Social Influences

Conformity

Conformity

a change of behavior as a result of real or imagined group norms. Conformity is the result of one of our most basic human behaviors: social comparison. Tendency to compare ourselves with others around us 

**Informational social influence**

the need for certainty. When we are in ambiguous situations, we engage on social comparison in order to figure out how to behave. 

**Normative social influence**

The need for social acceptance and approval. We conform in order to be accepted and to fit in. 

**1995, Kelman distinguished between 3 levels of conformity:**


1. **Compliance**
2. **Identification**
3. **Internalisation**

**Compliance is the lowest form of conformity.**

**This is when you going along with another person while privately disagreeing with them.**

\n **Identification is a deeper form of conformity.**

**It is when an individual changes their private views as well as their public behavior to fit in with a group they admire but it is probably TEMPORARY.**

\n **Internalisation is the deepest level of conformity.**

**The beliefs of a group are taken on and become a permanent part of that person’s world-view.**

**There are several factors affecting conformity:**

* **The size of the majority**
* **The importance of time/place/social context**
* **Individualist/collectivist culture**
* **If you are face to face or at a distance (this means that conformity drops in cyberspace as do the effects of being in a collectivist/ individualist culture)**
* **Individual differences**