SOCIAL INFLUENCE:
CONFORMITY:TYPES AND EXPLANATIONS
SOCIAL INFLUENCE:The ways in which external social factors influence
our behaviour
CONFORMITY:A type of social influence where we choose to change our
behaviour or opinions to go along with the majority influence
TYPES OF CONFORMITY:
KELMAN 1958 suggested there are 3 ways people conform to the
suggestions of the majority:
● INTERNALISATION(DEEP):When a person genuinely accepts the
group norms. Results in a public and private change in behaviour.
Leads to a permanent change in behaviour as attitudes have been
internalised and have become part of the way the person thinks,even
in the absence of the group.
● IDENTIFICATION(MODERATE):When we act in the same way as the
group because there is something within the group we value and
want to be a part of. Leads to a public but not private change in
behaviour as we conform to fit in with the group but don't privately
agree with the majority beliefs.
● COMPLIANCE(SUPERFICIAL):When a person outwardly goes
along with the majority view but privately doesn’t change their views
or beliefs. Leads to only a temporary change as a particular
behaviour or opinion stops as soon as group pressure stops.
EXPLANATIONS FOR CONFORMITY:
Deutsch and Gerard(1955) developed a two process model,stating that
there are two reasons people conform,based on two central human
needs:need to be right or be liked:
● INFORMATIONAL SOCIAL INFLUENCE:States that we agree with
the opinion of the majority because we believe it to be correct. We
then accept this because we are unsure of the right
behaviors/opinions ourselves and want to also be right. ISI=cognitive
process-involved with what we think. ISI is more likely to happen in
new social situations,in a crisis situation or when one person is
considered to be an expert. May lead to INTERNALISATION.
, ● NORMATIVE SOCIAL INFLUENCE:States that we agree with the
opinion of the majority because we want to be accepted,gain social
approval and be liked. Related to typical norms(typical behaviour for
a social group). NSI=emotional process-involved with us not wanting
to be seen as foolish and be rejected. NSI is more likely to occur in
situations with strangers(more concerned about rejection) or with
friends(more concerned about social approval) and also in stressful
situations(need more social support). May lead to COMPLIANCE.
CONFORMITY STUDIES:
● SHERIF (1935):Investigated whether people would conform to group
norms when put into an ambiguous situation. Participants asked to
estimate how far a point of light appeared in a dark room once alone
and once out loud in a group situation. Found that the participants
answers would converge and they gave similar estimates-shows in
an ambiguous situation,people are influenced by the judgement of
others-will conform due to a desire to be right-INFORMATIONAL
INFLUENCE
Evaluation:
1. Lab study,lacks ecological validity
2. Includes deception,participants not aware the light was stationary
● JENNESS(1932):Investigated conformity according to informational
social influence. Asked participants to guess how many sweets there
were in a jar once alone and once within a group. Then asked one
more time-found that almost all participants changed their answers
towards the group estimates-suggests people conform when they are
seeking to be correct
Evaluation:
1. Lab study-low ecological validity
2. Involved deception-participants not informed of real aims
3. Easy to replicate-easy to test reliability
EVALUATION OF TYPES AND EXPLANATIONS:
● RESEARCH SUPPORT FOR ISI:Lucas et al 2006 asked students to
give answers to easy and more difficult questions-found greater
conformity to incorrect answers when the questions were more
difficult-most true for students who had poor mathematical ability.
, Suggests that people do conform when they are unsure of the
answer-look to others who we assume are right
● INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES IN NSI:Research shows that NSI
doesn’t affect everyone behaviour in the same way:does not affect
people as much when they are less concerned with being liked.
People with a high need to be liked=nAffiliators(greater need for
affiliation). McGhee and Teevan (1967): HS students with a higher
need for affiliation more likely to conform-suggests a desire to be
liked underlines conformity for some people more than others-not
universal + some people respond differently
● ISI AND NSI WORK TOGETHER?:Arguably the ISI and NSI are not
either or but instead work together (Asch experiment)-it isn't always
possible to be sure whether the ISI or NSI is at work-casts doubt over
the two process model that suggests they work independently.
● NSI Supported by research from Asch(1951)=participants went along
with what was clearly the wrong answer and said they did this
because they were afraid of disapproval-conformity rates fell when
they did not have to speak their answer
ASCH’S RESEARCH ON CONFORMITY:1951-55
Created a procedure to assess how much people will conform to the
opinion of others even if the answer is unambiguous:
Aims: To establish the extent that group pressure can influence an
individual to conform to that group's way of thinking.
Procedure:
● A set of participants is seated around a table-123 American male
undergraduates
● Each participant=shown a card which has a "reference" line drawn on
it, and another card which has three labelled lines.
● Task:state publically which of the three labelled lines matches the
reference line-task designed to be easy.
