types+explanations

• types of conformity - internalisation


  Internalisation: when a person genuinely accepts group norms. It results in a private as well as public change of opinions/behaviour. The change is more likely to be permanent and persist in the absence of group members because attitudes have become part of how the person thinks (internalised
• types of conformity- identification


  Identification- When we identify with a group that we value, we want to become part of it. So we publically change our opinions/behaviour, even if we don't privately agree with everything the group stands for.
• types of conformity - compliance 


  Involves 'going along with others' in public , but privately not changing opinions/behaviour. This results in only a superficial change and the opinion/behaviour stops as soon as group pressure ceases
• Explanations for conformity-informational social influence(ISI)


  ISI is about information, a desire to be right. Often we are uncertain about what is right or wrong, you might not know the answer to a question in class but if most of other students agree you go along with them because you feel they are probably right. IsI is a cognitive process. It happens in situations that are ambigious. It may happen when decisions have to be made quickly and when one person/group is regarded as being more expert
• explanations for conformity-normative social influence(NSI)

  NSI is about norms, a desire to behave like others and not look foolish. NSI is an emotional rather than cognitive process- people prefer social approval rather than rejection. NSI occurs in unfamiliar situations and with people you know. It is most likely in situations where you don't know the norms and look to others about how to behave. It is important with people you know rather than strangers because people are concerned about the social approval of friends. It may be more pronounced in stressful situations
• strength


  Lucas et al. (2006) asked students to give answers to easy and more difficult maths problems. There was more conformity to incorrect answers when the problems were difficult. This was most true for students who rated their maths ability as poor. People conform in situations where they feel they don't know the answer(ISI). We look to others and assume they know better than us and must be right
• strength of NSI is that there is research support

  Asch(1951) asked pp's to explain why they agreed with the wrong answer. Some said they felt self-conscious giving the right answer and were affraid of disapproval. When Asch asked pp's to write down their answers, conformity rates fell to 12.5%. This supports the pp's own reports that they were conforming because of NSI
• limitation of NSI is that there are individual differences


  people who care more about being liked are affected by NSI. They are nAffiliators - people who have a greater need for social relationships. McGhee and Teevan (1967) found that students who were nAffiliators were more likely to conform. The desire to be liked underlines conformity for some people more than others. One general theory doesn't cover the fact there are differences
• limitation of ISI is that there are individual differences

  Asch(1955) found that students were less conformist (28%) than other pp's (37%). People who are knowledgable and/or more confident are less influenced by the apparently 'right' view of a majority. Therefore there are differences in how indivduals respond to ISI