AO3: Reasons for Conformity (explanations)

• Normative social influence is supported by research on adolescent smoking.

  There is a relationship between normative beliefs and people's likelihood to start smoking. For example, research by Perkins found that if adolescents were told that most of their peers did not smoke, they were less likely to start smoking themselves. Therefore, this shows that people change their behaviour to fit in with their peer group which supports NSI.
• Both NSI and ISI are supported by lab-based research


  In Asch's research there were variations; group size, task difficulty and unanimity(adding another non-conformist). This supports NSI because if participants gave the correct answer, they risked being ridiculed by the group and therefore they didn't want to risk being the odd one out. This also supports ISI because participants didn't want to pick the wrong answer, so when unsure (as task difficulty increased), looked to the group to make a decision of the right answer. Therefore ISI and NSI both lead to conformity.
• Both NSI and ISI are supported by lab-based research



  However, there are individual differences in how much people want to be liked by others and therefore not everyone will conform due to this desire. For example, in Asch's study, a higher number of trials produced an independent response- two thirds of the time the participant did not conform. This suggests that conformity is influenced by the individual and not everyone will conform in the same way or to the same situation.
• ISI can show how political opinions are formed. 


  Judgements on politicians are shaped by their knowledge of others' reactions. For example, Fein showed participant a film of a US presidential debate ad also what they were lead to believe was the reaction of other group members towards the points that the candidates were making. When ppts were asked their opinion of the candidates' performances, they shifted in the direction of what they thought was the opinion of the majority of other group members. This shows we are shaped by others when it is believed they have more information than we do.