Social Influence - Types of conformity and their explanations Flashcards
(14 cards)
Define Conformity
compliance with the majority position of a group where an individual adopts the behaviours, values and attitudes of the majority
What are the three types of conformity ?
Compliance
Internalisation
Identification
Define Compliance
Change of public views, attitudes and behaviours in order to fit in with the majority group however private views remain the same. They don’t agree with the majority.
Define Internalisation
Individual accepts influence because the content of the attitude or behaviour proposed is consistent with their own value system. They agree with the majority.
Define Identification
Individual adopts an attitude or behaviour to feel more like the majority group because they want to be like them
What are the two explanations for conformity?
Normative social influence
Informational social influence
Define Informational social influence
The accepting of information on the grounds that the individual believes that the majority is right (most likely when the right answer or cause of action is not clear) driven by human’s compulsion to be correct.
Define Normative social influence
An individual goes along with the majority without actually agreeing with them. Driven by the fear of sticking out and human’s compulsive need for social aproval
What is informational social influence linked to
Internalisation
What is Normative social influence linked to
Compliance
What are the variables affecting conformity
Task difficulty
An Ally
Group size
Who studied the variables affecting conformity?
Asch (1956)
A limitation of the types of conformity
difficult to distinguish between internalisation and compliance
A strength for the explanations of conformity
Research support for both Informational and Normative social influence
