, Social influence
Types of conformity (Hebert Kelman)
Internalisation
Occurs when a person genuinely accepts the groups norms.
Identification
Sometimes conform the opinions/ behaviours of a group because there is
something about that group that we value.
Compliance
Involves simply going along with others’ in public, but privately disagreeing.
Explanation for conformity (Morton Deutsh and Harold Gerard)
Informational social influence
The idea that we agree with the opinion of the majority because we believe it is
correct, this may lead to internalisation.
Normative social influence
The idea that says we agree with the opinion of the majority because we want to
be accepted, this may lead to compliance.
Support for Informative social influence
Lucas et al asked students mathematical problems and found that those who
judged their mathematical abilities as poor agreed with the majority even if the
answer was more difficult and wrong.
Individual differences with Normative social influence
Naffiliators are those who have a desire/need to be liked. McGhee as Teevan found
that students high in need of affiliation were more likely to conform.
Informative and normative social influence
Both processes are involved, in Aschs experiment, the dissenter may reduce the
power of NSI or may reduce the power of ISI.
Solomon Asch
Procedure:
123 American male undergraduates were shown two large white cards, on one
card there was a standard line, on the other there were 3 lines, one matching the
line on the other card and the other 2 were clearly a different length. Each
participant was in a group of 6-8 confederates but they didn’t know. The
participants took part in 18 trials and 12 of them, the confederates purposely
answered wrong.
Findings:
The participants gave the wrong answer 36.8% of the time. 75% did conform at
least once. The term ‘Asch effect’ has been used to describe this result, the extent
to which participants conform even when the situation is ambiguous, the
participants were interviewed and they said they confirmed to avoid rejection
(normative social influence).
Types of conformity (Hebert Kelman)
Internalisation
Occurs when a person genuinely accepts the groups norms.
Identification
Sometimes conform the opinions/ behaviours of a group because there is
something about that group that we value.
Compliance
Involves simply going along with others’ in public, but privately disagreeing.
Explanation for conformity (Morton Deutsh and Harold Gerard)
Informational social influence
The idea that we agree with the opinion of the majority because we believe it is
correct, this may lead to internalisation.
Normative social influence
The idea that says we agree with the opinion of the majority because we want to
be accepted, this may lead to compliance.
Support for Informative social influence
Lucas et al asked students mathematical problems and found that those who
judged their mathematical abilities as poor agreed with the majority even if the
answer was more difficult and wrong.
Individual differences with Normative social influence
Naffiliators are those who have a desire/need to be liked. McGhee as Teevan found
that students high in need of affiliation were more likely to conform.
Informative and normative social influence
Both processes are involved, in Aschs experiment, the dissenter may reduce the
power of NSI or may reduce the power of ISI.
Solomon Asch
Procedure:
123 American male undergraduates were shown two large white cards, on one
card there was a standard line, on the other there were 3 lines, one matching the
line on the other card and the other 2 were clearly a different length. Each
participant was in a group of 6-8 confederates but they didn’t know. The
participants took part in 18 trials and 12 of them, the confederates purposely
answered wrong.
Findings:
The participants gave the wrong answer 36.8% of the time. 75% did conform at
least once. The term ‘Asch effect’ has been used to describe this result, the extent
to which participants conform even when the situation is ambiguous, the
participants were interviewed and they said they confirmed to avoid rejection
(normative social influence).
