SOCIAL INFLUENCE
CONFORMITY
A type of social influence involving a change in belief or behaviour in order to fit in with a group. This is often
due to perceived pressure.
→ Doesn’t mean that we are ‘bullied’ into doing something.
→ Can go wrong if we become too engrossed in others’ opinions but not always necessarily a bad thing.
Types of conformity (the extent to Examples of Reasons for conformity (why we
which we change) conformity change) and studies
o Internalisation – This is the deepest
level of conformity. Change is both Changing speed when ➢ Informative social influence –
public and private. → leads to a driving both alone and wanting to be right.
more permanent change due to with others. ➢ Jenness’ Bean Jar experiment.
being an ongoing process.
Dressing differently
when with friends and
o Identification – Change in
colleagues compared ➢ Normative social influence –
behaviour when with others but
to when being at home wanting to be liked.
may not fully change private belief,
in order to fulfil dress ➢ Zimbardo’s Prison Study
rather value, or understand others.
code e.g., police
officers.
Giving money to
o Compliance – Most simplistic level
charity because you ➢ Normative social influence –
of conformity. Temporary change in
feel uncomfortable just wanting to be liked.
behaviour to go with others, but no
walking past a charity ➢ Asch’s line study
change in values or belief.
stall.
Informative social influence (ISI)
o The desire to be right because we accept that behaviour of others is most
likely to be right.
o This occurs more if a situation is new or ambiguous or if we view someone
in the group as being an ‘expert’.
o Cognitive processes – based on how we think.
o ISI results in internalisation.
o E.g., copying others’ homework because you think that person is smart and
likely to get answers right.
Normative social influence (NSI)
o Changing our behaviour to be liked in order to fit with the group norm.
o This occurs mostly if we are with strangers as we fear rejection or
stressful situations where we want more social support.
o Emotional processes – based on how we feel.
o This is more due to instincts – it makes us feel happier when a group
accepts us therefore it’s a quicker emotional response to behave a
certain way.
o NSI results in compliance and identification.
Evaluation
(+) Asch found PPTs conformed to others due to fear (-) McGhee & Teevan – students who were affiliates
of disapproval - NSI. wanting to be liked were more likely to conform –
(+) Lucas et al – ISI is correct → people conformed shows individual differences, not NSI.
when maths Qs were difficult compared to easy Qs. (-) Lucas et al shows it’s impossible to know whether
(+) Ecological validity – can be generalised to social NSI/ISI is operating.
situations.
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, Asch’s Line Study (1951)
Aim: Participants:
To examine the extent to o 50 male students from an American college.
which social pressure o Each male participant placed in a room with seven confederates. The
from a majority could participant was positioned second to last. (6th place)
affect a person to o Participants were told they were taking part in a vision test.
conform.
Trials: Exhibits used:
1) Participants selected and told they were taking part in a vision test.
2) Participant placed second to last when seated.
3) Participant and confederates given two images, one with a target line
and another with ABC lines of different lengths.
4) Each person had to match the line, A/B/C to the target line.
5) Each participant then had to complete this trial 18 times in total
whilst confederates gave incorrect answers on 12 trials (known as
critical trials).
6) Asch measured the number of times each participant conformed to
the majority view despite the answer being obvious.
7) Asch interviewed each participant to find their reason for conformity.
8) Repeated for one control group for a single participant – no
confederates included.
Findings:
➢ 32% conformed all of the times.
➢ 74% conformed at least once.
➢ 26% of participants never conformed.
What is a confederate? Explanation of conformity:
o A person pretending to partaking in a study as a subject but in Participants conformed due to
reality working for the researcher. normative social influence – the
desire to fit in and fear of being
Application: Seven confederates used, and they had already agreed ridiculed.
their answers in advance. They had to deceive the participant that the → It was easier to go along with
confederates were real participants. the group even when they knew
they were wrong.
Evaluation of Asch
Strengths Limitations
✓ Use of debriefing after the experiment especially Can’t generalise – students from same college
if participants felt stressed. and no females included. → lacks population
validity.
✓ Valid results – required deception otherwise
demand characteristics would have been Low ecological validity – doesn’t reflect
displayed. conformity in real life due to lacking mundane
realism.
✓ Replicability – standardised procedure used
controlled variables → EVs and CVs controlled. Ethical implications – protection from harm (PPT
felt stressed).
Told it would be a vision test – leads to demand
characteristics.
