,Conformity: Types and Explanations
Key terms:
• Conformity: A change in a persons behaviour or opinions as a result of real
or imagined pressure from a person or group of people Explanation of Conformity
• Internalisation: A dept type of conformity where we take on the majority • Morton Deutsch and Harold Gerard (1955) developed a t wo-
view because we accept it as correct. It leads to a far-research and process theory, arguing that there are t wo main reasons people
permanent change in behaviour, even when the group is absent. conform. They are based on t wo central human needs: the need to
• Identification: A moderate type of conformity where we act in the same be right (ISI), and the need to be liked (NSI).
way with the group because we value it and want to be part of it. But we
don't necessarily agree with everything the majority believes. Informational social influence (ISI)
• Compliance: A superficial and temporary type of conformity where we • Informational social influence (ISI) is about who has the better
out wardly go along with the majority view, but privately disagree with it. information - you or the rest of the group. Often we are
The change in our behaviour only lasts as long as the group is monitoring us. uncertain about what behaviours or beliefs are right or wrong.
• Informational social influence (ISI): An explanation of conformity that says For example, you may not know the answer to a question in class.
we agree with the opinion of the majority because we believe it is correct. But if most of the class agrees on one answer, you accept that
We accept it because we want to be correct as well. This may lead to answer because you feel they are likely to be right. The reason
internalisation. individuals follow the behaviour of the group (the majority) is
• Normative social influence (NSI): An explanation of conformity that says because people want to be right. ISI is a cognitive process because
we agree with the opinion of the majority because we want to be accepted, it is to do with what you think.
gain social approval and be liked. This may lead to compliance. • ISI is most likely to happen in situations that are new to a person
(so you don't know what is right) or situations where there is
Types of Conformity: Internalisation some ambiguity, so it isn't clear what is right. It is also typical in
Internalisation occurs when a person genuinely accepts the group norms. This crisis situations where decisions have to be made quickly. It also
results in a private as well as a public change of opinions/behaviour. This occurs when one person (or group) is regarded as being more of an
change is likely to be permanent because attitudes have been internalised, i.e. expert.
become part of the way the person thinks. The change in opinions/behaviour
persists even in the absence of other group members. Normative social influence (NSI)
• Normative social influence (NSI) is about norms, i.e. what is
Types of Conformity: Identification 'normal' or typical behaviour for a social group. Norms regulate
Sometimes we conform to the opinions/behaviour of a group because there is the behaviour of groups and individuals so it is not surprising
something about that group we value. We identify with the group, so we want that we pay attention to them. People do not like to appear
to be part of it. This may mean we publicly change our opinions/behaviour to foolish and prefer to gain social approval rather than be rejected.
achieve this goal, even if we don't privately agree with everything the group So NSI is an emotional rather than a cognitive process.
stands for. • NSI is most likely to occur in situations with strangers where you
may feel concerned about rejection. It may also occur with people
Types of Conformity: Compliance you know because we are most concerned about the social
This type of conformity involves simply 'going along with others' in public, but approval of our friends. It may be more pronounced in stressful
privately not changing personal opinions and/or behaviour. Compliance results situations where people have a greater need for social support.
in only a superficial change. It also means that a particular behaviour or
opinion stops as soon as group pressure stops.
, Evaluation (research support for (ISI)
P: One strength of ISI is that there is research support that supports informational social influence
E: Lucas et al. (2006) asked students to give answers to mathematical problems that were easy or more difficult. There was greater
conformity to incorrect answers when they were difficult rather than when they were easier ones. This was most true for students
who rated their mathematical ability as poor.
E: The study shows that people conform in situations where they feel they don't know the answer, which is exactly the outcome
predicted by the ISI explanation. We look to other people and assume they know better than us and must be right.
CA: However some psychologist may argue that the research contained artificial tasks - a real life task would be following a crowd in
an emergency
C: Despite this, its still a strength because people conform in situation where they feel they don't know the answer (ISI) thus we look
to others and assume they know better that us and must be right, which increases the internal validity of the explanation
Evaluation (individual differences)
P: A limitation of ISI is that there are individual differences.
E: Asch (1955) found that students were less conformist (28%) than other participants (37%).
E: Perrin and Spencer's (1980) also found less conformity in students - in this study they were engineering students (i.e. confident
about precision).
CA: Asch repeated his study and wrote down their answers instead of saying them aloud (less chance of being rejected by the group)
conformity rate fell to 12.5% so other factors involved rather than simply simply individual differences (as in how ISI is tested)
C: Despite this, people who are knowledgeable and/or more confident are less influenced by the apparently 'right' view of a majority.
Therefore there are differences in how individuals respond to ISI.
Evaluation (approach is oversimplified)
P: A limitation of ISI and NSI is that the 't wo-process' approach is oversimplified.
E: This approach states that behaviour is due to either NSI or ISI.
E However, conformity was reduced when there was a dissenting partner in the Asch experiment. This dissenter may reduce the
power of NSI (by providing social support) or reduce the power of ISI (because they are an alternative source of information).
CA: However some psychologist may argue that its a lab study so confounding variables are reduced. Easier to establish cause and
effect relationship.
C: Despite this it's still a weakness because it isn't always possible to know whether NSI or ISI is at work. This questions the view of
ISI and NSI as operating independently in conforming behaviour.
