conformity

• what are the types of conformity ?

  • compliance
  • identification
  • internalisation
• what is compliance ?

  going along with the majority view despite privately disagreeing and only do this whilst in group
• what is identification ?

  people act the same way as group because they want to fit in
• what is internalisation ?

  deep type where we take on the majority view because we accept it as correct
• what are the explanations for conformity ?

  • normative social influence
  • informational social influence
• what is normative social influence ?

  following social norms to gain social approval and fit in
• what is informational social influence ?

  the desire to have the best information within the group and be right
• what are social norms ?

  unwritten rules that govern how we behave within society
• what is conformity ?

  type of social influence involving a change in what we do , think or say due to influence of others
• what is evidence to support ISI ?

  • greater conformity to incorrrect answers when difficult rather than easy
  • means that ppl conform when they're unsure and look to others
• what is evidence to support NSI affects people in different ways ?

  • shows that naffiliators are more likely to conform to gain approval
  • cant use NSI as explanation as some change behaviour for other reasons
• what is the aim of asch research ?

  investigate the extent to which social pressure from a majority group could affect a person to conform
• what is the procedure of aschs research ?

  line judgement task with 7 confedorates who had agreed on their answers before hand and one naive participant. they gave the wrong answers on 12 / 18 trials
• what were the results ?

  32% conformed in each trial

  75% conformed in at least one trial
• what was the conclusion from aschs research ?

  most said - did not believe answers but went along due to fear of being ridiculed

  few said - actually believed wrong answers were correct
• what is a strength of aschs research ?

  able to establish cause and effect :

  • due to high levels of control
  • matters because results easily linked to group pressure and not environmental factors
• what is a weakness of aschs research ?

  seen as unethical

  • not fully informed consent - not told all aspects
  • deception - unaware they were only naive participant
  • slight psychological harm - felt anxious to fit in
  • undermines the value of research done
• what is a weakness of asch research ?

  lacks population validity

  • all male american participants = not generalisable
• how did asch change group size and what was the effect ?

  group size : only used 3 confedorates

  effect : little change to conformity
• how did asch change unanimity and what was the effect ?

  unanimity : introduced other confedorates who disagreed with majority

  effect : conformity decreased
• how did asch change task difficulty and what was the effect ?

  task difficulty : difficulty increased

  effect : conformity increased
• what was the aim of zimbardos research ?

  test whether people conform to new social roles
• what was the procedure of zimbardos research ?

  • male psych students volunteered then randomly allocated role of either prisoner or prison guard
  • prisoners - called by number not name , 23 hours a day in cell
  • prison guards - given sunglasses to avoid eye contact , sticks given , worked shifts then went home
• what were the findings of zimardos research ?

  • called off after 6 days
  • prisoners : nervous rash , nervous breakdown , hunger strike , began telling tales on others , spoke on prison issues
  • prison guards : became sadistic and harrased prisoners , some apparently enjoyed this whilst others went along
• what were the conclusions of zimbardos research ?

  conformed to social roles possibly due to deindividuation - following norms of the group
• what was the evaluation of zimbardos research ?

  lab experiment - cause and effect , ecological validity

  lacks population validity - male americans only

  unethical - not protected from psychological harm