TYPES OF CONFORMITY
– Kelman (1958) proposed three types of conformity:
– Compliance – Changing your views in public as you want to fit in with the group
– Identification – Changing your views in public and in private but only in the presence of the group
– Internalisation – Changing your views in public and in private because you genuinely accept them
COMPLIANCE
– Changing your opinions/behaviour in public, to go along with the crowd, but privately disagreeing
– Compliance results in only a superficial change and stops as soon as group pressure stops.
– May go along to only gain the groups approval as fitting in is what is seen as desirable so this is what motivates the conformity
– Eg. You might say that you like dubstep music because many other people in your class like dubstep music and you wish to fit in, however privately you dislike this style of music.
IDENTIFICATION
– We conform to a groups opinions/behaviours because there is something about the group we value.
– We identify with the group, so we want to be part of it.
– A Person changes their public behaviour and their private beliefs, but only while they are in the presence of the group.
– Eg. A person may decide to become a vegetarian because all of his new flat mates are vegetarian however they still eat meat without the presence of the group
INTERNALISATION
– Occurs when a person genuinely accepts the group norms and results in a private as well as a public change of opinions/behaviour
– The opinions and behaviour continue with the absence of the group
– The individual accepts the view privately and publicly
– Eg. A person changes religion due to the influence of a religious group and continues to follow the religion without the presence of the group
EXPLANATIONS FOR CONFORMITY
– Deutsch and Gerard (1955) developed a two-process theory, argue that there are two main reasons why people conform.
– They are based on two human needs:
– The need to be liked
– The need to be right
NORMATIVE SOCIAL INFLUENCE
– This is when a person conforms to be liked, accepted, or belong to a group.
– This occurs when people do not want to appear foolish and prefer to gain social approval rather than be rejected and so they stick to the group norms.
– Eg. Wearing a certain brand as it is the social norm in the group
INFORMATIVE SOCIAL INFLUENCE
– This is when a person conforms to be right and accepts information from others as evidence about reality
– This occurs when we are uncertain about what behaviours or beliefs are right or wrong and so we conform to be correct.
– Eg. Changing your answer on a test because the people around you got a different answer and you think that they’re more likely to be correct
EVALUATION OF EXPLANATIONS FOR SOCIAL INFLUENCE
STRENGTHS
Research Support for Normative Influence
– Research has supported the important role normative beliefs in shaping behaviours such as smoking and energy conservation.
– Linkenbach and Perkins (2003) found that adolescents exposed to the message that the majority of their age group did not smoke were less likely to take up smoking.
– Likewise, another study found that hotel guests exposed the message that 75% of guests reuse their towels each day reduced their own towel used by 25%.
– These studies support the claim that people shape their behaviour out of a desire to fit in with the group
– Therefore, these studies show the influence of social norms on behaviour and thus, the normative social influence
Research Support for Informative Social Influence
– Studies have demonstrated how exposure to other people’s beliefs and opinions and shape many aspects of social behaviour and beliefs.
– Wittenbrink and Henley (1996) found that participants exposed to negative information about African Americans later reported more negative attitudes towards black individuals.
– Research has also shown how informative social influence can shape political opinion.
– In a study participants saw what the reaction of the fellow participants on screen was supposedly during the presidential debate.
– This information produced large shifts of the candidate’s performance.
– These studies show that people change their opinions because they think that other people are correct.
– Therefore the studies show the influence of informative social influence
LIMITATION
Individual Differences in Normative Social Influence
– Some research shows that normative social influence does not affect everybody’s behaviour in the same way.
– For example, people who are more concerned with being liked are described as nAffiliators.
– These are people who have a greater need for affiliation, a need for being in a relationship with others.
– For example, a study found that students high in need of affiliation are more likely to conform.
– This shows that the desire to be liked underlies conformity for some people more than others.
– Therefore, there are individual differences in the way that people respond and some people might not be influenced by social norms or normative social influence