Conformity

Conformity

1. Kelman (1958)

   • Types of conformity
     • Internalisation: individual genuinely accepts group norms, privately and publicly, permanent, exist without other group members
     • Identification: Conform as identify with norms of group, publicly change behaviour/opinions even if don't agree in private.
     • Compliance: going along with others, superficial change

2. Deutsch & Gerard (1955): two process theory; the need to be right (ISI) and the need to be liked (NSI)

   • Informational Social Influence (ISI)
     • Conform as the group appears to be right, you want to be right
     • Happens often in new or ambiguous situations
     • also if a person/group is more of an 'expert' e.g. if a biologist talks about structure of DNA they're probably right
     • Cognitive process
     • Lucas et al (2006)
       • Gave students easy and more difficult maths questions
       • More conformity for hard ones, especially those who rates their maths ability poorly
       • Conform when don't know the answer
   • Normative Social Influence (NSI)
     • Emotional process
     • Conform due to norms of the social group, don't want to be seen as foolish
     • Social Approval
     • occurs when concerned about rejection, especially with friends, or in a stressful situation where social support is needed
     • Individual differences
       • People who care less about being liked are not affected so much by this,
         • Those who are affected by this are nAffilators - have a greater need for 'affiliation'
       • McGhee & Teevan (1967) students high in affilation more likely to conform
   • The two process model is criticised as they often work together
     • E.g. in Asch's experiment conformity is reduced with one other dissenting participant which could reduce the power of NSI or ISI
     • This is true in lab studies and more so in real life