SOCIAL INFLUENCE ESSAY PLANS
Types and Explanations for Conformity
AO1
1. Conformity is a change in a person's behaviour because of real or
imagined pressure from a person/group
2. Normative social influence is when you conform to fit in or be liked
3. Informational social influence is when you conform due to the
need to be right or correct
4. Compliance is changing public behaviour but not private beliefs to
fit in with a group
5. Identification is changing public behaviour and private beliefs but
only when with the group
6. Internalisation is changing private beliefs even without the group
AO3
Research support of ISI: Asch's line NSI is not generalisable: some
study had greater conformity when people are less concerned about
the task difficulty was higher – being liked by other people
supports informational social
influence
NSI and ISI work together: Research support for NSI: Nolan et
conformity decreases with a al. Hung messages on doors either
dissenter, don’t know whether it is saying “save energy” or “others
NSI (social support) or ISI are trying to save energy”. Found
(alternative info source) significant decreases in energy
usage from the people that were
told others were saving energy
Conformity Asch’s Research
, AO1
1. Ppts were shown a card with a line on and were asked to match it
to one line on another card
2. The majority of ppts were confederates and said the wrong answer
to see if the real ppt would agree
3. Over a third conformed (75% conformed at least once)
4. Group size: a small majority is enough to exert pressure to
conform, making the group larger doesn’t significantly increase
that pressure
5. Unanimity: the presence of a dissenter decreased conformity by a
quarter from when the majority was unanimous
6. Task difficulty: when the task was made harder by the lines being
more similar, conformity increased (ISI)
AO3
Demand characteristics and Findings don’t generalise to real
artificial situation: ppts may have life: the groups weren’t
just gone along with it because representative of groups in
there’s no reason for them not to everyday life
conform
Not accurate/generalisable: only Highly controlled: conducted in a
men were tested, and other lab setting – had control over
research suggests women conform extraneous variables – increased
more. Only an individualist culture internal validity
tested (USA), collectivist culture
conformity is higher
EXT. Ethical issues
Types and Explanations for Conformity
AO1
1. Conformity is a change in a person's behaviour because of real or
imagined pressure from a person/group
2. Normative social influence is when you conform to fit in or be liked
3. Informational social influence is when you conform due to the
need to be right or correct
4. Compliance is changing public behaviour but not private beliefs to
fit in with a group
5. Identification is changing public behaviour and private beliefs but
only when with the group
6. Internalisation is changing private beliefs even without the group
AO3
Research support of ISI: Asch's line NSI is not generalisable: some
study had greater conformity when people are less concerned about
the task difficulty was higher – being liked by other people
supports informational social
influence
NSI and ISI work together: Research support for NSI: Nolan et
conformity decreases with a al. Hung messages on doors either
dissenter, don’t know whether it is saying “save energy” or “others
NSI (social support) or ISI are trying to save energy”. Found
(alternative info source) significant decreases in energy
usage from the people that were
told others were saving energy
Conformity Asch’s Research
, AO1
1. Ppts were shown a card with a line on and were asked to match it
to one line on another card
2. The majority of ppts were confederates and said the wrong answer
to see if the real ppt would agree
3. Over a third conformed (75% conformed at least once)
4. Group size: a small majority is enough to exert pressure to
conform, making the group larger doesn’t significantly increase
that pressure
5. Unanimity: the presence of a dissenter decreased conformity by a
quarter from when the majority was unanimous
6. Task difficulty: when the task was made harder by the lines being
more similar, conformity increased (ISI)
AO3
Demand characteristics and Findings don’t generalise to real
artificial situation: ppts may have life: the groups weren’t
just gone along with it because representative of groups in
there’s no reason for them not to everyday life
conform
Not accurate/generalisable: only Highly controlled: conducted in a
men were tested, and other lab setting – had control over
research suggests women conform extraneous variables – increased
more. Only an individualist culture internal validity
tested (USA), collectivist culture
conformity is higher
EXT. Ethical issues
