Social influence

• Define conformity

  A change in a person's behaviour - as a result of real or imagined pressure from a person of group of people
• Types of conformity - Kelman
• Define compliance

  person changes their public belief and behaviour but not private beliefs
• Define identification

  person changes their public behaviour and private beliefs but only when in presence of group - often result in normative social influence
• Define internalisation

  deepest type of conformity - person accepts the group norms and therefore change both public and private beliefs long term - result in informational social influence
• Explanations of conformity
• Normative social influence

  person conforms to be accepted - TO BE LIKED - socially rewarding or to avoid social rejection - short term
• Informational social influence

  person conforms to gain knowledge or believe someone else is right - TO BE RIGHT - long term
• P: strength = supporting research - NSI

  E: Asch - ppt went along with obviously wrong answer, post experiment interviews asked why, said they went with the group, avoid social rejection

  T: high internal validity
• P: strength = supporting research - ISI

  E: independent judgements - beans in a jar, discussed estimates in group then made private individual estimate - second estimate = closer to groups, shows internalisation

  T: high internal validity
• Asch's research into conformity
• Aim: examine social pressure and conforming

  Procedure: 123 males - USA, line vision test, 6/8 confederates - agreed on an answer before, 1 naive participant
• Findings: naive ppt conformed on 32% of the critical trials, 74% conformed on at least 1 critical trial, 26% never conformed. Compared to control group with no confederates, only naive ppt, 1% gave incorrect answer

  Conclusion: asked why conformed, said went with group to fit in avoid social rejection, supports NSI - desire to fit in in public not private