Conformity- types and explanations

• Internalisation


  A person genuinely accepts the group norms, resulting in a private as well as public change of opinions/behaviour that is usually permanent
• Identification


  Conforming to the opinions/behaviour of a group because there is something about that group we value, so we want to be part of it
• Compliance


  Going along with others' in public, but privately not changing personal opinions and/or behaviour, resulting in only a superficial change
• Informational social influence (ISI)


  Conforming because the group (majority) is perceived to have better information, leading to a permanent change in opinion/behaviour
• Informational social influence (ISI)


  • Most likely to happen in situations that are new to a person or where there is some ambiguity, or in crisis situations where decisions have to be made quickly
• Normative social influence (NSI)


  Conforming due to norms, i.e. what is normal or typical behaviour for a social group, leading to a temporary change in opinions/behaviour (compliance)
• Normative social influence (NSI)

  • More likely to occur in situations with strangers where you may feel concerned about rejection, or with people you know because we are most concerned about the social approval of our friends, and may be more pronounced in stressful situations