Types of conformity: internalisation, identification and compliance. Explanations for conformity: informational social influence and normative social influence

Types of Conformity:

• Herbert Kelman 1958 suggested there are three ways in which people can change the opinion of the majority:
• Internalisation: people genuinely accept the group norms resulting in a private as well as public change in opinions/behaviour. This change is likely to be permanent as attitudes have been internalised (become part of the way the person thinks). The change also persists in the absence of group members
• Identification: people conform to the opinions/behaviours of a group because there is something about the group we value - they identify with the group and want to be part of it. This means that they change their behaviour/opinion publically to acheive this goal, but don`t privately agree with everything the group stands for
• Compliance: people simply `go along` with the group in public, without changing any internal beleifs. Compliance results in only superficial change and means that a particular behaviour stops when group pressure stops

Explanations for Conformity:

• Informational Social Influence: people follow the actions of the group as they want to be right, making it a cognitive process. This is…