A03

• Point: A strength of NSI is its explanatory power in understanding conformity.

  Evidence: Asch (1951) discovered that some participants conformed due to fear of disapproval, leading to a decrease in conformity when answers were written down instead of shared out loud (conformity fell to 12.5%).

  Explain: This was due to there being no normative group pressures when giving answers privately.

  Link: Therefore, this indicates that conformity partly stems from the desire to avoid rejection by the group, aligning with NSI principles.
• Point: Another strength lies in the empirical support for ISI in explaining conformity.

  Evidence: Lucas (2006) found that participants were more likely to conform to incorrect answers, especially when faced with difficult problems.

  Explain: This suggests that in ambiguous situations, individuals rely on others' responses to gauge correctness, supporting the premise of ISI.

  Link: Thus, this increases the validity of ISI as a mechanism driving conformity, particularly in uncertain circumstances.
• Point: However, distinguishing between NSI and ISI can be challenging in research and real-life scenarios.

  Evidence: Asch (1955) observed decreased conformity when dissenting opinions were present, posing ambiguity regarding the influence of NSI or ISI.

  Explain: This could be because either they provide social support (reduced NSI) or because they are an alternative source of information (reduced ISI).

  Link: This ambiguity suggests that both processes likely intertwine in most conformity situations, making it difficult to isolate their individual impacts.
• Point: One limitation is the inability of NSI to consistently predict conformity across all cases.

  Evidence: McGhee and Teevan (1967) discovered that individuals with a strong need for affiliation (nAffiliators) were more likely to conform.

  Explain: This implies that individual differences, such as the need for social approval, influence conformity beyond the scope of NSI.

  Link: Thus, this limitation highlights the existence of diverse factors contributing to conformity, indicating that a singular theory like NSI may not fully account for all variations in conformity behaviours.