Explanations for conformity

• Identify the two explanations for conformity.

  Normative social influence (NSI)

  Informational social influence (ISI)
• Outline NSI as an explanation for conformity.

  NSI proposes that people conform because they want to fit in and be liked/accepted by the majority.

  This means they conform to avoid the discomfort they would feel if they were rejected/ridiculed.

  It typically leads to compliance whereby the individual will temporarily change their behaviour in public despite maintaining a different private view.
• Outline ISI as an explanation for conformity

  ISI proposes that people conform because they want to be right but lack knowledge of how to behave so look to the majority for guidance.

  This means they conform to avoid the embarrassment they would feel if they were wrong.

  It typically leads to internalisation whereby the individual will permanently change their behaviour and beliefs because they have adopted the majority’s beliefs into their own belief system.
• Evaluate NSI and ISI as explanations for conformity: supporting evidence. 


  In Asch’s post-study interviews, participants were asked why they conformed to the confederates’ answers. Some of the participants conformed because they genuinely thought the confederates were correct. Others claimed they conformed because they didn’t want to stand out from the group. The first finding supports ISI in that they conformed to be right. Meanwhile, the second finding supports NSI in that they conformed to fit in.
• Evaluate NSI and ISI as explanations for conformity: supporting evidence.


  Asch found that conformity rates increased with group size (up until a majority of 3). Asch found that conformity rates increased when the task was more difficult. This is a strength of NSI and ISI as the group size finding can be explained by NSI - a larger group creates more pressure to fit in. Meanwhile, the task difficulty finding can be explained by ISI – a more difficult task causes people to look to others in an attempt to be right.
• Evaluate NSI and ISI as explanations for conformity: fail to consider individual differences. 


  Not every participant in Asch’s research conformed despite them all experiencing the same pressures to fit in and/or be right. Research suggests that older people are less likely to be influenced by NSI as they are less concerned about fitting in. Highly educated people are less likely to be influenced by ISI as they are more likely to trust their own expertise as opposed to others. This is a limitation because it suggests that NSI and ISI cannot predict conformity in every individual.
• Evaluate NSI and ISI as explanations for conformity: alternative explanation.


  For example, people may want to be right in order to fit in. This is a limitation because it suggests that NSI and ISI have been falsely separated. Instead, they may work together to influence conformity.