explanations of conformity

Question 1

normative social influence

Answer 1

individual conforms to gain approval or acceptance. driven by the desire to be liked, motivated by emotions- causes compliance

Question 2

informative social influence

Answer 2

individual conforms for a desire to be correct in ambiguous situations. motivated by cognitive reasons, driven by belief that others have more knowledge- causes internalisation

Question 3

strength- research support for NSI

Answer 3

Asch’s research supports NSI as 75% of participants conformed at least once to give the wrong answer to avoid social discomfort. When responses were private, conformity dropped to 12.5%, showing the influence of social pressure.

Question 4

strength- research support for ISI

Answer 4

task difficulty increased= ambiguity of correct answer also increased so they were more likely to rely on other’s judgement. this supports ISI as an explanation of conformity- people conform when they believe others know better.

Question 5

Weakness- personality traits influence conformity

Answer 5

Conformity is influenced by personal traits - nAffiliators, who seek social approval, are more likely to conform, while individuals with a high internal locus of control tend to resist conformity, believing they are in control of their own behaviour.

Question 6

weakness- hard to separate both explanations

Answer 6

NSI and ISI often overlap, making it hard to separate them clearly. People may not always be conscious of whether they are conforming to fit in or to be correct. In real-life situations, both motives can operate together, which reduces the explanatory power of viewing them as separate processes.