Social Influence: Conformity

Question 1

GENERAL CONCEPTS

Define conformity

Answer 1

Conformity is a form of social influence in which individuals yield to group pressures. It is the change of behaviour or belief as a result of real or imagined group pressures.

Question 2

GENERAL CONCEPTS

Conformity vs Obedience

Answer 2

Conformity adjusts our actions or thoughts to align with a group, while obedience follows orders from authority.

Question 3

GENERAL CONCEPTS

What are the 3 types of conformity?

Answer 3

1. Compliance: publicly change behaviour but not privately (most superfical)
2. Identification: take on the views of individuals or groups we admire, change belief in private only in prescence of majority. (middle)
3. Internalisation: change public behaviour, where others have convinced us their opinion is right- this is long term (deepest level)

Question 4

TYPES OF SOCIAL INFLUENCE

Define Informational Social Influence (ISI)

Answer 4

ISI is when a person conforms because they believe others have more knowledge or are correct. It is linked to internalisation.

Question 5

TYPES OF SOCIAL INFLUENCE

Define Normative Social Influence (NSI)

Answer 5

NSI is when a person conforms to be **accepted or liked **by a group, often linked to compliance or identification.

Question 6

FACTORS OF CONFORMITY

What are the general factors that influence conformity?

Answer 6

• Size of the group
• Lack of group unanimity
• Difficulty of task
• Answer in private
• Anonymity
• Status of majority group

Question 7

FACTORS OF CONFORMITY

What is the optimal group size for conformity?

Answer 7

Conformity increases with the size of the group expect for groups larger than 4 as this is the optimal size.

Question 8

CULTURAL CONSIDERATIONS

What ethnocentric bias?

Answer 8

A term used to describe when people judge other cultures based on their own culture’s standards, usually in a way where their own cultures is seen in a better light.

Question 9

ASCH LINE EXPERIMENT

Explain the Asch Line Experiment.

Answer 9

A sample of 50 males believed they were participating in a vision test. 1 participant was placed in a room with 9 confederates. The real participant sat second to last and in turn each person said which line (A,B, OR C) was most like the target line. The confederates agreed the obvious incorrect line was the correct answer.

Question 10

ASCH LINE EXPERIMENT

List the results of the Asch Line Experiment (1951)

Answer 10

On average, participants conformed to the incorrect answers on 32% of the critical trials.
74% of participants conformed at least once.
However, in the control group, less than 1% of participants gave an incorrect answer.