SOCIAL INFLUENCE - Types of conformity

• Types of Conformity - internalisation, identification and compliance.

Internalisation - A deep type of conformity where we take on the majority view because we accept it as correct.

Identification - A moderate type of conformity where we act in the same way with the group because we value it and want to be part of it. But we don't necessarily agree with everything the majority believes.

Compliance - A superficial and temporary type of conformity where we outwardly go along with the majority view, but privately disagree with it. The change in our behaviour only lasts as long as the group is monitoring us.

• Explanations for conformity - informational social influence and normative social influence

Informational social influence - An explanation of conformity that says we agree with the opinion of the majority because we believe it is correct. We accept it because we want to be correct as well.

Normative social influence - An explanation of conformity that says we agree with the opinion of the majority because we want to be accepted, gain social approval and be liked

• Asch's Research - including variations like group size, unanimity and task difficulty

Procedure - Asch used a lab experiment to study conformity, whereby 50 male students from Swarthmore College in the USA participated in a ‘vision test’. Using a line judgment task, Asch put a naive participant in a room with seven confederates.The confederates had agreed in advance what their responses would be when presented with the line task.  The real participant did not know this and was led to believe that the other seven participants were also real participants like themselves.Each person in the…