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CONFORMITY
A type of social influence involving a change in belief or behaviour in order to fit in with a group. This is often
due to perceived pressure.
→ Doesn’t mean that we are ‘bullied’ into doing something.
→ Can go wrong if we become too engrossed in others’ opinions but not always necessarily a bad thing.
Types of conformity (the extent to Examples of Reasons for conformity (why we
which we change) conformity change) and studies
o Internalisation – This is the deepest
level of conformity. Change is both Changing speed when ➢ Informative social influence –
public and private. → leads to a driving both alone and wanting to be right.
more permanent change due to with others. ➢ Jenness’ Bean Jar experiment.
being an ongoing process.
Dressing differently
when with friends and
o Identification – Change in
colleagues compared ➢ Normative social influence –
behaviour when with others but
to when being at home wanting to be liked.
may not fully change private belief,
in order to fulfil dress ➢ Zimbardo’s Prison Study
rather value, or understand others.
code e.g., police
officers.
Giving money to
o Compliance – Most simplistic level
charity because you ➢ Normative social influence –
of conformity. Temporary change in
feel uncomfortable just wanting to be liked.
behaviour to go with others, but no
walking past a charity ➢ Asch’s line study
change in values or belief.
stall.
Informative social influence (ISI)
o The desire to be right because we accept that behaviour of others is most
likely to be right.
o This occurs more if a situation is new or ambiguous or if we view someone
in the group as being an ‘expert’.
o Cognitive processes – based on how we think.
o ISI results in internalisation.
o E.g., copying others’ homework because you think that person is smart and
likely to get answers right.
Normative social influence (NSI)
o Changing our behaviour to be liked in order to fit with the group norm.
o This occurs mostly if we are with strangers as we fear rejection or
stressful situations where we want more social support.
o Emotional processes – based on how we feel.
o This is more due to instincts – it makes us feel happier when a group
accepts us therefore it’s a quicker emotional response to behave a
certain way.
o NSI results in compliance and identification.
Evaluation
(+) Asch found PPTs conformed to others due to fear (-) McGhee & Teevan – students who were affiliates
of disapproval - NSI. wanting to be liked were more likely to conform –
(+) Lucas et al – ISI is correct → people conformed shows individual differences, not NSI.
when maths Qs were difficult compared to easy Qs. (-) Lucas et al shows it’s impossible to know whether
(+) Ecological validity – can be generalised to social NSI/ISI is operating.
situations.
Page | 28
, Asch’s Line Study (1951)
Aim: Participants:
To examine the extent to o 50 male students from an American college.
which social pressure o Each male participant placed in a room with seven confederates. The
from a majority could participant was positioned second to last. (6th place)
affect a person to o Participants were told they were taking part in a vision test.
conform.
Trials: Exhibits used:
1) Participants selected and told they were taking part in a vision test.
2) Participant placed second to last when seated.
3) Participant and confederates given two images, one with a target line
and another with ABC lines of different lengths.
4) Each person had to match the line, A/B/C to the target line.
5) Each participant then had to complete this trial 18 times in total
whilst confederates gave incorrect answers on 12 trials (known as
critical trials).
6) Asch measured the number of times each participant conformed to
the majority view despite the answer being obvious.
7) Asch interviewed each participant to find their reason for conformity.
8) Repeated for one control group for a single participant – no
confederates included.
Findings:
➢ 32% conformed all of the times.
➢ 74% conformed at least once.
➢ 26% of participants never conformed.
What is a confederate? Explanation of conformity:
o A person pretending to partaking in a study as a subject but in Participants conformed due to
reality working for the researcher. normative social influence – the
desire to fit in and fear of being
Application: Seven confederates used, and they had already agreed ridiculed.
their answers in advance. They had to deceive the participant that the → It was easier to go along with
confederates were real participants. the group even when they knew
they were wrong.
Evaluation of Asch
Strengths Limitations
✓ Use of debriefing after the experiment especially Can’t generalise – students from same college
if participants felt stressed. and no females included. → lacks population
validity.
✓ Valid results – required deception otherwise
demand characteristics would have been Low ecological validity – doesn’t reflect
displayed. conformity in real life due to lacking mundane
realism.
✓ Replicability – standardised procedure used
controlled variables → EVs and CVs controlled. Ethical implications – protection from harm (PPT
felt stressed).
Told it would be a vision test – leads to demand
characteristics.
Page | 29
