1.2 types and explanations

Who suggested there are 3 types of conformity

Herbert Kelman

What are the 3 types of conformity

1. Internalisation

2. Identification

3. Compliance

What is internalisation

• when a person genuinely accepts the group norms

• Causes a public and private change of opinions/ behaviour

• This change is usually permanent

What is identification

• conform because we value something about the group and want to be apart of it

• We publicly change opinions/ behaviour but may not privately agree with everything

What is compliance

• going along with others in public, but privately not changing opinions/ behaviour

• Results in a superficial change, the behaviour/ opinion stops as soon as the groups pressure stops

Who proposed two explanations for conformity

Deutsch and Gerald

What are the two explanations for conformity

• normative social influence

• Informational social influence

What is informational social influence

• the need to be right

• Cognitive process as its what you think

• Leads to a permanent change in opinion/ behaviour (internalisation)

When is informational social influence (ISI) most likely to happen

• In new situations where there is some ambiguity

• in crisis situations where decisions must be made quickly

What is normative social influence

• the need to be liked

• Emotional process as its involves wanting to gain social approval

• Leads to a temporary change in opinions/ behaviour (compliance)

When is normative social influence (NSI) most likely to occur

• in situations where people want to gain social approval (strangers or friends)

• In stressful situations where people have a greater need for social support

Evaluation - research support for NSI

• Asch interviewed his participants and found that some conformed because they were afraid of disapproval

• When they wrote their answers down, conformity fell to 12.5%

Evaluation - research support for ISI

• Lucas found that the harder the maths question, the higher the rate of conformity

• However, it’s unclear whether it’s ISI or NSI at work. With Aschs variation on unanimity, conformity may have decreased due to social support (NSI), or alternate answers (ISI). So they most likely operate together in real world situations

Evaluation - Individual differences in NSI

• some people are more concerned with being liked (nAffiliators)

• Paul McGhee and Richard teevan found students who were nAffiliators were more likely to conform

Evaluation - usefulness

• some may argue the distinction is not useful as its hard to tell which is operating

• So findings are invalid and they should be studied together as that’s how they likely operate in real life