Types and explanations of conformity

• Conformity

  A change in a person’s behaviour/attitudes due to real/imagined pressure from a person/grp of ppl.
• Types of conformity 

  Kelman (1958)

  1. Internalisation
  2. Identification
  3. Compliance
• Internalisation

  • Internalisation occurs when a person truly accepts the norms of a group
  • This is the deepest & long lasting cause of change
  • It results in a private and public change of the person’s behaviour
  • It causes the most permanent change as the norm becomes apart of the way the person thinks
  • This change continues to occur even if away from the group
• Compliance

  • The shallowest & shortest change.
  • A person will only accept the norms of the group in order to ‘fit in’ and be accepted
  • It is ‘going along’ with others
  • Privately a person's behaviours/attitudes haven’t changed
  • It is a type of superficial change
• Identification

  • Identification is a combination of compliance and internalisation
  • We conform because we identify with the other people or a group
  • We want to be like them/want to adopt our values to reflect theirs
  • Acceptance by the group then validates our own beliefs
  • This is a public form of change but not always private acceptance
  • As we change our values over time, we begin to identify with other people and groups
• Explanations for conformity

  Deutsch & Gerard (1955): two process theory

  • Suggest that there are two main reasons people conform.
  • These are based on two central human need
  • The need to be Right (ISI)
  • The need to be liked (NS) 
• Normative social influence (NSI)

  • About ‘norms’ - the typical way the group behaves
  • We want to be accepted by our groups and therefore, we adapt our behavior to the norms of the group to be accepted.
  • We don’t want to be seen as an outsider and to be rejected by the group
  • We seek out the social approval of others
  • NSI is a emotional process rather than cognitive
  • It results in a temporary change to our behaviour not permanent
• Informational social influence (ISI)

  • It is about who has the better information - you or the group?
  • When we’re uncertain of how to behave we will look to others that we think have the information we need
  • It is a changed caused by wanting to do the right thing
  • It is a cognitive, not emotional, decision because it is to do with how we think
  • We decide to go along with the majority 
  • Can sometimes results in a permanent change
  • Most commonly occurs when we are in a new, ambiguous or stressful situation
• AO3 - Research support for NSI

  • One strength of NSI is that evidence supports its explanation of conformity.
  • Asch
  • When participants were later asked about why they confirmed they said they had felt self-conscious giving the correct answer and they were afraid of disapproval.
  • Shows us that people shape their behaviour to fit in with others.
• AO3 - Research support for ISI

  • Another strength of ISI is that evidence supports its explanation of conformity.
  • Lucas et al (2006)
  • Participants were more likely to conform to a wrong answer given in a maths test if the test was difficult
  • When easy, they would trust their own opinion, in contrast when harder, participants looked to others for answer (even if answer is wrong)
  • This demonstrates how we look to others for info on how to guide our behaviour.
• AO3 - We may not be aware of NSI

  • NSI means that we are aware of the norms of others so we adopt theirs to be accepted however, we don’t always know what the norms
  • Nolan et al (2008): 
  • Were people's energy saving behaviours influenced by their neighbours?
  • PArticipants said behaviour of their neighbours was the least important factor, even though they conformed with their neighbours.
  • Demonstrates that NSI occurs can occur even when we don’t know the norms.
• AO3 - Are NSI & ISI separate from each other?

  • Research shows that both can operate at the same time.
  • Asch (1951): 
  • Participants conformed to behaviour of the group because they didn’t want to stand out (NSI) and because they were unsure of the answer to the task (ISI)
  • This shows that maybe they both operate at the same time?