1&2. Conformity (types, explanations, Asch & variables affecting conformity)

What is conformity?

A type of social influence which involves someone changing, adapting or taking on new behaviours to fit in with a group.

What is conformity also known as?

Majority influence, as people tend to want to conform to larger groups

What are the 2 types of conformity?

• Compliance

• Internalisation

Compliance?

involves agreeing with or behaving like the group publicly but disagreeing with or having different opinions from the group privately.

Give an example of compliance

e.g Laughing at a joke which the person does not find funny (and may in fact find offensive) because everyone else is laughing.

How is Compliance described?

Compliance is the weakest type of conformity, as it only involves surface and superficial change, and ceases when someone is not with the group.

Internalisation?

Internalisation is a type of conformity that involves:

• accepting and agreeing with the group publicly and privately

• internalising the group’s norms

Give an example of internalisation

Meeting a new group of people at college and changing personal styles. hobbies, attitudes etc to align with the group.

How is internalisation described?

It is the strongest type of conformity, leading to long-term change

What are the 2 explanations as to why people conform?

• Normative social influence (NSI)

• Informational social influence (ISI)

What is normative social influence?

the need to be liked/ accepted by the group (the fear of rejection).

What is informational social influence?

The need to know what to do (Fear of social disapproval/ humility)

When does NSI occur?

When an induvial is keen to adopt the social norms of a specific group.

May involve an individual going against their own inner beliefs, ideals or opinions in order not to be rejected by the group.

Someone is more likely to be affected by NSI is they feel that their behaviour and attitudes do not align with the group behaviour. This lack of cohesion with the group may cause anxiety, which in turn may lead to an adjustment in behaviour. e.g im going to start attending church with the group so that they feel that I am one of them”

Give an / examples of NSI

e.g going to church every week because that is what the group do.

What type of conformity is the explanation of normative social influence linked to?

Compliance

The essence of NSI is emotional, as it is based on the need to be liked and accepted.

Informational social influence (ISI)

ISI tends to take place when the individual is unsure and/or lacks knowledge about what to do or how to behave in a specific situation

Give an example of NSI

1. On someone’s first day at work, they will look to others for cues as to how to behave in the office, where to go at lunchtime, the appropriate dress code etc.

2. In a new university class, the professor sets a difficult equation to solve, someone unsure of the answer may listen to what others are saying and agree with their answer.

Give some examples of when ISI may occur

• when the individual looks to the group for guidance

• when there is a crisis and a decision needs to be made quick - the assumption is that the group knows what to do. If everyone in the group assumes that everyone else knows what to do this can result in faulty decision-making, which could be dangerous.

• when they are insecure about what is deemed ‘right/wrong’ behaviour

What type of conformity is the explanation for internalisation linked to?

Internalisation

Evaluation paragraph for a strengths of normative social influence as an explanation for conformity. (Include counter argument)

P: A strength of normative social influence as an explanation for conformity is that it has research support.

E: For example, Asch’s line - judgement study demonstrated normative social influence clearly. Participants conformed to obviously incorrect answers, later reporting they feared being ridiculed for standing out.

E: This shows that individuals often prioritise group acceptance over accuracy, showing that NSI can reliably explain conformity in clear, unambiguous situations.

L: Therefore, NSI can provide a convincing explanation for why people publicly comply with group norms even when they privately disagree.

Counter peel: For both NSI and ISI

P: However, the strength of supporting evidence can be questioned

E: This is because the line - judgement study was based on a trivial task which lacked the same importance as real-world scenarios.

E: This means that participants may feel as though there is no need to stand out and embarrass themselves because of a pointless task (seeing which line matches the original one).

L: Therefore, the strength of NSI as an explanation for conformity can be questioned because the research which is supposed to practically support it lacks mundane realism.

Evaluation paragraph for a strengths of normative social influence as an explanation for conformity. (Include counter argument)

P: A strength of NSI is that it is supported by cross-cultural research, showing its relevance beyond laboratory settings.

E: Smith and Bond’s meta-analysis found that collectivist cultures, which emphasise group harmony, show higher conformity rates in Asch-type studies because social approval is more valued.

E: This suggests NSI can explain cultural variations in conformity, demonstrating that social norms and expectations strongly influence behaviour.

L: Therefore, NSI is a robust explanation that accounts for how cultural contexts shape conformity.

Evaluation paragraph for a weakness of NSI/ISI as explanations for conformity (include counter argument)

P: Neither explanations can explain why some people resist conformity.

E: For example, freedom fighters, rebels ect often reject both normative and informational pressure, acting independently even when facing strong social influence.

E: This could suggest that neither NSI nor ISI can be generalised to every individual, as they fail to account for dispositional factors such as confidence, moral conviction or independence.

L: Therefore, both explanations lack completeness because they cannot explain individual differences in susceptibility to conform.

Evaluation paragraph for a strength of informational social influence as an explanation for conformity. (Include counter argument)

P: A major strength of ISI is that it is supported by strong empirical research, increasing its validity as an explanation for conformity.

E: Jenness (1932) asked participants to estimate the number of beans in a jar individually, then discuss their estimates in groups, and finally make a second private estimate. Jenness found that the second estimates consistently shifted closer to the group estimate

E: This demonstrates ISI because their answers were based on the belief that the group’s judgement was more accurate than their own. The study shows that when people face uncertainty, they look to others for guidance, supporting ISI as a credible explanation for internalisation.

L: Therefore, ISI has strong empirical backing, increasing confidence in its explanatory power.

Counter peel;

P: However, Jenness’s study lacks ecological validity, limiting how far ISI can be generalised.

E: This is because estimating beans in a jar is an artificial, trivial task that does not reflect real-world decision-making.

E: Because the situation is so unlike everyday life, participants may have conformed more than they normally would, meaning the findings may not accurately represent ISI in natural settings.

L: Thus, although Jennes study supports ISI, the artificial nature of the task reduces the external validity of the explanation.

Evaluation paragraph for the strength of normative social influence as an explanation for conformity. (Include counterargument)

P: A strength of NSI is that it has clear real-world applications, demonstrating high ecological validity.

E: Schultz et al (2008) conducted field experiments in hotels where guests were exposed to signs stating that most other guests reused their towels.

E: Guests who received the normative message were significantly more likely to reuse towels compared to those who did not receive the message. This shows that NSI can influence everyday behaviour, demonstrating that people conform to perceived social norms even in natural real-life settings.

L: Therefore, NSI is a powerful explanation because it can predict and influence behaviour outside the laboratory.

Counter peel

P: However, NSI may not always produce conformity as some individuals resist social pressure.
E: For example, people with strong values or high independence may ignore normative messages, even in real-world settings
E: This means that NSI cannot fully explain why some people conform while others do not, limiting its ability to account for individual differences,
L: Thus, although NSI has strong real-world support, it cannot universally explain conformity.