Conformity is a change in behaviour or opinions due to real or imagined pressure from a person/group of people.
Herbet Kelman (1958) claims that there are there are three different ways in which people conform:
The act of conforming is explained by Social Influence.
Types
Internalisation
Internalisation is when a person genuinely believes and accepts a group’s view, resulting in both public and private change of opinions/behaviour, becoming a part of the way they think.
- Genuinely believes a group’s view
- Public and private change of opinions/behaviour
- Influences their thought process
Example: Religion
Identification
Identification has elements of both Compliance and Internalisation. It is when a person conforms to a group’s behaviour in order to feel apart of a group. This leads to identifying and changing their behaviours publicly to be apart of the group (Compliance) and accepting some/all behaviours (Internalisation).
- Wants to feel apart of a group
- Publicly change of behaviour
- Privately identifying
Example: Uniform
Compliance
Compliance is when a person only goes along a group’s behaviour in order to fit in, often to gain approval/avoid disappointment of others.
- Only go along with a view in order to fit in
- To gain approval/avoid disappointment of others
Example: Laughing at an unfunny joke