explanations for conformity

Question 1

2 explainations for conformity

Answer 1

normative social influence - NSI
informational social influence - ISI

Question 2

what is NSI

Answer 2

desire to be liked (neve wants to be liked)

Question 3

what is ISI

Answer 3

desire to be right (india always wants to be right)

Question 4

what does NSI lead to

Answer 4

compliance

Question 5

what does ISI lead to

Answer 5

internalisation

Question 6

what motivates ISI

Answer 6

• humans have a basic need to feel confident that their ideas and beliefs are correct (a need for certainty)
• this helps them feel in control, and provides the motivation behind ISI

Question 7

what motivates NSI

Answer 7

• people do not like to appear foolish and prefer to gain social approval so people conform to the majority behaviour in order to fit in with the group, and to avoid rejection

Question 8

is ISI cognitve or emotional

Answer 8

cognitive

Question 9

is NSI cognitve or emotional

Answer 9

emotional

Question 10

when is ISI more likely to have an effect

Answer 10

• when a question asked does not have an obviously correct answer
• when an individual is not sure of the answer
• when the majority are regarded as having more knowledge about the topic

when this happens, people look to others for more information and may agree with the majority view.

Question 11

when is NSI more likely to have an effect

Answer 11

• with strangers where you may feel concern about rejection
• among people you know, as we are most concerned about the social approval of our friends
• in stressful situations where people have a greater need for social support

Question 12

what does ISI cause to change

Answer 12

both private beliefs and public behaviour

Question 13

what does NSI cause to change

Answer 13

only public behaviour

Question 14

does ISI cause a temporary or permanent change

Answer 14

permanent

Question 15

does NSI cause a temporary or permanent change

Answer 15

temporary

Question 16

what study supports ISI

Answer 16

Lucas (2006) math questions

Question 17

explain lucas experiment for supporting ISI

Answer 17

Lucas (2006) conducted a study where he asked students mathematical questions varying in difficulty. Students were more likely to conform to the answers of harder math questions. Students who rather their mathematical abilities as poor were more likely to conform.

Question 18

what study contradicts support for NSI

Answer 18

Mcghee and Teevan (1967) need for affiliation

Question 19

2 studies which support NSI

Answer 19

• Linkenbach and Perkins (2003) adolescent smoking
• Schultz (2008) towel usage.

Question 20

does NSI and ISI operate independantly?

Answer 20

• conformity doesn’t operate independently in many situations. - people are less likely to conform when a person dissent from other views
• this may be because the dissenter may provide a pathway for others to not conform (NSI) or because their opinion may provide additional information that others may agree with (ISI)

Question 21

explain Mcghee and Teevan (1967) need for affiliation study

Answer 21

Not everyone is affected by NSI to the same extent. McGhee and Teevan (1967), when testing conformity, found that those participants with a high need for affiliation (a concern for being liked, and for being in a relationship with others) more likely to conform than those with a low need.

Question 22

explain the two studies which show support for NSI

Answer 22

Shultz (2008) found that hotel guests that were exposed to a normative message that 75% of hotel guests reuse their towels decreased their towel usage by 25%.

Linkenbach and Perkins (2003) looked at the relationship between peoples normative beliefs and the likelyhood of them smoking and found that adolescents who were exposed to to the message that ‘most people their age do not smoke’ were less likely to smoke.

Question 23

what % did towel usage go down

Answer 23

25%

Question 24

lucas (2006) provided evidence for ?

Answer 24

support of ISI

Question 25

Mcghee and Teevan (1967) study provided evidence for what?

Answer 25

negative of NSI

Question 26

Schultz (2008) study provided evidence for what?

Answer 26

Support of NSI

Question 27

Linkenbach and Perkins (2003) study provided evidence for what?

Answer 27

Support of NSI