[Topic 1] Types of conformity and explanations for conformity

Question 1

What is compliance?

Answer 1

• Going along with a group without accepting their point of view, there is no change in our underlying attitudes only in our public behaviour

Question 2

What is Internalisation?

Answer 2

• Going along with a group because we accept that their perceptions and beliefs are accurate, as well as our public behaviour changing our underlying attitudes also change

Question 3

What is Identification?

Answer 3

• When we adopt an attitude or behaviour because we want to be associated with a group, identification includes both internalisation and compliance.

Question 4

What are the 3 Types of conformity?

Answer 4

1. Compliance
2. Internalisation
3. Identification

Question 5

What are the two explanations for conformity?

Answer 5

1. Normative social influence

2. Informational social influence

Question 6

What is normative social influence?

Answer 6

• When we conform in order to gain approval and avoid disapproval. It explains why compliance occurs.
• An important condition for normative social influence is that we must believe we are under surveillance by the group

Question 7

What is informational social influence?

Answer 7

• When we conform because we believe the majority to be right, it explains why internalisation occurs.
• The human desire to be right means that informational social influence is more likely if its not clear to us how we should behave

Question 8

Evaluation 1 of Types of conformity: .. ?

Answer 8

• Informational social influence helps explain why social stereotypes develop:
• Research has shown that exposure to others beliefs has an important influence on the way we stereotype others
• Wittenbrink and Henley (1996) found people exposed to a negative, but supposedly majority view about African Americans later reported more negative views about a black individual.
• This suggests that we are influenced by others when we believe they know more about an issue then we do.

Question 9

Evaluation 2 of Types of conformity: .. ?

Answer 9

• The power of Normative social influence is supported by research on adolescent smoking.
• This showed a relationship between people’s normative beliefs and the likelihood of them starting smoking
• Linkenbach and Perkins found that adolescents who were told that most of their peers didn’t smoke were less likely to start smoking themselves
• This supports the claim that people shape their behaviour to fit in with their peer group