evaluation types of conformity

• strength - research support for NSI part 1

  a strength of NSI as an explanation for conformity is that there is research evidence to support the explanation

  when Asch interviewed his participants, some said they conformed because they felt self-conscious giving the correct answer and were afraid of disapproval.
• strength - research support for NSI part 2

  when participants wrote their answers down, conformity fell to 12.5%. this is because giving answers privately, was there was no normative group pressure.

  this shows that at leasing some conformity is due to a desire not to be rejected by the group for disagreeing with them.
• strength - research support for ISI part 1

  a strength of ISI as an explanation for conformity is that there is research evidence to support ISI by Lucas et al.

  Lucas et al , found that participants conformed more often to incorrect answers they were given when the maths problems were difficult.
• strength - research support for ISI part 2

  This is because when the problems were easy the participants 'knew their own minds" but when the problems were hard the situation became ambiguous, the participants did not want to be wrong, so they relied on the answers they were given.

  This shows that ISI is a valid explanation of conformity because the results of Lucas's study are what ISI would predict.
• counterpoint for ISI and NSI

  one limitation of NSI and ISI as explanations for conformity is it is often unclear whether it is NSI or ISI at work in research studies.

  Asch found that conformity is reduced when there is one other dissenting participant. this dissenter may reduce the power of NSI or they may reduce the power of ISI.

  Therefore, it is hard to separate ISI and NSI and both processes profanely operate together in most real-world conformity situations.
• limitation - individual differences in NSI part 1

  one limitation of NSI as an explanation for conformity is that it does not predict conformity in every case.

  some people are greatly concerned with being liked by others. Such people are called nAffilators -they have a strong need for 'affiliation'.
• limitation - individual differences in NSI part 2

  McGhee and Teevan found that students who where nAffilators were more likely to conform.

  This shows that NSI underlies conformity for some people more than it does for others. Thee are individual differences in conformity that cannot be fully explained by one general theory of situational pressures.
• limitation - distinction between ISI and NSI part 1

  the distinction between ISI and NSI is not useful because it is impossible to work out which is operating.

  Lucas et al's findings could be due to NSI, ISI or both.
• limitation - distinction between ISI and NSI part 2

  Asch's research clearly demonstrates both NSI and ISI as reasons for conformity. For instance in terms of group unanimity, a unanimous group is a powerful source of disapproval. The possibility of rejection is a strong reason for conforming. But it is also true that a unanimous group conveys the impression that everyone iitk apart from you. This questions the validity of ISI + NSI as explanation for conformity.