Outline and evaluate research into explanations of conformity.
Definition Types Explanations - ISI Explanations - NSI
● form of social influence ● Compliance: individual influenced for ● Informative, desire to be right. ● Desire to conform to norms,
from exposure to the favourable reaction from majority. ● Cognitive process. Occurs in behave like others.
majority, tendency for Public, not private. socially ambiguous situations. ● Norms regulate behaviour,
people to adopt the ● Internalisation: accepts influence & ● Confidence perceptions correct. emotional process.
behaviour + values of views public + privately. Permanent ● Change underlying attitudes w/ ● Must be under surveillance,
other members of ● Identification: adopt attitude or group, internalisation. motivated to gain approval.
reference group, eg behaviour to be associated w/ group. ● Also occurs in quick decisions, ● Compliance only, not in private.
smoking. Publically change opinions, privately 1 person regarded as expert. ● Humans are social species, have
disagree. Eg nurse, for acceptance ● Eg agreeing w/ smart person fear of rejection. Smoking
Normative - Research Informative - Research Informative - Individual Differences ISI/NSI - Oversimplified
● Schultz: 75% hotel ● Lucas found students conformed ● Asch found students (28%) ● Conformity reduced in Asch
guests reuse towels if more to incorrect answers when conformed less than other Ps when using dissenter.
told other guests reuse problems difficult. Most true for (37%). ● Dissenter reduces NSI by
towels. Ergo people students who saw their maths as poor ● Perrin + Spencer found providing social support, or
desire to fit into reference ● Ergo people conform in unfamiliar engineering students less likely reduce ISI by providing
group. situations, assume others know better to conform. They had alternative source of info.
● We can manipulate ● Wiesenthal found if people felt confidence in making decisions. ● Hard to distinguish between ISI
people for energy competent in a task = less conformity ● Ergo more knowledgeable = or NSI at work
conservation behaviour. ● Counter: However, in similar study of less influenced by majority. ● Question whether they operate
youth offenders, similar to independently.
McCarthyism, similar levels of
conformity.
Normative - Research Real World Application Reductionist Behaviourist Approach
● Asch found Ps felt self- ● Fein found US presidential debate ● Reductionist, reduces ● Links to behaviourist approach
conscious about answer, judgements could be influenced w/ explanation as to why people ● In NSI/internalisation, people
scared of disapproval. knowledge of others’ reactions. conform to 2 basic elements model behaviour off others
● When asked to write ● By showing reactions of other Ps on ● Question whether they operate (vicarious reinforcement), can be
answers down, screen during debate, there were independently or together praised by group if correct
conformity fell to 12.5%. large shifts in judgements of ● Doesn’t consider person itself, (mediational processes?)
● Supports idea Ps candidates performance. personality, predisposition or ● If continue to be praised for
conforming due to NSI. upbringing actions, behaviour is permanent
(Pavlov’s Dog?)
Outline and evaluate Asch’s research.
Definition Types Explanations - ISI Explanations - NSI
● form of social influence ● Compliance: individual influenced for ● Informative, desire to be right. ● Desire to conform to norms,
from exposure to the favourable reaction from majority. ● Cognitive process. Occurs in behave like others.
majority, tendency for Public, not private. socially ambiguous situations. ● Norms regulate behaviour,
people to adopt the ● Internalisation: accepts influence & ● Confidence perceptions correct. emotional process.
behaviour + values of views public + privately. Permanent ● Change underlying attitudes w/ ● Must be under surveillance,
other members of ● Identification: adopt attitude or group, internalisation. motivated to gain approval.
reference group, eg behaviour to be associated w/ group. ● Also occurs in quick decisions, ● Compliance only, not in private.
smoking. Publically change opinions, privately 1 person regarded as expert. ● Humans are social species, have
disagree. Eg nurse, for acceptance ● Eg agreeing w/ smart person fear of rejection. Smoking
Normative - Research Informative - Research Informative - Individual Differences ISI/NSI - Oversimplified
● Schultz: 75% hotel ● Lucas found students conformed ● Asch found students (28%) ● Conformity reduced in Asch
guests reuse towels if more to incorrect answers when conformed less than other Ps when using dissenter.
told other guests reuse problems difficult. Most true for (37%). ● Dissenter reduces NSI by
towels. Ergo people students who saw their maths as poor ● Perrin + Spencer found providing social support, or
desire to fit into reference ● Ergo people conform in unfamiliar engineering students less likely reduce ISI by providing
group. situations, assume others know better to conform. They had alternative source of info.
● We can manipulate ● Wiesenthal found if people felt confidence in making decisions. ● Hard to distinguish between ISI
people for energy competent in a task = less conformity ● Ergo more knowledgeable = or NSI at work
conservation behaviour. ● Counter: However, in similar study of less influenced by majority. ● Question whether they operate
youth offenders, similar to independently.
McCarthyism, similar levels of
conformity.
Normative - Research Real World Application Reductionist Behaviourist Approach
● Asch found Ps felt self- ● Fein found US presidential debate ● Reductionist, reduces ● Links to behaviourist approach
conscious about answer, judgements could be influenced w/ explanation as to why people ● In NSI/internalisation, people
scared of disapproval. knowledge of others’ reactions. conform to 2 basic elements model behaviour off others
● When asked to write ● By showing reactions of other Ps on ● Question whether they operate (vicarious reinforcement), can be
answers down, screen during debate, there were independently or together praised by group if correct
conformity fell to 12.5%. large shifts in judgements of ● Doesn’t consider person itself, (mediational processes?)
● Supports idea Ps candidates performance. personality, predisposition or ● If continue to be praised for
conforming due to NSI. upbringing actions, behaviour is permanent
(Pavlov’s Dog?)
Outline and evaluate Asch’s research.
