Types of Conformity

• Conformity 


  Conformity is a type of social influence. It refers to when a person changes their beliefs and behaviour in response to group pressure from the majority.
• Give an example of conformity 


  An individual may pretend to enjoy an artists music because all their friends like and listen to it.
• There are different types of conformity individuals can display


  Whether there is a change in only behaviour or a change in both behaviour and beliefs.

  Whether there is only a public change in behaviour/beliefs, or whether there is both a public and private change.

  Whether the change in behaviour/beliefsis temporary or permanent. Based on the above, whether the conformity is deep or shallow.
• Compliance 


  Compliance is a type of conformity whereby an individual changes their behaviour to fit in with the

  majority. This behavioural change is only public, meaning that they maintain a different, private view.

  As a result, compliance is only temporary. This is because, once the majority group is no longer present,

  the individual returns back to their original behaviour. For these reasons, compliance is the shallowest

  type of conformity.
• an example of compliance 


  An example would be a teenager smoking when with their friends even though they don’t like it and never smoke when alone.
• Identification 


  Identification is a type of conformity whereby an individual changes their behaviour and beliefs because

  they are a member of a group and have a role to play. This change in behaviour and beliefs is both

  public and private as they look to their group for guidance on how they should behave. Identification,

  however, can be temporary in that behaviours and beliefs can change over time if the individual is no

  longer a member of that group. For these reasons, identification is a deeper than compliance but

  shallower than internalisation.
• Example of Identification


  An example would be an individual changing their football team from Liverpool FC to Manchester United because they moved from Liverpool to Manchester and now identify as a Mancunian.
• Internalisation


  Internalisation is a type of conformity whereby an individual changes their behaviour and beliefs

  because the majority viewpoint has become a part of their own belief system. This change in behaviour

  and beliefs is both public and private. This means that internalisation is a permanent type of conformity

  as it lasts even if the majority is no longer present. For these reasons, internalisation is the deepest

  level of conformity.
• Example of Internalisation

  An example would be an individual permanently converting to veganism because they have internalised the belief that consuming meat is morally wrong.