Social influence- Conformity & Social change
Study online at https://quizlet.com/_bna3wa
1. What is confor- Conformity is a type of social influence involving a change
mity? in belief or behaviour in order to fit in with a group as a
result of imagined or real group pressure.
2. Why do we con- Normative social influence (NSI): the desire to be liked
form? (explana- or accepted, when we conform to fit in with the group
tions for confor- because we don't want to appear foolish or be left out.
mity) Informational social influence (ISI): the desire to be right or
correct, when we conform because we are unsure of the
situation, so we look to others who we believe may have
more information than us.
3. What is it called The "two process approach"
when NSI and ISI
work together?
4. What are the 1. Compliance = publicly changing behaviour to fit in with
different types the group while privately disagreeing, conforming to the
of conformity? majority (publicly), in spite of not really agreeing with them
(Depending on (privately).
whether the per- 2. Identification = conforming to the expectations of a
son changes social norm based on a uniform. Similar to compliance,
their view only in there does not have to be a change in private opinion.
public or in pub- 3. Internalisation = publicly changing behaviour to fit in with
lic and in private) the group & also agreeing with the behaviour privately- eg:
cults, vegans & eating disorders
5. Name the 4 key The Bean Jar Experiment (1932) by Jenness, Sherif and
experiments in his Autokinetic Effect Experiment (1935), Asch and his line
conformity judgement task (1951) and the Stanford Prison Study by
Zimbardo (1974).
6. Describe the Aim- to investigate conformity
Bean Jar Ex- Procedure- participants were asked to estimate how many
periment (aim, beans they thought was in a jar individually and as a
procedure, re- group.
sults & con- Results- he found that when the task was carried out in
clusion briefly) a social group, ppts (which were all male) would report
and the Evalua- estimates of roughly the same even though they reported
1/5
, Social influence- Conformity & Social change
Study online at https://quizlet.com/_bna3wa
tion- majority in- quite different estimates as individuals. Conclusion- study
fluence exp demonstrated that individuals behaviour & beliefs can be
influenced by a group (majority influence & ISI).
Evaluation: gender bias so lacks generalisability, lab ex-
periment so low econological validity but high control so
reliability, possibility of demand characteristics, ethical
7. Describe Aim: to demonstrate that people conform to group norms
Sherif's when they are put in ambigious situations. Procedure: Au-
Experiment tokinetic effect (small spot of light in a dark room appears
(1935)- The to move but is actually still). Results = group converged
Autokinetic to the common estimate, no individual judgements. Con-
effect- majority clusion: people look for guidance to others when they lack
influence exp appropiate information (ISI).
8. Describe Asch Aim: to investigate the extent to which social pressure
Experiment from a majority group could affect a person to conform.
(1951)- Line Procedure: lab experiment & line judgement task with
Judgement Task- confederates. Results: on average, 32% of ppt in each trial
majority went along and conformed to the clearly incorrect majority.
influence exp Conclusion: most didn't believe their conforming answers
but went along to fit in (NSI), some said that they really did
believe the group's answers were correct (ISI).
9. Give 6 evaluation 1. Lab setting- low ecological validity- cannot be applied to
points for Sherif other settings. Counter arguement- high control & realibil-
and Asch's stud- ity.
ies 2. No population validity because all ppts were white males
in university, not generalisable.
3. Supporting evidence to each other as results both
showed a degree of conformity, which increases realiabil-
ity
4. No internal validity because both could have had de-
mand charactersistics ("screw you" or perfect ppt) and EV
like poor eyesight
5. Studies are ethical: informed consent, right to withdraw
& protection of ppts, BUT deception- lied to ppts about the
line lengths & confederates. CA: debrief
2/5
Study online at https://quizlet.com/_bna3wa
1. What is confor- Conformity is a type of social influence involving a change
mity? in belief or behaviour in order to fit in with a group as a
result of imagined or real group pressure.
2. Why do we con- Normative social influence (NSI): the desire to be liked
form? (explana- or accepted, when we conform to fit in with the group
tions for confor- because we don't want to appear foolish or be left out.
mity) Informational social influence (ISI): the desire to be right or
correct, when we conform because we are unsure of the
situation, so we look to others who we believe may have
more information than us.
3. What is it called The "two process approach"
when NSI and ISI
work together?
4. What are the 1. Compliance = publicly changing behaviour to fit in with
different types the group while privately disagreeing, conforming to the
of conformity? majority (publicly), in spite of not really agreeing with them
(Depending on (privately).
whether the per- 2. Identification = conforming to the expectations of a
son changes social norm based on a uniform. Similar to compliance,
their view only in there does not have to be a change in private opinion.
public or in pub- 3. Internalisation = publicly changing behaviour to fit in with
lic and in private) the group & also agreeing with the behaviour privately- eg:
cults, vegans & eating disorders
5. Name the 4 key The Bean Jar Experiment (1932) by Jenness, Sherif and
experiments in his Autokinetic Effect Experiment (1935), Asch and his line
conformity judgement task (1951) and the Stanford Prison Study by
Zimbardo (1974).
6. Describe the Aim- to investigate conformity
Bean Jar Ex- Procedure- participants were asked to estimate how many
periment (aim, beans they thought was in a jar individually and as a
procedure, re- group.
sults & con- Results- he found that when the task was carried out in
clusion briefly) a social group, ppts (which were all male) would report
and the Evalua- estimates of roughly the same even though they reported
1/5
, Social influence- Conformity & Social change
Study online at https://quizlet.com/_bna3wa
tion- majority in- quite different estimates as individuals. Conclusion- study
fluence exp demonstrated that individuals behaviour & beliefs can be
influenced by a group (majority influence & ISI).
Evaluation: gender bias so lacks generalisability, lab ex-
periment so low econological validity but high control so
reliability, possibility of demand characteristics, ethical
7. Describe Aim: to demonstrate that people conform to group norms
Sherif's when they are put in ambigious situations. Procedure: Au-
Experiment tokinetic effect (small spot of light in a dark room appears
(1935)- The to move but is actually still). Results = group converged
Autokinetic to the common estimate, no individual judgements. Con-
effect- majority clusion: people look for guidance to others when they lack
influence exp appropiate information (ISI).
8. Describe Asch Aim: to investigate the extent to which social pressure
Experiment from a majority group could affect a person to conform.
(1951)- Line Procedure: lab experiment & line judgement task with
Judgement Task- confederates. Results: on average, 32% of ppt in each trial
majority went along and conformed to the clearly incorrect majority.
influence exp Conclusion: most didn't believe their conforming answers
but went along to fit in (NSI), some said that they really did
believe the group's answers were correct (ISI).
9. Give 6 evaluation 1. Lab setting- low ecological validity- cannot be applied to
points for Sherif other settings. Counter arguement- high control & realibil-
and Asch's stud- ity.
ies 2. No population validity because all ppts were white males
in university, not generalisable.
3. Supporting evidence to each other as results both
showed a degree of conformity, which increases realiabil-
ity
4. No internal validity because both could have had de-
mand charactersistics ("screw you" or perfect ppt) and EV
like poor eyesight
5. Studies are ethical: informed consent, right to withdraw
& protection of ppts, BUT deception- lied to ppts about the
line lengths & confederates. CA: debrief
2/5
