Social Influence

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Conformity - a form of majority influence, refers to yielding to group pressure & adopting the attitudes, beliefs & behaviours of people in a group in response to group pressure.

Types 

Internalisation - when a person accepts the group's norms causing a private and public change in opinions/behaviour which is likely to be permanent because the attitudes have been internalised. The change persists in the absence of other group members.

Compliance - "going along with others" in public but privately not changing personal opinions &/ behaviours and behave in a way that is consistent with the group norm in order to be accepted. Results in superficial change & means a particular behaviour/opinion stops when group pressure stops.

Identification - conform because there is something about the group we value. We identify with the group and want to be part of it so we may publicly change even if we privately disagree with everything the group stands for.

Explanations

Deutsch & Gerard developed a two-process theory arguing there are 2 main reasons why people conform

Informational Social Influence (ISI) - In a new / ambiguous situation we look to others to gain information when we doubt our opinions or ability and is likely to lead to a change in our personal opinions / point of view. Individuals follow this behaviour because they want to be right and is a cognitive process as it is to do with what you think.

Normative Social Influence (NSI) - Conform to be accepted by group and/or avoid ridicule & rejection when we think the group can reward (accept) or punish (reject) us. May lead to a change in behaviour but is less likely to lead to change in personal opinions and it is a emotional rather than cognitive process.

Evaluation of Explanations

Research support for ISI (Lucas) - students asked to give answers to math problems ranging from easy to difficult - greater conformity more difficult the question - truest for students who rated ability as poor. Conform when we feel we do not know the answer & so look to others and assume they are right  

Individual differences in NSI - not everyone's behaviour affected in the same way - people less concerned with being liked are less affected by NSI - desire to be liked underlies conformity for some more than others

Asch's Study 

Aim: If Ps would yield to majority social influence & give incorrect answers in unambiguous situation.

Method: 123 American male undergrads seated in room & asked to look at three lines of different lengths. Ps called out, in turn, which

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