Conformity
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- Date Submitted: 12/05/2014 12:39 AM
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Describe and evaluate psychological research into Conformity
Conformity is a part of social psychology, it delves into the reasons why as a species we may adapt our opinions, ideas or actions depending on who or what surrounds us.
“Social psychology is an attempt to understand and explain how the thoughts, feelings and behaviours of individuals are influenced by the actual, imagined or implied presence of others.” (Allport 1968)
Although interest in the subject began in the late 1800s, the depth and interest in the ideas of conformity, obedience, and social influence became much broader after World War 2. Psychologist began asking themselves why soldiers would partake in horrors such as the Holocaust, without question or resistance. It was hypothesised that we as a society may favour acceptance f a group, sometimes at the expense of our morals.
Although this subject area gives us an understanding into human tendencies and traits it cannot completely explain a person’s actions. Each individual has freedom of choice to comply or to resist a situation or problem. There are two types of conformity, Internalisation where an individual or minority take on and accept the beliefs and views of the majority. As opposed to Compliance which is minorities agreeing to situations or idea which are outside of their own beliefs in order to be part of a group. Conformity as a subsection of social psychology can be defined as;
“A change in belief or behaviour in response to real or imagined group pressure, when there is no direct request to comply with the group, nor any reason to justify the behaviour change.”
(Zimbardo and Lippe 1991)
Social influence can present itself in a two different forms, Majority and minority influence. Studies have been done on both, as with all research there are pros, cons and conflicting views on results. Crutchfield adapted and experiment originally done by Solomon Asch in 19 . The participants would be sat in a cubicle and questions were...
Conformity is a part of social psychology, it delves into the reasons why as a species we may adapt our opinions, ideas or actions depending on who or what surrounds us.
“Social psychology is an attempt to understand and explain how the thoughts, feelings and behaviours of individuals are influenced by the actual, imagined or implied presence of others.” (Allport 1968)
Although interest in the subject began in the late 1800s, the depth and interest in the ideas of conformity, obedience, and social influence became much broader after World War 2. Psychologist began asking themselves why soldiers would partake in horrors such as the Holocaust, without question or resistance. It was hypothesised that we as a society may favour acceptance f a group, sometimes at the expense of our morals.
Although this subject area gives us an understanding into human tendencies and traits it cannot completely explain a person’s actions. Each individual has freedom of choice to comply or to resist a situation or problem. There are two types of conformity, Internalisation where an individual or minority take on and accept the beliefs and views of the majority. As opposed to Compliance which is minorities agreeing to situations or idea which are outside of their own beliefs in order to be part of a group. Conformity as a subsection of social psychology can be defined as;
“A change in belief or behaviour in response to real or imagined group pressure, when there is no direct request to comply with the group, nor any reason to justify the behaviour change.”
(Zimbardo and Lippe 1991)
Social influence can present itself in a two different forms, Majority and minority influence. Studies have been done on both, as with all research there are pros, cons and conflicting views on results. Crutchfield adapted and experiment originally done by Solomon Asch in 19 . The participants would be sat in a cubicle and questions were...