Conformity: Types and explanations

Lucas et al asked students to give answers to easy and more difficult maths problems. 

There was more confomity to incorrect answers when the problems were difficult. This was most true for students who rated their maths ability as poor.

People conform in situations where they feel they don't know the answer (ISI). We look to others and assume they know better than us and must be right. 

Asch found that students were less conformist (28%) than other participants (37%). 

Perrin and Spencer's also found less conformity in students - in this study they were engineering students (i.e. confident about precision).

People who are knowledgeable and/or more confident are less influenced by the apparently 'right' view of a majority. Therefore there are differences in how individuals respond to ISI. 

This approach states that behaviour is due to either NSI or ISI.

However, conformity was reduced when there was a dissenting partner in the Asch experiment, This dissenter may reduce the power of NSI (by providing social support) or reduce the power of ISI (because they are an alternative source of information).

Therefore it isn't always possible to know whether NSI or ISI is at work. This questions the view of ISI and NSI as operating independently in conforming behaviour. 

Asch asked participants to explain why they agreed with the wrong answer. Some said they felt self-conscious giving the right answer and were afraid of disapproval.

When Asch asked paritcipants to write down their answers, confomity rates fell to 12.5%.

This supports the participants' own reports that they were conforming because of NSI. 

People who care more about being liked are more affected by NSI. They are nAffiliators - people who have a greater need for social relationships.

McGhee and Teevan found that students who were nAffiliators were more likely to conform.

The desire to be liked underlies conformity for some people more than others. One general theory does not cover the fact there are differences.