Outline and evaluate normative and informational influence as explanations of conformity
Conformity is the process of yielding to majority influence, which may lead to ‘a change in behaviour
of belief as a result of real or imagined group pressure’ (David Myers, 1999). Kelman (1958) identified
3 types of conformity: compliance, identification and internalisation. Compliance is publicly
conforming to the behaviour or beliefs of others but privately maintaining your own views. E.g.
buying a product because it has been endorsed by your favourite celebrity. Identification is adopting
the views or behaviour of a group, both publicly and privately, because you value the membership of
that group. E.g. a child may start smoking because the ‘cool kids’ smoke and they admire and want to
be like the ‘cool kids’. Internalisation is a true change of private views to match those of the group.
The attitudes and behaviours of the group have now become part of the individual’s value system.
E.g. converting to a religion after being approached by a religious group. While types of conformity
have been identified, there are also explanations as to why people conform in these ways.
One explanation of conformity is normative social influence. This denotes that people conform to be
liked or accepted by a group and want to be part of the social norm. E.g. becoming a vegetarian to
get others to like you more. This may also be referred to as compliance, as public change may occur
but private views may stay the same. As humans are a social species, they possess a need to be liked
or accepted and so may resort to normative social influence to gain social companionship. They also
fear refection and disapproval, and so gaining approval and acceptance forms the basis of normative
social influence. An important condition for normative social influence to occur is the belief that the
individual is under surveillance by the group. If they feel as if the group is judging them or will
scrutinise them for certain things then they are more likely to conform due to normative social
influence.
Informational social influence is another explanation of conformity. This is when an individual
conforms due to the desire to be right. Initially, individuals may make objective tests against reality
(e.g. check their facts). But, if this is not possible then the individual may rely on the opinions of
others, which is more likely to occur if the situation is ambiguous (e.g. the correct answer is not
clear) or where others have more knowledge of the subject than the individual. E.g. agreeing with
the majority of people on an answer because the answer is unclear or the majority may have more
knowledge than the individual. As a result, the individual does not just comply in behaviour alone by
behaviour in line with the group position. Due to the involvement of both public and private change,
this is an example of internalisation.
Although 3 different types of conformity have been established, there is difficulty in distinguishing
between compliance and internalisation. The relationship between compliance and internalisation is
complicated in terms of how we define and measure public compliance and private acceptance. For
example, it is assumed that someone who publicly agrees with the majority but disagrees with them
in private must be demonstrating compliance. However, it is possible that acceptance has occurred in
public but the fades away in private because they have forgotten about the information or, as a result
of self-perception, they have subsequently come to accept a position of their own.
In support of normative social influence, Linkenbach and Perkins (2003) found that when adolescents
were exposed to the simple message ‘the majority of your peers don’t smoke’, they were less likely
to take up smoking.
Similarly, Schultz et al (2008) found that when hotel guests were exposed to the mess ‘75% of guests
reuse their towel everyday rather than requesting new ones’, they reduced their own towel use by
25%. This demonstrates that, therefore, people can shape their own behaviour to fit in with their
reference group.
Conformity is the process of yielding to majority influence, which may lead to ‘a change in behaviour
of belief as a result of real or imagined group pressure’ (David Myers, 1999). Kelman (1958) identified
3 types of conformity: compliance, identification and internalisation. Compliance is publicly
conforming to the behaviour or beliefs of others but privately maintaining your own views. E.g.
buying a product because it has been endorsed by your favourite celebrity. Identification is adopting
the views or behaviour of a group, both publicly and privately, because you value the membership of
that group. E.g. a child may start smoking because the ‘cool kids’ smoke and they admire and want to
be like the ‘cool kids’. Internalisation is a true change of private views to match those of the group.
The attitudes and behaviours of the group have now become part of the individual’s value system.
E.g. converting to a religion after being approached by a religious group. While types of conformity
have been identified, there are also explanations as to why people conform in these ways.
One explanation of conformity is normative social influence. This denotes that people conform to be
liked or accepted by a group and want to be part of the social norm. E.g. becoming a vegetarian to
get others to like you more. This may also be referred to as compliance, as public change may occur
but private views may stay the same. As humans are a social species, they possess a need to be liked
or accepted and so may resort to normative social influence to gain social companionship. They also
fear refection and disapproval, and so gaining approval and acceptance forms the basis of normative
social influence. An important condition for normative social influence to occur is the belief that the
individual is under surveillance by the group. If they feel as if the group is judging them or will
scrutinise them for certain things then they are more likely to conform due to normative social
influence.
Informational social influence is another explanation of conformity. This is when an individual
conforms due to the desire to be right. Initially, individuals may make objective tests against reality
(e.g. check their facts). But, if this is not possible then the individual may rely on the opinions of
others, which is more likely to occur if the situation is ambiguous (e.g. the correct answer is not
clear) or where others have more knowledge of the subject than the individual. E.g. agreeing with
the majority of people on an answer because the answer is unclear or the majority may have more
knowledge than the individual. As a result, the individual does not just comply in behaviour alone by
behaviour in line with the group position. Due to the involvement of both public and private change,
this is an example of internalisation.
Although 3 different types of conformity have been established, there is difficulty in distinguishing
between compliance and internalisation. The relationship between compliance and internalisation is
complicated in terms of how we define and measure public compliance and private acceptance. For
example, it is assumed that someone who publicly agrees with the majority but disagrees with them
in private must be demonstrating compliance. However, it is possible that acceptance has occurred in
public but the fades away in private because they have forgotten about the information or, as a result
of self-perception, they have subsequently come to accept a position of their own.
In support of normative social influence, Linkenbach and Perkins (2003) found that when adolescents
were exposed to the simple message ‘the majority of your peers don’t smoke’, they were less likely
to take up smoking.
Similarly, Schultz et al (2008) found that when hotel guests were exposed to the mess ‘75% of guests
reuse their towel everyday rather than requesting new ones’, they reduced their own towel use by
25%. This demonstrates that, therefore, people can shape their own behaviour to fit in with their
reference group.
