Conformity & Research Methods – Lecture Review

These flashcards review definitions, examples, explanations, and methodological issues related to conformity, social influence, and culturally sensitive research practices covered in the lecture.

What is conformity?

A change in behaviour or belief as a result of real or imagined group pressure.

Which three major types of conformity did Kelman (1958) identify?

Compliance, Identification, Internalisation.

In compliance, does a person change their private beliefs?

No. Compliance involves a public change in behaviour without a private change in belief and is usually short-term.

Give an everyday example of compliance conformity.

Laughing at a joke you don’t actually find funny because friends are laughing.

What characterises identification conformity?

People change both public behaviour and private beliefs, but only while in the presence of a valued group; the change is usually short-term.

Describe internalisation conformity.

The deepest level: both public behaviour and private beliefs change permanently because the person accepts the group’s views as correct.

Name the two main explanations of WHY people conform.

Normative social influence and Informational social influence.

What is normative social influence (NSI)?

Conforming to be accepted or avoid social disapproval; linked to the desire for social reward or to avoid punishment.

Which types of conformity are most associated with NSI?

Compliance and Identification.

Define informational social influence (ISI).

Conforming because you believe others have more accurate information and are ‘right’; often occurs in ambiguous situations.

Which conformity type is typically linked to ISI?

Internalisation.

How did Asch’s line study demonstrate normative influence?

Many participants admitted they conformed to fit in with the unanimous group even when they privately knew the answer was wrong.

List two validity problems with Asch’s conformity design.

1) Judging line lengths is a trivial task, unlike real-life conformity; 2) The sample was all male, creating gender bias.

Name one ethical concern in Asch’s experiment.

Deception: participants were told the study was on visual perception, preventing informed consent.

What happened to conformity levels when Asch allowed private written answers?

Conformity dropped, suggesting fear of public disapproval was a key factor (normative influence).

How does group size affect conformity according to Asch’s variations?

Conformity rises with group size up to about four people; beyond that it plateaus.

How does task difficulty influence conformity?

The more difficult or ambiguous the task, the higher the conformity (greater reliance on ISI).

What effect does anonymity (answering in private) have on conformity?

It decreases conformity because social pressure is reduced.

Individuals with low status in a group are more or less likely to conform?

More likely, because they may seek acceptance or direction from higher-status members.

Why might collectivist cultures display higher conformity rates?

They value group harmony and interdependence over individual expression.

Explain the role of majority group status in conformity.

People conform more readily to opinions of high-status or expert groups (e.g., bosses, teachers).

Differentiate experimental design from observational design.

Experimental: researcher manipulates an independent variable to observe effects on a dependent variable. Observational: researcher records behaviour of pre-existing groups without manipulation.

Give one advantage of observational design.

Allows study of behaviour in natural settings where manipulation would be unethical or impractical.

State one disadvantage of observational design.

Lack of random assignment can lead to sampling bias, limiting causal conclusions.

Define ethnocentric bias in research.

Judging other cultures by standards of one’s own culture, leading to distorted perceptions and interpretations.

Why can’t naturalistic observations always be repeated?

The exact natural conditions and spontaneous behaviours may never occur in the same way again.

Which personal traits increase the likelihood of conformity?

A strong need to be liked (NSI) or a high desire to be correct (ISI).

Does conformity tend to increase, decrease, or stay the same in groups larger than four people?

It generally stays the same; four is considered the optimal size for maximal conformity effects.

Explain why answering privately reduces normative pressure.

Others cannot judge or ridicule the individual’s response, removing the social reward/punishment element.

What is one methodological reason observational data may show observer bias?

Researchers’ expectations or cultural background may influence what behaviours they notice and record.

Which conformity type did Sam exhibit when he agreed with coworkers about asylum seekers despite disagreeing privately?

Compliance.

In research terms, why is it important to include culturally appropriate measures?

Because tasks or instruments may not hold the same meaning across cultures, threatening validity.