Types or conformity

Kelman (58): 3 types of conformity.

What are they?

• compliance → public but not private, temporary, social comparison

• internalisation → public and private, permanent, involves validation

• Identification → public and usually private, temporary while in a group, identify with group.

compliance

• publicly conformity with the group but not privately agreeing: going along with others in public but disagree privately - public opinion changes

• it involves social comparison - looking at what others do and adjusting to fit in

• occurs because want to gain approval

• individual changes behaviour but there is no private attitude change so it’s a weak form of conformity.

• superficial temporary - stops when group is not present.

• e.g. having friends that are vegetarian, so you say your vegetarian but elsewhere, you eat meat

Internalisation

• someone confirms because they are really convinced or in agreement with the group (accept the group beliefs as yours), publicly and privately agree - permanent change.

• Involves validation, re-examining your own beliefs to see if they are right.

• occurs due to adoption of belief systems

• this individual is persuaded so personal opinion does permanently change - it’s lasts even when the group is no longer present as the attitudes have been internalised - deep - strong level of conformity.

• E.g. religious conversion

identification

• conforming to the opinion/behaviour of a given group in society, often private + public acceptance occurs. - changes whilst in the group

• conform because we identify with the group, we share their values and want to be associated with the group/feel like we are part of it

• we publicly change opinions/behaviour to be part of the group and may internalise these as right/true, but we also may not agree with everything the group stands for - regarded as a moderate level of conformity

• e.g. joining army - disciplined but as soon as you leave, the discipline leaves

social influence

The scientific study of the ways in which people’s thoughts, feelings and behaviours are affected by others

conformity

conformity is the process of yielding to the influence of a majority.

It can cause ‘a change in a persons behaviour or opinions as a result of real or imagined group pressure’ - aronson 2011

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

• could also be known as majority influence, as people tend to want to conform to larger groups (bringing safety in numbers)

• minority influence does happen, but is less common