Ace your 2025/26 A-Level Psychology exams with my comprehensive, easy-to-follow, and visually appealing notes! Designed for students looking to simplify their revision, these notes cover all key topics and concepts.
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Social Influence
Conformity: Types and explanations
Internalisation
Internalisation is one of three ways in which people conform to the opinion of majority. This occurs when a
person genuinely accepts the group norms. This results in a private as well as a public change of
opinions/behaviours. This change is usually permanent because attitudes have been internalised, i.e.
become part of the way the person thinks. The change in opinions/behaviour persists even in the absence
of other group members.
Identification
This is when a person conform to the opinions/behaviour of a group because we identify with a part of the
group. This means they publicly change their opinions/behaviour to be accepted by the group, even if we
don’t privately agree with everything the group stands for.
Compliance
This is when a person simply ‘goes along with others’ in public, but privately not changing personal
opinions and/or behaviour. Compliance results in only a superficial change. A particular behaviour or
opinion stops as soon as group pressure stops.
Informational social influence
Informational social influence (ISI) is about who has the better information – you or the rest of the group.
For example, in class, you might not know the answer, so if most of the class gives one answer, you
accept it because you think they’re right. We go along with the majority because we believe them to be
right. ISI is a cognitive process because it is to do with what you think. It leads to a permanent change in
opinion/behaviour. This leads to internalisation. It’s more likely to occur in situations where we don’t
know what’s right or there’s some ambiguity.
Normative social influence
Normative social influence is about norms or typical behaviour for a social group. NSI is a more emotional
rather than a cognitive process. It leads to a temporary change in opinions/behaviour, so it leads to
compliance. It’s more likely to occur in situations with strangers where we feel concerned about
rejection. Also, when we’re most concerned about the social approval of our friends.
KEY TERMS:
Conformity: A change in a person’s behaviour or opinions as a result of real or imagined pressure from a person or
group of people.
Informational social influence: Occurs when people conform because they’re not sure how to behaves so use the
majority as a source of information. Often results in internalisation and adopting the views and behaviours of the
majority. Leads to internalisation.
Normative social influence: Occurs where people conform so as to be part of the majority and not stand out. Often
results in compliance or superficial change in behaviour. Leads to compliance.
Internalisation: A deep type of conformity where we take on the majority view because we accept it as correct.
Leads to a permanent changing behaviour in even when the group is absent.
Identification: A moderate type of conformity where we act in the same way as the group because we value and
want to be part of it, but we don't necessarily agree with everything the group/majority believes.
Compliance: A superficial and temporary type of conformity where we outwardly go along with the majority view but
privately disagree with it. The change in our behaviour only lasts as long as the group is monitoring us.
Social Influence
Conformity: Types and explanations - Evaluation
strength limitation
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