Conformity

• What is conformity?

  Changing of beliefs, opinions and behaviours due to pressure from a group or individual
• What does the Normative social influence mean?

  NSI = is about group norms (behaviours in a group that seem normal)
• What do group norms guide in a group?

  Behaviour
• Why do we conform to the group norms?

  So we are liked by the group memebers
• What was the elevator experiment and how does it link to conformity of group norms?

  One person in a lift is a normal person the rest are actors

  the actors switch which way they are facing

  the other person follows along with the movement of the actors conforming to there behaviours in group
• What is the informal social influence?

  Agreeing with the behaviours of others because we believe its correct because others do as well.
• What process is the normative social influence?

  Emotional process - about how you feel

  emotions can be stronger in some situations that you need to change a lot to fit in with the group norms
• What process is the Informal social influence?

  Cognitive - about what you think
• What case study if an example of conformity and how?

  Asch line study

  People changed their answers when the actors chose the wrong answer to fit in with the norm of the group
• What is a dissenter?

  Someone who agrees with you
• What are the pros on NSI and ISI?

  Use it in the real world - marketing

  Use it to teach good behaviours and manners

  Helps us understand different behaviours
• What are the cons of NSI +ISI

  Suppress individuality in social environments - everyone follows with each other

  Doesn't effect everyone's behaviour in the same way
• What are the 3 types of conformity?

  Compliance - Conforming to the group externally but not changing your beliefs in secret (going along with the group not to hurt any feelings of others)

  Internalisation - Going along with a group opinion because they actually believe its correct so it become part of who you are.

  Identification - Temporarily going along with the group norms because you see your self as a member of the group
• Which types of conformity are permeant and which are temporary?

  Compliance = temporary

  Internalisation = permeant

  Identification = temporary
• Strengths of the types of conformity


  • Work place applications - stop bad decisions being made due to conformity - target destructive conformity
  • Evidence for all three - Asch = complience Norma jean Orlando = Internalisation Sheriff = identification
• Weaknesses of the types of conformity

  • conformities views in the real world are inaccurate - research does not resemble the real world - Asch = artificial experiment - oversimplified