Types of conformity

• Conformity is a change in behaviour or opinions as a response to the attributes or others of social pressure. This can be real or imaged.
• Kelman (1958) proposed 3 types of conformity:

  -compliance

  -identification

  -internalisation
• Compliance is the lowest level of conformity. Here a person changes their public behaviour (how they act) but not their private beliefs. This is normally only a short-term change. This behaviour or opinion changes as soon as the group pressure stops. Some individuals do this to get accepted or to avoid disapproval.
• Identification is the middle level of conformity. Here a person changes their public behaviour (the way they act) and their private beliefs, but only while they are in the presence of the group they are identifying with. This is usually a short-term change.
• Internalisation is the deepest level of conformity. This is where a person changes their public and private beliefs because they think the majority is right. People want to be part of a group without feeling rejected and lonely hence they adopt the group's attitude. This leads to public acceptance of the group's behavioural opinions. This is usually a long-term change.