Explanations and types of conformity Flashcards
Explanations of conformity - normative social influence
Desire to be liked
Humans have a fundamental need for social companionship and a fear of rejection
People must believe they are under the surveillance of a group to conform - doesn’t occur in private settings nor does it endure over time
Explanations of conformity - informational social influence
Desire to be right
Humans have a need to feel confident that their perceptions of reality are right
If it isn’t possible to check facts, people rely on the opinions of others
More likely if the situation is ambiguous, correct path is unclear, others are experts or we believe others know more than we do
As a result, it changes peoples behaviour both in public and in private
Explanations of conformity AO3
Hotel guests exposed to the normative message that 75% of guests reused their towels each day reduced their own use by 25%
Adolescents exposed to the message that the majority or peers their age didn’t t smoke were less likely to take up smoking
Types of conformity - compliance
People may go along with a group to gain approval or avoid their disapproval
When exposed to the views or actions of the majority, people therefore may compare their own views and change what they say or do to fit in with them
Fitting in is seen as desirable
This doesn’t change peoples underlying attitude, only the views and behaviours they express in public
Types of conformity - internalisation
People may go along with a group because of an acceptance of their views
When exposed to the views of other members of a group, engage in a validation process, examine own beliefs to see if they or the others are right
Close examination may convince the person they are wrong and the group is right.
More likely if the group is trustworthy in their views the individual has tended to go along with them in the pas
Leads to permanent acceptance of the groups point of view both in public and private
Types of conformity - identification
People may accept influence because they want to associate with a person / group
By adopting their attitudes and behaviours they feel more a part of the group
Only a temporary form of conformity
