Types of conformity

• Conformity

  A change in a person's behavior or opinions as a result of real or imagined social pressure
• Levels of conformity (Kelman, 1958)


  • Compliance (shallow)
  • Identification (intermediate)
  • Internalisation (deep)
• Compliance

  Publicly conforming to the group behaviours/ideas, but privately keeping one's own personal opinions. It results in a temporary change in behaviour.
• Identification

  An individual values membership of a group and so will conform to their behaviour and ideas publicly and privately in order to feel part of said group, but doesn't fully agree so will revert to personal ideas/behaviours if separated from the group for long enough. So this form of conformity is temporary, but longer lasting than compliance.
• Internalisation


  The deepest form of conformity. The individual's personal opinions genuinely change to match those of the group. This is a permanent change in beliefs.