?

Answer 1

• internalisation.
• compliance.
• identification.

Question 2

what is internalisation?

Answer 2

public and private acceptance of the majority influence, through adoption of the majority group’s belief system.

Question 3

what is compliance?

Answer 3

Publically, but not privately, conforming with the majority influence to gain approval, or avoid disapproval.

Question 4

what is identification?

Answer 4

Public and private acceptance of the majority influence, in order to gain group acceptance.

Question 5

what are the 2 explanations of conformity?

Answer 5

• informational social influence.

- normative social influence.

Question 6

what is informational social influence?

Answer 6

The result of a desire to be right, looking to others for guidance in unfamiliar situations.

Question 7

what is informational social influence likely to lead to?

Answer 7

Internalisation.

Question 8

what is normative social influence?

Answer 8

An individual conforms to the expectations of the majority in order to gain approval and avoid social disapproval. Results form the need that people have for companionship.

Question 9

what is normative social influence likely to lead to?

Answer 9

Compliance.

Question 10

what is cognitive dissonance?

Answer 10

An unpleasant feeling of anxiety due to simultaneously holding 2 contradicting ideas.

Question 11

What variables affect conformity?

Answer 11

• group size.
• unanimity.
• task difficulty.

Question 12

how does group size affect conformity?

Answer 12

Asch found that with 1 real participant and 1 confederate, conformity was low, rising to 13% with 2 confederates and 32% with 3. Adding up to 15 confederates had no impact on conformity.

Question 13

how does unanimity affect conformity?

Answer 13

Asch concluded that breaking the groups unanimity was the major factor in reducing conformity.

Question 14

how does task difficulty effect conformity?

Answer 14

Asch found that by making the lines more similar (so that the answer was less obvious) conformity increased.

Question 15

Outline Asch’s study.

Answer 15

• Lab experiment using male volunteers that were told that the aim was to test perception.
• Seated around a table with 7-8 confederates
• Asked to match 3 lines on a card with a single line on another card.
• confederates wrong 12/18 times.
• 32% conformity to wrong answers 12/18 times.
• 75% conformed to at least 1 wrong answer.
• 25% never conformed.
• 5% conformed to all wrong answers.

Question 16

what did Asch conclude from his study?

Answer 16

The judgement of individuals are affected by the majority opinions even when the majority is obviously wrong. As most participants conformed publically but not privately, this shows that they wanted to be accepted by the group.

Question 17

list 2 strengths and weaknesses of normative social influence.

Answer 17

+ can apply to real life experiences such as bullying.
+ People seem to shape their behavior to fit in with reference groups: teens exposed to the message that a lot of their peers did not smoke were less likely to start ( Linkenbach and Perkins).
-people recognise the casual influence of others on their behavior, but not the extent of the impact.

Question 18

list 2 strengths and weaknesses of Informational social influence.

Answer 18

+has been shown in other studies where participants were exposed to the reactions of the audience of a televised debate.
+ Participants exposed to negative information about African Americans later had negative beliefs about them.
- Only works in some cases.
- Majorities only seem to exert influence when social consensus is needed.