Types and Explanations for Conformity

• Compliance

  When a person changes their public behaviours but not their private beliefs. Stops when group pressure stops and usually done to fit in
• Internalisation

  When a person changes their public behaviour and private beliefs, accepting view as correct. Occurs even in the absence of others (permanent change)
• Identification

  When a person conforms to behaviours and opinions of a group because they value it and want to be part of it. Individual may not privately believe in what the group stands for
• Normative Social Influence

  When a person conforms to be accepted and to fit in. To gain social approval and avoid social rejection, which may lead to compliance and usually occurs with strangers or close friends.
• Informational Social Influence

  When a person conforms because they want to be correct, which may lead to internalisation and usually occurs in ambiguous situations/difficult tasks
• Research support for ISI from Lucas et al (AO3) +


  Students were asked to give answers to easy and difficult math problems
• There was greater conformity to incorrect answers when the question was difficult rather than easy
• This is a strength because

  shows that people conform in ambiguous situations which is what ISI would predict
• This study shows that ISI is a valid explanation for conformity
• Asch's study into conformity provides research support for NSI (AO3) +


  Many participants conformed and gave an obviously wrong answer in a line judgment task
• In a post-experimental interview. Participants said they changed their answers to avoid disapproval from the group
• This is a strength because

  • It demonstrates that NSI (Normative Social Influence) is a valid explanation for conformity
  • Shows that people conform to fit in and avoid rejection, which is what NSI would predict
• It is unclear whether NSI or ISI at work in research studies (AO3) -

  Asch found that conformity decreased when someone else also went against majority
• This dissenter may reduce the power of NSI

  By providing social support
• ppt is not the odd one out and has less fear of social rejection
• This dissenter may reduce the power of ISI

  By providing more information
• ppt has more info to go off, making situation less ambiguous
• This is a weakness because

  we do not know whether people conform due to NSI or ISI, reducing validity.