Types Of Conformity
AS/A Level Psychology Unit 1/7181
This sections covers the chapter on types of conformity including Internalisation, Identification and compliance for AS and A level psychology unit 1 (7181) of the new specification.
This is the weakest level of conformity. This is when a person may publicly show themselves go along with the behaviour of the group to gain their approval or to avoid disapproval. Internally however their opinions may be different and this conformity may happen only when in the presence of the group. An example of compliance is agreeing with a group opinion that Man United are better than Chelsea when secretly disagreeing with this.
This is deeper than compliance but weaker than internalisation. An individual may adjust their behaviour and opinions publicly and privately due to accepting the groups viewpoint and wanting to belong to the group. This may only be temporary however and their behaviour changes when they leave the group. For example someone may join a football team and engage in behaviours that seem right to fit in within the team (e.g. drinking after the match together). However upon leaving the team they may not keep this viewpoint and stop drinking with them.
This is the deepest form of conformity and is also known as “true conformity” or “conversion”. This is when an individual adjusts their behaviour and beliefs because they come to accept a viewpoint as true. This may occur when exposed to the beliefs of others and then having to decide themselves on their own viewpoint. If they accept the group’s view they adjust their behaviour even when not around the group anymore. An example of this is Tom living with vegetarians at university and upon learning more about this, coming to accept eating meat as wrong. He then continues to be a vegetarian even when he leaves the group.
You can also learn about explanations for conformity here which is also in unit 1.
How to reference/cite this information:
<a href=”http://www.loopa.co.uk/types-of-conformity-aqa-psychology/”>Types of conformity</a>