Conformity: Types and Explanations Flashcards
(13 cards)
What is compliance?
Going along with others in public but not privately changing views; a shallow and superficial change due to group pressure.
Compliance does not imply genuine agreement or belief, but rather a change in behavior to fit in with a group.
What is identification?
Publicly changing opinions/behavior because we value a group and want to be part of it, even if we don’t privately agree with all of it.
Identification can lead to changes in behavior that are more profound than compliance but still may not reflect true beliefs.
What is internalisation?
Genuinely accepting group norms; a permanent and deep change.
Internalisation leads to lasting changes in attitudes and beliefs, often aligning with core values.
What is informational social influence (ISI)?
Conforming to be right; a cognitive process, especially in ambiguous situations.
ISI occurs when individuals look to others for guidance in uncertain scenarios.
What is normative social influence (NSI)?
Conforming to be liked or accepted; an emotional process, often in unfamiliar situations or with people we know.
NSI is driven by the desire for social acceptance and the fear of rejection.
What research supports ISI?
Lucas et al. found more conformity on harder math problems, especially when participants doubted their own ability.
This study highlights how uncertainty can lead individuals to rely on the opinions of others.
How does Lucas et al.’s study support ISI?
The harder the task, the more ambiguous it is—participants relied on others, showing ISI.
The reliance on others for information demonstrates the cognitive aspect of ISI.
What is a limitation of NSI?
Individual differences: not everyone is equally affected by NSI.
This suggests that situational factors alone cannot fully explain conformity.
What did McGhee & Teevan find about individual differences in NSI?
People with a high need for affiliation (nAffiliators) conformed more.
This indicates that personal characteristics can influence susceptibility to normative pressures.
What does the McGhee & Teevan study suggest about NSI?
NSI affects some people more than others—individual differences are not explained by situational pressures alone.
Understanding these differences can help in predicting conformity behaviors.
What research supports NSI?
Asch found participants conformed due to fear of disapproval.
Asch’s experiments are foundational in demonstrating the power of normative influence.
What happened when Asch removed normative pressure?
Conformity dropped from the original level to 12.5%.
This substantial decrease illustrates the impact of normative social influence on behavior.
What does the Asch study show about NSI?
Some conformity is driven by a desire to be accepted.
The findings underscore the emotional motivations behind conforming behaviors.
