SOCIAL INFLUENCE (SI)
1 – CONFORMITY
CONFORMITY – FORM OF SI WHERE ATTITUDES, BELIEFS AND BEHAVIOURS
OF THE MAJORITY GROUP ARE ADOOPTED BY OTHERS IN RESPONSE TO REAL
OR IMAGINED GROUP PRESSURE
2 – TYPES OF CONFORMITY
AO1
KELMAN (1958) DEVELOPED 3 TYPES OF CONFORMITY
- COMPLIANCE (SHALLOW)
- IDENTIFICATION
- INTERNALISATION (DEEPEST)
COMPLIANCE
- PUBLICLY CONFORMING TO THE BEHAVIOUR OR VIEWS OF OTHERS IN A
GROUP BUT PRIVATELY MAINTAINING THEIR OWN VIEW
- GOING ALONG WITH THE GROUP EVEN THOUGH WE DON’T AGREE
- TEMPORARY CHANGE IN BEHAVIOUR – ONLY LASTS IN PRESENCE OF
GROUP
- LINKED TO NSI
IDENTIFICATION
- INDIVIDUALS ADJUST THEIR BEHAVIOUR TO THOSE OF A GROUP
- MEMBERSHIP OF THAT GROUP IS SEEN AS MORE DESIRABLE
- STRONGER TYPE OF CONFORMITY
, - INVOLVES PRIVATE AND PUBLIC ACCEPTANCE
- GENERALLY TEMPORARY AND NOT MAINTAINED ONCE THEY HAVE LEFT
THE GROUP
INTERNALISATION
- PERMANENT CHANGE IN PRIVATE VIEWS TO MATCH THE GROUP
- BELIEF IS ACCEPTED BY THE INDIVIDUAL AND BECOMES PART OF THEIR
BELIEF SYSTEM
- MOST PERMANENT FORM
- LINKED TO ISI
3 – EXPLANATIONS OF CONFORMITY
AO1
NORMATIVE SOCIAL INFLUENCE (NSI)
- DESIRE TO BE LIKED
- MOST IMPORTANT THING = ACCEPTANCE AND APPROVAL
- ASSOCIATED WITH COMPLIANCE
INFORMATIONAL SOCIAL INFLUENCE (ISI)
- DESIRE TO BE RIGHT
- COMMON IN AMBIGUOUS SITUATIONS
- ASSOCIATED WITH INTERNALISATION
AO3
P – SUPPORTING RESEARCH FOR ISI
E – LUCAS ET AL. (2006) = ASKED STUDENTS TO GIVE ANSWERS TO
MATHEMATICAL PROBLEMS THATWERE EASY OR MORE DIFFICULT. STUDENTS
WERE MORE LIKELY TO ALSO GIVE THE WRO NG ANSWER (CONFORM TO THE
MAJORITY) WHEN THE QUESTIONS WERE DIFFICULT RATHER THAN WHEN
THEY WERE EASY ONES. THIS WAS ESPECIALLY TRUE FOR STUDENTS WHO
RATED THEIR MATHEMATICAL ABILITY AS POOR.
P – DOESN'T TAKE INTO ACCOUNT INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES FOR NSI
, E – SHUTE (1975) - FOUND INDIVIDUALS WITH AN EXTERNAL LOCUS OF
CONTROL WERE MORE LIKELY TO CONFORM AS THEY BELIEVE THE CAUSE OF
BEHAVIOUR LIES EXTERNALLY AND WAS BEYOND THEIR CONTROL
4 – ASCH: CONFORMITY (1951)
AO1
AIM – TO INVESTIGATE THE DEGREE TO WHICH INDIVIDUALS WOULD
CONFORM TO A MAJORITY WHO GAVE OBVIOUSLY WRONG ANSWERS
METHOD
- 123 MALE US UNDERGRADUATES
- WERE TOLD THE STUDY WAS ONE VISUAL PERCEPTION
- 7 PEOPLE – E VERYONE BUT 1 WERE CONFEDERATES
- GIVEN THE TASK TO SAY OUT LOUD WHICH OF THE THREE LINES WERE
THE SAME LENGTH AS THE STIMULUS LINE
- THE CORRECT ANSWER WAS OBVIOUS
- CONFEDERATES WERE INSTRUCTED TO GIVE THE SAME INCORRECT
ANSWER ON 12/18 TRIALS
- THE PARTICIPANT ALWAYS ANSWERED BEFORE THE LAST
CONFEDERATE
FINDINGS
- CONTROL GROUP = INDIVIDUALS WERE TESTED INDIVIDUALLY ONLY 3
MISTAKES OUT OF 720 TRIALS – SHOWS THE ANSWER WAS OBVIOUS
- ON 12 TRIALS = 37% CONFORMITY RATE TO WRONG ANSWERS
- AT LEAST ONE WRONG ANSWER = 75% CONFORMITY RATE
- CONFORMED TO ALL 12 WRONG ANSWERS = 5% CONFORMITY RATE
CONCLUSION
- JUDGEMENTS OF INDIVIDUALS ARE AFFECTED BY MAJORITY OPINIONS
- THERE WAS A STRONG TENDENCY TO CONFORM TO A GROUP EVEN
WHEN THE MAJORITY ARE OBVIOUSLY WRONG
AO3
1 - P – LACKS POPULATION VALIDITY
E – USES AN ALL-MALE SAMPLE. NETO (1995) - WOMEN ARE MORE
CONCERNED ABOUT SOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS AND BEING ACCEPTED IN
