Define conformity
When an individual thinks or acts similar to those around them
Define informational social influence
Where a person conforms because they have the desire to be right and look to others who they believe may have more information.
Define normative social influence
Where a person conforms to fit in with the group because they don’t want to appear foolish or be left out.
Briefly explain the difference between normative and informational social influence
Normative influence regards wanting to conform to a group and be accepted
Informational influence regards conformity due to perceiving others as an accurate source of information
Give some examples of normative social influence
- peer pressure
- fashion trends
What is a dispositional factor?
Individual characteristics of a person that affects conformity
What are social factors?
The way the surroundings or the setting affect an individual’s conformity
Give some examples of social factors
- group size (bigger group = more conformity)
- anonymity (more anonymous = less conformity)
- Task difficulty (easier task = less conformity)
Give some examples of dispositional factors
- Personality (EG low self esteem = more likely to conform)
- expertise (EG someone with a psychology degree is less likely to conform when asked a question about psychology)
Give some evaluation points of Asch’s line study
+ lab setting - high control
+ repeated with different situations
- lab setting lacks ecological validity
- task lacked consequences
- culturally biased (participants were all American)
Define obedience
When an individual follows the orders of an authority figure
