Conformity is the change of behaviour or beliefs due to the observation of other peoples behaviour. One explanation for this is NSI (Normative Social Influence).

The first 200 words of this essay...

Conformity

Conformity is the change of behaviour or beliefs due to the observation of other people's behaviour. One explanation for this is NSI (Normative Social Influence). This is when people conform in order to be accepted by other people, to fit into a group perhaps. This could be down to the fear of rejection. Although this could change a person's behaviour, it is not likely to change that particular person's own opinions. For example, laughing at a joke that you don't understand because the other people that you are with are laughing at it. The other explanation is ISI (Informational Social Influence). This is when people conform when they are unsure of how to act, so they observe other people's behaviour in order to make, what they think will be, a more accurate decision. This situation, however, can often lead to a change in opinion or private views. For example, ignoring a fire alarm because everyone else does, when you know how dangerous the consequences could be.

Asch carried out a field experiment to find out whether participants would conform to a majority influence by giving incorrect answer when the correct answers were obvious. To do this he