Key terms:
• Conformity: A change in a persons behaviour or opinions as a result of real
or imagined pressure from a person or group of people Explanation of Conformity
• Internalisation: A dept type of conformity where we take on the majority • Morton Deutsch and Harold Gerard (1955) developed a t wo-
view because we accept it as correct. It leads to a far-research and process theory, arguing that there are t wo main reasons people
permanent change in behaviour, even when the group is absent. conform. They are based on t wo central human needs: the need to
• Identification: A moderate type of conformity where we act in the same be right (ISI), and the need to be liked (NSI).
way with the group because we value it and want to be part of it. But we
don't necessarily agree with everything the majority believes. Informational social influence (ISI)
• Compliance: A superficial and temporary type of conformity where we • Informational social influence (ISI) is about who has the better
out wardly go along with the majority view, but privately disagree with it. information - you or the rest of the group. Often we are
The change in our behaviour only lasts as long as the group is monitoring us. uncertain about what behaviours or beliefs are right or wrong.
• Informational social influence (ISI): An explanation of conformity that says For example, you may not know the answer to a question in class.
we agree with the opinion of the majority because we believe it is correct. But if most of the class agrees on one answer, you accept that
We accept it because we want to be correct as well. This may lead to answer because you feel they are likely to be right. The reason
internalisation. individuals follow the behaviour of the group (the majority) is
• Normative social influence (NSI): An explanation of conformity that says because people want to be right. ISI is a cognitive process because
we agree with the opinion of the majority because we want to be accepted, it is to do with what you think.
gain social approval and be liked. This may lead to compliance. • ISI is most likely to happen in situations that are new to a person
(so you don't know what is right) or situations where there is
Types of Conformity: Internalisation some ambiguity, so it isn't clear what is right. It is also typical in
Internalisation occurs when a person genuinely accepts the group norms. This crisis situations where decisions have to be made quickly. It also
results in a private as well as a public change of opinions/behaviour. This occurs when one person (or group) is regarded as being more of an
change is likely to be permanent because attitudes have been internalised, i.e. expert.
become part of the way the person thinks. The change in opinions/behaviour
persists even in the absence of other group members. Normative social influence (NSI)
• Normative social influence (NSI) is about norms, i.e. what is
Types of Conformity: Identification 'normal' or typical behaviour for a social group. Norms regulate
Sometimes we conform to the opinions/behaviour of a group because there is the behaviour of groups and individuals so it is not surprising
something about that group we value. We identify with the group, so we want that we pay attention to them. People do not like to appear
to be part of it. This may mean we publicly change our opinions/behaviour to foolish and prefer to gain social approval rather than be rejected.
achieve this goal, even if we don't privately agree with everything the group So NSI is an emotional rather than a cognitive process.
stands for. • NSI is most likely to occur in situations with strangers where you
may feel concerned about rejection. It may also occur with people
Types of Conformity: Compliance you know because we are most concerned about the social
This type of conformity involves simply 'going along with others' in public, but approval of our friends. It may be more pronounced in stressful
privately not changing personal opinions and/or behaviour. Compliance results situations where people have a greater need for social support.
in only a superficial change. It also means that a particular behaviour or
opinion stops as soon as group pressure stops.
, Evaluation (research support for (ISI)
P: One strength of ISI is that there is research support that supports informational social influence
E: Lucas et al. (2006) asked students to give answers to mathematical problems that were easy or more difficult. There was greater
conformity to incorrect answers when they were difficult rather than when they were easier ones. This was most true for students
who rated their mathematical ability as poor.
E: The study shows that people conform in situations where they feel they don't know the answer, which is exactly the outcome
predicted by the ISI explanation. We look to other people and assume they know better than us and must be right.
CA: However some psychologist may argue that the research contained artificial tasks - a real life task would be following a crowd in
an emergency
C: Despite this, its still a strength because people conform in situation where they feel they don't know the answer (ISI) thus we look
to others and assume they know better that us and must be right, which increases the internal validity of the explanation
Evaluation (individual differences)
P: A limitation of ISI is that there are individual differences.
E: Asch (1955) found that students were less conformist (28%) than other participants (37%).
E: Perrin and Spencer's (1980) also found less conformity in students - in this study they were engineering students (i.e. confident
about precision).
CA: Asch repeated his study and wrote down their answers instead of saying them aloud (less chance of being rejected by the group)
conformity rate fell to 12.5% so other factors involved rather than simply simply individual differences (as in how ISI is tested)
C: Despite this, people who are knowledgeable and/or more confident are less influenced by the apparently 'right' view of a majority.
Therefore there are differences in how individuals respond to ISI.
Evaluation (approach is oversimplified)
P: A limitation of ISI and NSI is that the 't wo-process' approach is oversimplified.
E: This approach states that behaviour is due to either NSI or ISI.
E However, conformity was reduced when there was a dissenting partner in the Asch experiment. This dissenter may reduce the
power of NSI (by providing social support) or reduce the power of ISI (because they are an alternative source of information).
CA: However some psychologist may argue that its a lab study so confounding variables are reduced. Easier to establish cause and
effect relationship.
C: Despite this it's still a weakness because it isn't always possible to know whether NSI or ISI is at work. This questions the view of
ISI and NSI as operating independently in conforming behaviour.
