Types and Explanations of Conformity

• Informational Social Influence

  Deutsch and Gerard 1955 - Two Process Theory Follow behaviour of group because we believe they are right and we are wrong

  Based on need / want to be right

  Cognitive process - permenant change in behaviouor
• Normative Social Influence

  Deutsch + Gerard 1955 - Two process theory Based on principle that we want to be socially accepetd and liked Emotional process leading to temp change in behaviour publically
• Internalisation

  Person genuinley believes and accepts norms of group permenant change even when group is absent
• Identification


  Value traits of certain group and want to be part of it so publically change even if privatley disagree Cognitive process
• Compliance


  ''Going along with others'' superficial changes not persistent when group is absent Emotional Process
• A03 - Research Support NSI

  +Evidence support Asch 1951 - interviewed ppts and found conformded because of self-consciousness or fear of disapproval

  When written answers down, conform decreased to 12.5% as private answers have no normative group pressure Some conform due to desire to not be rejected (NSI)
• A03 - Research Support for ISI

  +Supported by evidence Lucas et al 2006 - ppts conformed to wrong answers more when qs were harder when difficulty increased and more ambiguity

  So ppts turn to group to be 'right' - validates ISI as similar outcomes to predictions were found

  Counter

  Unclear whether NSI or ISI in research and IRL - Asch 1955 - conformity went down when no consensus

  The dissenter can either Provide different information (ISI) Break consensus and reduce power of NSI

  Hard to separate - may operate on same principle so can't be seprate theories
• A03 - Individual Differences

  -Does not predict in every case in every person NAffiliators are more concerned about social approval so are more susceptble to conformity and NSI (McGhee + Teevan 1967)

  Asch - students less likley to conform and repeats by Perrin + Spencer found lower student rates than Asch - ISI decrease due to sharing of opinions or confidence

  Both explanations underlie conformity for some more than others so cannot be fully explained by one general theory of situational pressures - must be some individual influence