Cover Lesson- Evaluation/Discussion of Types of Conformity: Internalisation, Identification, and Compliance

Ecological validity – The extent to which research findings can be applied to real-world settings.
Individual differences – Characteristics that vary between people, such as personality, which can influence behaviour.
Supporting study – A research study that provides evidence for a theory or explanation.
Reductionism vs Holism – Reductionism simplifies behaviour to one cause, while holism considers multiple factors influencing behaviour.

A study lacks ecological validity when it does not reflect real-life behaviour. Jamil’s study may lack ecological validity because asking people to wear a bright yellow hat is not a natural or everyday social situation.
Sarah conforms due to normative social influence (NSI), as she wants to be accepted, while Tom resists conformity, likely due to high self-esteem or a personality trait that makes him independent. This shows how individual differences affect conformity.
Michael is demonstrating identification because he conforms to the school dress style but reverts back to his original clothing during holidays. This is supported by Zimbardo’s Stanford Prison Experiment, where participants conformed to roles temporarily.
This experiment supports a reductionist explanation of conformity because it focuses on a single cause (social influence from hearing other people's answers) rather than considering other factors such as personality or group dynamics.

Individual differences refer to characteristics that make people unique, such as personality. People with high self-esteem may resist conformity, while those with low self-esteem may conform more easily.
Reductionism explains conformity by breaking it down into a single factor, such as social influence. Holism looks at multiple influences, such as group dynamics, personality, and situational factors.
Zimbardo’s (1971) Stanford Prison Experiment supports identification. Participants conformed to their assigned roles (prisoner or guard), changing their behaviour even though they had not previously displayed such traits.