Asch: Conformity - Social influence [ A Level Psychology ]

Summary

This script explores the concept of conformity, defined by Aronson as a change in behavior or belief due to group pressure. It distinguishes between compliance, identification, and internalization as types of conformity, ranging from superficial to deep. The video discusses Solomon Ash's classic study, highlighting how group pressure can lead to incorrect responses. It also evaluates conformity through the lenses of informational and normative social influence, and touches on cultural differences in conformity rates.

Takeaways

• 🐑 Conformity is the act of changing one's behavior or beliefs to align with a group, often due to perceived group pressure.
• 🧠 Solomon Ash's research showed that three-quarters of participants conformed at least once to an obviously wrong group response.
• 📈 There are three types of conformity: compliance (superficial change), identification (aligning to strengthen social identity), and internalization (deep, lasting change).
• 👥 Compliance is driven by normative social influence, where individuals conform to gain positive reactions or avoid punishment.
• 🤝 Identification involves adopting group behaviors to feel connected, even if it's not personally preferred.
• 🌐 Internalization occurs when individuals genuinely accept group norms as their own, influenced by informational social influence.
• 🔍 Two main explanations for conformity are normative social influence (fear of rejection) and informational social influence (believing the group knows best).
• 📉 Ash's experiment showed conformity rates increased with group size but plateaued after a certain point.
• 🤔 Providing social support, like an ally giving the correct answer, significantly reduced conformity rates.
• 🌍 Cultural differences impact conformity, with collectivist societies conforming more than individualistic ones.
• 👤 Personal dispositions, such as being an affiliator or having high confidence, can affect the likelihood of conforming.

Q & A

What is the definition of conformity according to Aronson?

Conformity is defined as a change in behavior or belief as a result of real or imagined group pressure.

What are the three types of conformity identified by Helman?

The three types of conformity identified by Helman are compliance, identification, and internalization.

What is compliance in the context of conformity?

Compliance is a type of conformity where individuals change their behavior or outwardly claimed beliefs in response to pressure from others, without changing their private beliefs.

How does identification differ from compliance?

Identification involves individuals adopting the behaviors, attitudes, or values of a group to create or strengthen a social identity, whereas compliance is about avoiding rejection.

What does internalization represent in conformity?

Internalization is the deepest level of conformity where individuals truly adopt the beliefs, values, or norms of a group, leading to a private and lasting change in beliefs and behaviors.

What are the two explanations for conformity?

The two explanations for conformity are informational social influence (ISI) and normative social influence (NSI).

Why did the conformity rate increase in Ash's task difficulty variation?

The conformity rate increased in the task difficulty variation because making the comparison lines closer in length to the standard line increased the ambiguity of the task, leading participants to look to the group for guidance.

What was the effect of providing social support in Ash's unanimity variation?

In Ash's unanimity variation, instructing one of the Confederates to act as an ally and give the correct answer provided social support for the true participant, which reduced the conformity rate to 5.5%.

What criticisms have been made regarding the generalizability of Ash's conformity study?

Critics argue that Ash's study lacks temporal validity due to its age and cultural bias due to the all-American sample. A replication study by Perin and Spencer found less conformity in a modern British sample, suggesting people are more willing to resist normative social influence.

How does cultural background affect conformity according to the meta-analysis by Bond?

The meta-analysis by Bond found that collectivist societies, which value group harmony, were more conformist compared to individualistic societies that value personal freedom.

What are some dispositional explanations for conformity?

Dispositional explanations for conformity include being an affiliator, having high confidence, and having an internal locus of control.