● All but one of the participants are confederates of the examiner(6-8
confederates), and, on a secret signal from the examiner, will
deliberately provide an incorrect answer=designed so that the
"innocent" participant is the penultimate person to have to answer-
CONFORMITY:TYPES AND EXPLANATIONS
SOCIAL INFLUENCE:The ways in which external social factors influence
our behaviour
CONFORMITY:A type of social influence where we choose to change our
behaviour or opinions to go along with the majority influence
TYPES OF CONFORMITY:
KELMAN 1958 suggested there are 3 ways people conform to the
suggestions of the majority:
● INTERNALISATION(DEEP):When a person genuinely accepts the
group norms. Results in a public and private change in behaviour.
Leads to a permanent change in behaviour as attitudes have been
internalised and have become part of the way the person thinks,even
in the absence of the group.
● IDENTIFICATION(MODERATE):When we act in the same way as the
group because there is something within the group we value and
want to be a part of. Leads to a public but not private change in
behaviour as we conform to fit in with the group but don't privately
agree with the majority beliefs.
● COMPLIANCE(SUPERFICIAL):When a person outwardly goes
along with the majority view but privately doesn’t change their views
or beliefs. Leads to only a temporary change as a particular
behaviour or opinion stops as soon as group pressure stops.
EXPLANATIONS FOR CONFORMITY:
Deutsch and Gerard(1955) developed a two process model,stating that
there are two reasons people conform,based on two central human
needs:need to be right or be liked:
● INFORMATIONAL SOCIAL INFLUENCE:States that we agree with
the opinion of the majority because we believe it to be correct. We
then accept this because we are unsure of the right
behaviors/opinions ourselves and want to also be right. ISI=cognitive
process-involved with what we think. ISI is more likely to happen in
new social situations,in a crisis situation or when one person is
considered to be an expert. May lead to INTERNALISATION.
, ● NORMATIVE SOCIAL INFLUENCE:States that we agree with the
opinion of the majority because we want to be accepted,gain social
approval and be liked. Related to typical norms(typical behaviour for
a social group). NSI=emotional process-involved with us not wanting
to be seen as foolish and be rejected. NSI is more likely to occur in
situations with strangers(more concerned about rejection) or with
friends(more concerned about social approval) and also in stressful
situations(need more social support). May lead to COMPLIANCE.
CONFORMITY STUDIES:
● SHERIF (1935):Investigated whether people would conform to group
norms when put into an ambiguous situation. Participants asked to
estimate how far a point of light appeared in a dark room once alone
and once out loud in a group situation. Found that the participants
answers would converge and they gave similar estimates-shows in
an ambiguous situation,people are influenced by the judgement of
others-will conform due to a desire to be right-INFORMATIONAL
INFLUENCE
Evaluation:
1. Lab study,lacks ecological validity
2. Includes deception,participants not aware the light was stationary
● JENNESS(1932):Investigated conformity according to informational
social influence. Asked participants to guess how many sweets there
were in a jar once alone and once within a group. Then asked one
more time-found that almost all participants changed their answers
towards the group estimates-suggests people conform when they are
seeking to be correct
Evaluation:
1. Lab study-low ecological validity
2. Involved deception-participants not informed of real aims
3. Easy to replicate-easy to test reliability
EVALUATION OF TYPES AND EXPLANATIONS:
● RESEARCH SUPPORT FOR ISI:Lucas et al 2006 asked students to
give answers to easy and more difficult questions-found greater
conformity to incorrect answers when the questions were more
difficult-most true for students who had poor mathematical ability.
, Suggests that people do conform when they are unsure of the
answer-look to others who we assume are right
● INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES IN NSI:Research shows that NSI
doesn’t affect everyone behaviour in the same way:does not affect
people as much when they are less concerned with being liked.
People with a high need to be liked=nAffiliators(greater need for
affiliation). McGhee and Teevan (1967): HS students with a higher
need for affiliation more likely to conform-suggests a desire to be
liked underlines conformity for some people more than others-not
universal + some people respond differently
● ISI AND NSI WORK TOGETHER?:Arguably the ISI and NSI are not
either or but instead work together (Asch experiment)-it isn't always
possible to be sure whether the ISI or NSI is at work-casts doubt over
the two process model that suggests they work independently.
● NSI Supported by research from Asch(1951)=participants went along
with what was clearly the wrong answer and said they did this
because they were afraid of disapproval-conformity rates fell when
they did not have to speak their answer
ASCH’S RESEARCH ON CONFORMITY:1951-55
Created a procedure to assess how much people will conform to the
opinion of others even if the answer is unambiguous:
Aims: To establish the extent that group pressure can influence an
individual to conform to that group's way of thinking.
Procedure:
● A set of participants is seated around a table-123 American male
undergraduates
● Each participant=shown a card which has a "reference" line drawn on
it, and another card which has three labelled lines.
● Task:state publically which of the three labelled lines matches the
reference line-task designed to be easy.
● All but one of the participants are confederates of the examiner(6-8
confederates), and, on a secret signal from the examiner, will
deliberately provide an incorrect answer=designed so that the
"innocent" participant is the penultimate person to have to answer-
