Types and explanations of conformity

Types of conformity (Kelman, 1958)

• Compliance: going along with the group in public while privately disagreeing. The change is shallow and stops when the group is not there.
• Identification: taking on the behaviour of a group because you value membership and want to be part of it. The change lasts while you remain a member. Taking on a social role (as in Zimbardo's prison study) is often used as an example.
• Internalisation: accepting the group's view publicly and privately because you believe it is right. The change is deep and lasting.

Explanations (Deutsch and Gerard, 1955)

• Normative social influence (NSI): conforming to be liked and accepted and to avoid rejection or ridicule. It usually leads to compliance. It is strongest when the group matters to us.
• Informational social influence (ISI): conforming because we want to be right and think others know better. It usually leads to internalisation. It is strongest when the situation is ambiguous or new, or others seem expert.

Evidence for ISI: Jenness (1932) asked people to estimate beans in a jar alone, then discuss as a group, then estimate alone again: almost all moved their estimates towards the group. Evidence for NSI: in Asch's interviews most conformers said they knew the answer was wrong but went along to avoid looking foolish.

Social impact theory

Pearson's guide suggests Latané (1981) social impact theory as a further explanation: the influence of a group depends on its strength (status, importance), immediacy (closeness in space and time) and number. It can explain why conformity rises with group size and can also be applied to obedience.

Evaluation of NSI and ISI: they often operate together, so it is hard to separate them in real life; individual differences matter (people with a high need for affiliation are more affected by NSI).

Worked example

Sara laughs at a joke her new friends find funny although she thinks it is unkind. Later she becomes vegetarian after her flatmate explains the environmental arguments. Identify the type of conformity in each case.

1. Laughing: public agreement, private disagreement, so compliance (driven by NSI).
2. Vegetarianism: she now believes it is right, publicly and privately, so internalisation (driven by ISI).

Answer: The joke is compliance; becoming vegetarian is internalisation.

Check yourself

1. What is compliance?
   • Accepting a group's views in public and in private
   • Obeying a direct order from an authority figure
   • Being influenced by a consistent minority
   • Agreeing with a group in public while privately disagreeing
   Show answer

   Agreeing with a group in public while privately disagreeing. Compliance is shallow and public only.

2. A new student copies other students to find out where to queue for lunch. Which explanation fits best?
   • Normative social influence
   • Informational social influence
   • Agentic state
   • Coercive power
   Show answer

   Informational social influence. The situation is new and ambiguous, so she looks to others for the right answer.

3. Which result best supports normative social influence?
   • Jenness's participants moved their bean estimates towards the group
   • Bartlett's participants changed canoes into boats
   • Milgram's participants obeyed by telephone
   • Most of Asch's conformers said they knew the answer was wrong but did not want to stand out
   Show answer

   Most of Asch's conformers said they knew the answer was wrong but did not want to stand out. Knowing it was wrong but going along shows a wish to fit in.

4. In Jenness (1932), what happened to individual estimates after the group discussion?
   • They moved closer to the group estimate
   • They moved further from the group estimate
   • They stayed exactly the same
   • They became more accurate than the true count every time
   Show answer

   They moved closer to the group estimate. Almost all participants shifted towards the group's view: informational influence.

5. Someone who joins a football club starts dressing and talking like the other fans because they value belonging. This is
   • compliance
   • internalisation
   • identification
   • obedience
   Show answer

   identification. They adopt the group's behaviour because they value membership.

6. Explain one difference between conformity and obedience.
   Show answer

   Obedience is following a direct order from an authority figure, whereas conformity happens without any order, through pressure from a group of peers.. Obedience involves an order from an authority; conformity involves peer pressure without an order.

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Sources

• Pearson Edexcel International Advanced Subsidiary/Advanced Level in Psychology specification (issue January 2026)
• Pearson International A Level Psychology component guide: WPS01
• Simply Psychology: What is conformity?
• IAL Psychology revision site: Types and explanations of conformity

Last updated 8 November 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.