COMPARISON TO MALES
1 – CONFORMITY
CONFORMITY – FORM OF SI WHERE ATTITUDES, BELIEFS AND BEHAVIOURS
OF THE MAJORITY GROUP ARE ADOOPTED BY OTHERS IN RESPONSE TO REAL
OR IMAGINED GROUP PRESSURE
2 – TYPES OF CONFORMITY
AO1
KELMAN (1958) DEVELOPED 3 TYPES OF CONFORMITY
- COMPLIANCE (SHALLOW)
- IDENTIFICATION
- INTERNALISATION (DEEPEST)
COMPLIANCE
- PUBLICLY CONFORMING TO THE BEHAVIOUR OR VIEWS OF OTHERS IN A
GROUP BUT PRIVATELY MAINTAINING THEIR OWN VIEW
- GOING ALONG WITH THE GROUP EVEN THOUGH WE DON’T AGREE
- TEMPORARY CHANGE IN BEHAVIOUR – ONLY LASTS IN PRESENCE OF
GROUP
- LINKED TO NSI
IDENTIFICATION
- INDIVIDUALS ADJUST THEIR BEHAVIOUR TO THOSE OF A GROUP
- MEMBERSHIP OF THAT GROUP IS SEEN AS MORE DESIRABLE
- STRONGER TYPE OF CONFORMITY
, - INVOLVES PRIVATE AND PUBLIC ACCEPTANCE
- GENERALLY TEMPORARY AND NOT MAINTAINED ONCE THEY HAVE LEFT
THE GROUP
INTERNALISATION
- PERMANENT CHANGE IN PRIVATE VIEWS TO MATCH THE GROUP
- BELIEF IS ACCEPTED BY THE INDIVIDUAL AND BECOMES PART OF THEIR
BELIEF SYSTEM
- MOST PERMANENT FORM
- LINKED TO ISI
3 – EXPLANATIONS OF CONFORMITY
AO1
NORMATIVE SOCIAL INFLUENCE (NSI)
- DESIRE TO BE LIKED
- MOST IMPORTANT THING = ACCEPTANCE AND APPROVAL
- ASSOCIATED WITH COMPLIANCE
INFORMATIONAL SOCIAL INFLUENCE (ISI)
- DESIRE TO BE RIGHT
- COMMON IN AMBIGUOUS SITUATIONS
- ASSOCIATED WITH INTERNALISATION
AO3
P – SUPPORTING RESEARCH FOR ISI
E – LUCAS ET AL. (2006) = ASKED STUDENTS TO GIVE ANSWERS TO
MATHEMATICAL PROBLEMS THATWERE EASY OR MORE DIFFICULT. STUDENTS
WERE MORE LIKELY TO ALSO GIVE THE WRO NG ANSWER (CONFORM TO THE
MAJORITY) WHEN THE QUESTIONS WERE DIFFICULT RATHER THAN WHEN
THEY WERE EASY ONES. THIS WAS ESPECIALLY TRUE FOR STUDENTS WHO
RATED THEIR MATHEMATICAL ABILITY AS POOR.
P – DOESN'T TAKE INTO ACCOUNT INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES FOR NSI
, E – SHUTE (1975) - FOUND INDIVIDUALS WITH AN EXTERNAL LOCUS OF
CONTROL WERE MORE LIKELY TO CONFORM AS THEY BELIEVE THE CAUSE OF
BEHAVIOUR LIES EXTERNALLY AND WAS BEYOND THEIR CONTROL
4 – ASCH: CONFORMITY (1951)
AO1
AIM – TO INVESTIGATE THE DEGREE TO WHICH INDIVIDUALS WOULD
CONFORM TO A MAJORITY WHO GAVE OBVIOUSLY WRONG ANSWERS
METHOD
- 123 MALE US UNDERGRADUATES
- WERE TOLD THE STUDY WAS ONE VISUAL PERCEPTION
- 7 PEOPLE – E VERYONE BUT 1 WERE CONFEDERATES
- GIVEN THE TASK TO SAY OUT LOUD WHICH OF THE THREE LINES WERE
THE SAME LENGTH AS THE STIMULUS LINE
- THE CORRECT ANSWER WAS OBVIOUS
- CONFEDERATES WERE INSTRUCTED TO GIVE THE SAME INCORRECT
ANSWER ON 12/18 TRIALS
- THE PARTICIPANT ALWAYS ANSWERED BEFORE THE LAST
CONFEDERATE
FINDINGS
- CONTROL GROUP = INDIVIDUALS WERE TESTED INDIVIDUALLY ONLY 3
MISTAKES OUT OF 720 TRIALS – SHOWS THE ANSWER WAS OBVIOUS
- ON 12 TRIALS = 37% CONFORMITY RATE TO WRONG ANSWERS
- AT LEAST ONE WRONG ANSWER = 75% CONFORMITY RATE
- CONFORMED TO ALL 12 WRONG ANSWERS = 5% CONFORMITY RATE
CONCLUSION
- JUDGEMENTS OF INDIVIDUALS ARE AFFECTED BY MAJORITY OPINIONS
- THERE WAS A STRONG TENDENCY TO CONFORM TO A GROUP EVEN
WHEN THE MAJORITY ARE OBVIOUSLY WRONG
AO3
1 - P – LACKS POPULATION VALIDITY
E – USES AN ALL-MALE SAMPLE. NETO (1995) - WOMEN ARE MORE
CONCERNED ABOUT SOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS AND BEING ACCEPTED IN
COMPARISON TO MALES
