Why do people conform?
Explanations
Explanations....
• Normative social influence
• Informational social influence
• Social impact theory
What are they and how are they
different?
Normative social influence
•
•
•
•
Being liked and belonging
Fear of being excluded from the group
Compliance
Examples include bullies in school
Informational social influence
• Being right
• When you don’t know what to do
• Usually found during a crisis situation,
ambiguous situation and following the advice
of an expert
• Internalisation
• Examples include listening to a fireman
Social influence theory (Latane)
• Based on the likelihood of responding to social
influence or when are people most likely to
respond?
• Principles include, number of people
influencing, strength (expert) and immediacy
• Examples include probation officers
• Research was revised to include the 4Cs
consolidation, clustering (cliques), correlation,
continuing diversity
Spot the mistakes – highlight the mistakes in the passage
ANSWERS
• Normative – internalisation, obey, easy
• Informative – compliance, unambiguous,
ourselves, we
• Social theory – low, large, small
Make the changes on the sheet
Summarise
• In no more than 10 words
Or
• Draw a cartoon for each
Whiteboard
Quiz
1. What is the motivation for Informational
social influence?
Answer: Being right
Whiteboard
Quiz
2. What is the motivation for Normative social
influence?
Answer: Being liked
Whiteboard
Quiz
3. Latane’s social impact theory put forward
three principles, what were they?
Answer:
1. Number
2. Strength
3. Immediacy
Whiteboard
Quiz
4. Bullying is an example of which social
influence?
Answer: Normative social influence
Whiteboard
Quiz
5. Are you more likely to comply or internalise
in Informational social influence?
Answer: Internalise
Whiteboard
Quiz
6. A crisis is an example of which type of social
influence?
Answer: Informational social influence
Whiteboard
Quiz
7. “To accept both the public and the private
opinion”. What type of conformity is this
describing?
Answer: Internalisation
Whiteboard
Quiz
8. Are you more likely to comply or internalise
in Normative social influence?
Answer: Comply
Whiteboard
Quiz
9. “The more important a person is to you, the
more influence they have on you”, describes
which principle of Social impact theory?
Answer: Strength
Whiteboard
Quiz
10. Some research into conformity cannot be
related to real life. What is this said to be
lacking?
Answer: Ecological validity
Scenario 1
Alice was sure she knew about
the best possible treatment
that she needed for her illness
until her doctor convinced her
otherwise
Scenario 1
Alice was sure she knew about the best possible
treatment that she needed for her illness until
her doctor convinced her otherwise
Internalisation because she agrees with the
doctor both publically and privately
Informational social influence because Alice is
listening and agreeing with an expert’s advice
Scenario 2
Jane has just started at a new
school. She was willing to steal
the caretakers keys, as a dare,
even though she knew it was
wrong
Scenario 2
Jane has just started at a new school. She was
willing to steal the caretakers keys, as a dare,
even though she knew it was wrong
Compliance, privately knows it is wrong
Normative social influence because she is doing
something to be liked
Social impact theory because she is being
influenced by the ‘crowd’ who she hangs around
with (immediacy)
Scenario 3
After the earthquake the police
told the survivors to go to the
town hall for shelter, many
people did this. John decided
to follow
Scenario 3
After the earthquake the police told the
survivors to go to the town hall for shelter,
many people did this. John decided to follow
Internalisation because he agreed with the
decision both publically and privately
Informational social influence because he was
responding in a crisis and following the
actions of an expert
Scenario 4
Tim’s friend offered him a
cigarette yesterday, he tried it.
He knows it is wrong but
wants to look cool
Scenario 4
Tim’s friend offered him a cigarette yesterday, he
tried it. He knows it is wrong but wants to look
cool
Compliance because he knows it is wrong
Normative social influence because he is
following to fit in so that he isn’t excluded
Homework
Outline two explanations of
conformity (6 marks)
Due: