Explanations of conformity

What is conformity?

When someone changes their belief and/or their behaviour to fit in with a real or imagined group.

What is the Dual Process dependency model?

a theory to explain why people conform, said to be two reasons:

1. desire to be accepted

2. desire to be right

What is Normative Social Influence (NSI)?

when we agree with the opinion of the majority because we want to be accepted, gain social control, and be liked. About norms, what is accepted for the group.

What kind of process is NSI?

an emotional process because people don’t like to be rejected by the group.

3x times when NSI is most likely to happen?

1. when you feel concerned about rejection

2. in the company of friends (rejected by people you know)

3. in stressful situations (need for social support is greater)

What is Informational Social Influence (ISI)?

where people agree with the opinion of the majority because they believe that it is correct. They accept it because they want to be correct as well.

What type of process is ISI?

cognitive process

What is ISI most likely to lead to?

Internalisation

When is ISI most likely to happen? (x4)

1. when the situation is new to a person (don’t know what is right)

2. when the situation is ambiguous

3. in crisis situations when quick decisions are needed

4. when a person in the group is regarded as an expert.

Evaluating dual dependency model (🙂x2, 🙁x4)

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• supporting evidence for ISI - Lucas et al (2006) asked students to answer maths problems (easy or difficult), more conformity to to incorrect when questions difficult. People conform when in situations where they don’t know the answer t/f supports ISI.

• supporting evidence for NSI - Asch (1951) found Ps went along with clearly wrong answers because others did because they were afraid of disapproval. Suggests people don’t like to appear foolish and would prefer to gain social approval, t/f this supports NSI.

🙁

• theory is too simplistic - says conformity either due to ISI or NSI when likely due to both. T/F makes reductionist.

• individual differences of ISI - Perrin and Spencer (1980) found little conformity in science and engineering students when recreating Asch’s study. Shows perhaps because students are more confident at measuring lines they felt more confidence to not conform, T/F not consistent across all students.

• individual differences of NSI - Mcghee and Teevan (1967) found students who were high in need of affiliation more likely to conform. Some less concerned with being liked so less effected by NSI, T/F cannot be consistently applied to everyone.

• Information influence is moderated by type of task - Different types of task include judgements about physical reality and answers can be found from facts, some include judgements about social reality and answers can be based on opinion.. It stands to reason that tasks involving judgements about social reality will be more influenced by ISI, T/F doesn’t have nomothetic laws as ISI can be applied to some situations but not all