Types of conformity + explanations for conformity

• Define conformity and identify the three types.

  Conformity: when a persona changes their behaviour/beliefs in response to group pressure from a majority.

  Types: Compliance, identification and internalisation.
• Outline Compliance

  Compliance refers to when an individual changes their behaviour to fit in with the majority. This is only a public change, meaning they maintain a different private view. It is also a temporary change in that once the majority group are no longer present, the individual returns to their original behaviour. An example: A teenager smokes to fit in with their friends even they do not like it and never smoke when alone.
• Outline Identification

  Identification refers to when an individual changes their behaviour and beliefs because they identify as a member of a group and so look to that group for guidance on how to think/behave. This is a public and private change in that they will maintain this behaviour/belief even when they are not in the presence of the group.
• Identification - only temporary

  However, it is only a temporary change meaning if the individual no longer identifies as a member of the group, they will no longer display their beliefs/ behaviour. An example: An individual takes on a new job working in the police, meaning they identify with their fellow police officers. This results in them showing the beliefs/behaviour that are considered appropriate for police officers to display.
• Outline internalisation

  refers to when an individual changes their behaviour and beliefs because they believe the majority is correct. This is a public and private change meaning the individual will maintain this behaviour/belief even when the majority is no longer present. It is also a permanent change as the majority's viewpoint becomes a part of their own belief system. An example: An individual may permanently become vegetarian if all of their flatmates are vegetarian and thev have  listened to and agreed with their views.
• Identify the two explanations for conformity

  Normative social influence (NSI)

  Informational social influence (ISI)
• Outline NSI explanations 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 explanations 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.
• strength of NSI, ISI - supporting evidence

  In Asch’s post-study interviews, participants were asked why they conformed to the confederates’ incorrect answers. Some of the participants claimed they conformed because they genuinely thought the confederates were correct. others claimed they conformed because they didn’t want to stand out from the group. strength because the first finding (thinking the confederates were correct) supports ISI in that they conformed to be right. the second finding (not wanting to stand out) supports NSI in that they conformed to fit in. adds credibility. 
• NSI, ISI - Aschs group size variation - how it was set up

   Asch’s group size variation of his original conformity research involved varying the number of confederates in the line judgement test from 1-15. He found that conformity rates increased with group size (up until a majority of 3). Meanwhile, Asch’s task difficulty variation of his original conformity research involved making the line judgement test more difficult by making the line lengths more similar.
• NSI, ISI - Aschs Group size variation - what was found task difficulty

  He 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 b 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. Therefore adds credibility.  
• Aschs limitation of NSI, ISI - too nomothetic - fails 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 also 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. limitation because it suggests that NSI and ISI cannot or predict conformity in every individual. ? credibility.
•  limitation of NSI and ISI as explanations for conformity is that there is an 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. Therefore questions credibility.