Conformity

Question 1

What is conformity?

Answer 1

Conformity is a type of social influence involving a change in belief or behaviour in order to fit in with a group.

Question 2

What is internalisation?

Answer 2

Internalisation is a type of conformity in which somebody conforms both publicly and privately, and it is the deepest form of conformity.

Question 3

Give one example of internalisation.

Answer 3

If someone was to conform to the speed limit on a road, because they don’t want to hit somebody.

Question 4

What is identification?

Answer 4

Identification is when someone conforms both publicly and privately in order to fit in with a group, however it is often just a temporary behavioural change.

Question 5

Give one example of identification.

Answer 5

If someone was to stand to another country’s national anthem in a crowd in order to not look disrespectful, if they are not originally from that country.

Question 6

What is compliance?

Answer 6

Compliance is when one conforms publicly, however privately they still disagree, and it is the shallowest form of conformity.

Question 7

Give one example of compliance.

Answer 7

If someone was to cross the road with the rest of a crowd when the signal to cross isn’t on, when they feel uncomfortable about it.

Question 8

Which two psychologists suggested the Two Process Theory?

Answer 8

Deutsch and Gerard.

Question 9

What are the two main desires that make humans conform?

Answer 9

The desire to be liked and the desire to be right.

Question 10

What is NSI and what does it stand for?

Answer 10

NSI is Normative Social Influence. It is the desire to be liked, and it often leads to compliance in unambiguous situations.

Question 11

What is ISI and what does it stand for?

Answer 11

ISI is Informational Social Influence. It is the desire to be right, and it often leads to internalisation in ambiguous situations.

Question 12

What does ambiguous mean?

Answer 12

Open to more than one interpretation.

Question 13

What does unambiguous mean?

Answer 13

Not open to more than one interpretation.

Question 14

Briefly explain Asch’s Line Judgement Experiment.

Answer 14

Real, naïve participants were placed alongside 7 confederates, who had agreed their answer in advance. The naïve participant sat second to last, and the 7 confederates deliberately gave incorrect answers before them.

Question 15

Was Asch’s experiment ambiguous or unambiguous?

Answer 15

Unambiguous, because it was only really open to one interpretation.

Question 16

What % of Asch’s questions were answered incorrectly?

Answer 16

74%

Question 17

What % of Asch’s participants gave at least one incorrect answer?

Answer 17

74%

Question 18

What % of Asch’s participants gave correct answer every time?

Answer 18

26%

Question 19

What % of Asch’s participants gave an incorrect answer every time?

Answer 19

5%

Question 20

Why did Asch’s participants conform?

Answer 20

Because they wanted to fit in with the group, because they were afraid of being ridiculed by the other participants for disagreeing.

Question 21

What were the 3 main variables in Asch’s experiment?

Answer 21

Group size, group unanimity, and task difficulty.

Question 22

Why was group size an important variable in Asch’s experiment?

Answer 22

As the majority group size increased, the rate of conformity also increased, but only up to a certain point (3 more people).

Question 23

Why was group unanimity an important variable in Asch’s experiment?

Answer 23

The presence of one confederate before the naïve participant decreased conformity by up to 80%.

Question 24

Why was task difficulty an important variable in Asch’s experiment?

Answer 24

As the task difficulty increased, so did the rate of conformity.