conformity: types & explanations

conformity: types & explanations

1. types of conformity

   • Kelman - 3 ways people conform
     • internalisation
       • private and public change
       • strongest
       • what is right
     • identification
       • something we value/ identify to them
       • change publicly even if not entirely privately
     • compliance
       • weakest
       • change publicly not privately
       • to be liked

2. explanations for conformity

   • informational social influence
     • to be right
     • cognitive (what we think)
     • who has the better information
     • happens in new situations - where there is ambiguity
       • or a crisis situation
     • leads to internalisation
   • normative social influence
     • to be liked
     • gain social approval
     • emotional
     • leads to compliance

3. evaluation

   • research support for ISI
     • Lucas
       • answer to a maths question
         • more difficult they complied
           • especially if their maths was poor
   • individual differences in NSI
     • people who are less concerned with being rejected
       • McGhee & Teevan
         • students who need high affiliation were more likely to conform
   • ISI and NSI work together
     • Deutsch & Gerrard
       • they work separately
     • Asch
       • partner
         • reduce power of NSI (social support)
         • reduces ISI (alternative source of info)

4. evaluation +

   • dual differences in ISI
     • Asch
       • some students less conformist than other (25% rather than 37%)
         • Perin
           • engineering students
             • didn't conform
   • research support for NSI
     • Asch
       • people went along just because others did
         • self - conscious
         • afraid of disapproval