Conformity Flashcards
(17 cards)
What are the three types of conformity?
– Compliance
– internalisation
– identification
What is internalisation?
– A permanent change as it persists even in the absence of the group.
– It is when you change your belief/ behaviour / opinions and agree BOTH privately and publicly
– for example converting to a religion.
What is compliance?
– Going along with the group because you don’t want to stick out, but don’t actually value the group.
– This is due to group pressure and they want to be accepted.
– You do not agree privately.
What is identification?
– Going along with the group because you value them or something/ beliefs .
– you do not agree privately.
Who conducted research on conformity?
Asch , he asked participants which line matches in length.
– A study was seen as a child of its time
What were the aims of Ashes study?
– To see if people would confirm the group based on their answers eg, copying answers to fit in the group even if they didn’t agree.
-test conformity levels in three different conditions.
What were the three variables affecting conformity?
Group size
Unanimity
Task difficulty
What were the findings in the group size variation ?
Condition one = one real participant, one confederate
Conformity rate was 3%
Condition two = one real participant, to confederates
Conformity rates were 13%
Condition three = one real part three confederates.
Conformity rate was 32% (close to the original rate which was 33%)
What did the group size variation show?
That group size matters until a certain point (4 confederates).
What were the findings of the task difficulty variation?
In the aboriginal condition, the task was one ambiguous as it was clear to see the right answer and there were large differences between lines.
– conformity rate was 32%
In the variation it was more ambiguous and harder to answer as the differences between the lines were smaller.
– Rate increases from 33% as participants don’t know the answer, and want to be right so they CONFORM to be RIGHT NOT liked/ accepted.
What were the findings of the unanimity variation?
Condition one – one confederate gives the correct answer to and the rest answer the same. ( PARTNERSHIP VARIATION).
The rate in condition one was 5% as the participant feels more comfortable sharing their answer if someone else answers the same.
Condition two – one confederate gives a different answer to the participant and other confederates and the rest answer the same.
The conformity rate in condition 2 was 9% , the conformity rate decreases as it still breaks the pattern/ pressure but not to the same level.
What are the two explanations for conformity?
Normative social influence (NSI)
Informative social influence (ISI)
What is NSI?
Conforming as there is a strong desire to be liked/accepted by the group.
– Emotional process
– publicly going along with group views but NOT PRIVATELY.
(Compliance)
What is ISI?
Conforming due to the strong desire to be RIGHT.
-COGNITIVE process
– leads to a permanent change behaviour/attitude.
– Agreeing BOTH PUBLICLY and PRIVATELY .
– often takes place in crisis situations where you look to others/take their guidance as you think they are right.
What is a weakness of Ashes study?
P- It is limited as it could have been affected by the DEMAND CHARACTERISTICS
E- this is because in the original, the line length was unambiguous so it may have been easier for the participant to guess the true aim of the study.
L- This is a weakness as it lowers the INTERNAL VALIDITY of the research.
What is another weakness of ashes study?
P- it lacks temporal validity as it is not relevant in today’s society..
E- PERRIN and SPENCER (1980) repeated Asch’s study in the UK using engineering students.
– that was only ONE Conforming response out of 396 trials.
– Maybe Asch’s research was unique due to the time period, at that time in the USA, conformity levels were high due to post world war mindsets.
L- this is a weakness as it decreases the internal validity of the research.
