Social influence

• What is a commonly accepted definition of conformity according to Aronson?


  Conformity is a change in behavior or belief due to real or imagined group pressure.
• Why do people find it hard to go against the crowd?

  People often conform to avoid social rejection and to fit in with others.
• What percentage of participants in Asch's research conformed at least once?


  75% of participants conformed at least once.
• What is the primary motivation behind compliance in conformity?


  The desire to get a positive reaction from others, avoiding disapproval or punishment.
• What are the three types of conformity according to Helman?


  • Compliance: Superficial change in behavior without changing private beliefs.
  • Identification: Change in behavior to fit in with a group both in public and private for a short period of time.
  • Internalization: Deep, lasting change in beliefs and behaviors that align with the group's norms.
• What is an example of compliance in everyday life?

  Participating in a social media trend to fit in with peers.
• How does identification differ from compliance in conformity?

  Identification involves aligning with a group to strengthen social identity, while compliance is about avoiding rejection.
• What motivates internalization in conformity?

  The individual's desire for correctness and acceptance of the group's norms as their own.
• What is the key feature of internalization in conformity?

  Changes in beliefs and behaviors remain even without external pressure to conform.
• What are the two explanations for conformity?

  • Normative Social Influence (NSI): Conforming to be liked or accepted by others.
  • Informational Social Influence (ISI): Conforming because the group has more knowledge or information.
• What is a typical example of normative social influence (NSI)?


  Peer pressure leading teenagers to engage in risky behaviors like smoking or drinking.
• How does informational social influence (ISI) operate in ambiguous situations?


  Individuals look to others for guidance on how to behave when unsure.
• What was the main finding of Asch's conformity study regarding the influence of group size?


  Conformity rates increased with group size up to three Confederates, then leveled off.
• What effect did having an ally in Asch's study have on conformity rates?


  It significantly reduced conformity rates to 5.5%.
• How did increasing the difficulty of the task in Asch's study affect conformity?


  It significantly increased the rate of conformity due to ambiguity.
• What are some strengths of Asch's original study?


  • High level of control over variables due to standardized procedures.
  • Internal validity due to consistent experiences for all participants.
• What are some criticisms of Asch's study regarding generalizability?


  • Lacks temporal validity as it was conducted over 70 years ago.
  • All-American sample may not represent other cultures.
  • Lacks mundane realism as the task is not reflective of real-life situations.
• How can situational factors and personality traits influence conformity?


  Some individuals may have a stronger need for social acceptance, while others may be more confident and less likely to conform.
• Why is it difficult to determine whether conformity is due to NSI or ISI?


  Participants may not be fully aware of their motivations for conforming.
• How does Asch's study support normative social influence (NSI)?


  • Participants conformed to avoid social rejection in an obvious task.
  • The study illustrates the power of group pressure on individual behavior.
• How does the task difficulty variation in Asch's study support informational social influence (ISI)?


  • Increased difficulty led to higher conformity rates.
  • Participants relied more on the group's judgments when uncertain.
• Solomon Asch's research on social norms involved asking participants to match the length of lines with other lines, but he also included confederates who gave incorrect answers.
• Identification is a form of social influence where an individual adopts the ideas or actions of a group and internalizes them as their own for a short period of time.
• Informational social influence happens when an individual looks to the group for guidance in ambiguous situations.
• Normative social influence occurs when an individual conforms in order to be accepted or liked by a group.
• Normative social influence is where we follow the norms of society. Norms are rules governing appropriate behaviour. These rules vary between cultures and subcultures. If we break these rules, we risk disapproval from others. Therefore, we tend to conform to these norms so that we don’t face negative consequences.
• Asch found that most participants conformed to the majority opinion even if they knew it was wrong.
• Asch found that when there were no confederates present, only one participant out of 36 made an error, while when three confederates were present, 75% of participants conformed at least once.
• Conformity refers to changing one's behavior to fit in with a group without necessarily accepting its values and beliefs.
• Internalization occurs when an individual accepts the values and beliefs of a group and incorporates them into their personal identity.
• Normative social influence occurs when individuals conform to fit into a group and avoid being rejected by others.
• Obedience is following orders from someone perceived as having authority.
• Compliance is changing one’s overt behavior without necessarily accepting it internally.
• Conformity refers to changing one’s beliefs, attitudes, or behaviors to fit those of others.
• The three types of social influence are compliance, identification, and internalisation