PSY-530 Research: Exploring Attitude and Conformity in Culture

This report analyzes the relationship between attitude and conformity within social psychology, emphasizing their importance in culture. It reviews empirical articles, highlighting that attitudes are individual judgments influencing behavior, while conformity involves adapting behavior to fit into a group. The report discusses the multi-component model of attitude and explores the cultural significance of both concepts, noting that attitudes guide behavior and conformity fosters cooperation. Limitations in the reviewed studies include a lack of in-depth analysis of attitude components, conformity types, and underlying reasons for both. The report concludes that further research is needed to fully understand the formation and impact of attitudes and conformity in society. Desklib provides access to similar reports and study resources for students.

Running head: SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY
Relationship between attitude and conformity and its importance in culture
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1
SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY
Table of Contents
Introduction................................................................................................................................2
Compare and analyze the literature............................................................................................2
Compare the limitations of the studies.......................................................................................4
Conclusion..................................................................................................................................5
References..................................................................................................................................6

2
SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY
Introduction
Attitudes are judgments that individual make about objects, ideas or events or may be
about other people in the society. Attitudes can be either explicit or implicit. Explicit attitudes
are mainly the responsive beliefs, which can assist decisions as well as behaviors. Implicit
attitudes are those unintentional beliefs, which can still effect the decisions and behaviors
(Smith, Mackie & Claypool, 2014). The three components of attitude are cognitive,
emotional and behavioral. However, conformity is a kind of social influence, which includes
a modification in the belief as well as behavior so that one can fit into a group. Not every
time behaviors are conforming to an individual’s feelings and beliefs because behaviors that
highlights a given attitude might be suppressed because of a rival attitude, which will occur
as a defense to the perspectives of others who disagrees with it. Therefore, it is important to
research about the relationship between attitude and conformity because it will help people
understand the various issues related to attitude and conformity. Along with this, it will help
people to understand the importance of both attitude and conformity in the society. Thus, the
aim of this assignment is to discuss the empirical articles, which has been collected so far
related to this research topic.
Compare and analyze the literature
The reviews from the researches, which have been collected, so far it has been
observed that Vogel & Wanke (2016) has stated that attitude is a person’s total analysis of the
people around as well as the objects. He further stated that likings and disliking towards any
person and object takes place due to attitude. Therefore, it is the attitude, which determines
how a person should behave. However, conformity is altogether a different concept, which
Szolnoki & Perc (2015) stated that it is a type of social influence, which includes
modification in behavior or thoughts in order to connect with or fit in a group. Therefore, it

3
SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY
can be said that attitude do not always anticipate behavior as the cognitive and affective
component of attitude are not always inevitably indicated in behaviors. On the contrary,
conformity is indicated through behavior because here the person changes his/her behavior as
well as thought so that they can match with those of others. Thus, attitudes can be both
conscious and unconscious beliefs regarded other people or object but conformity is the way
one behaves to impress others. Conformity occurs due to social influence but attitudes are the
one, which directs the behavior.
Moreover, literature also highlights about the models of attitude among which
Pratkanis, Breckler & Greenwald (2014), has mentioned the multi-component model, which
according to them are the most significant model of attitude. According to this model, the
attitude in an individual is an abstract of the analysis of a person or an object, which involves
the affective, cognitive as well as behavioral features. Attitude developed in response to some
person or object but conformity in response to something, which can be real as well as
imagined. Attitudes help people in social interaction, therefore in the society attitude helps
people to display a good behavior because the powerful the attitude is the more impactful the
behavior will be (Kahle, 2013). On the other hand, conformity is an important part of the
culture because it successfully built up a mutual understanding and motivates cooperation
among the people in the society. Literature further states that attitude mainly have an
adopting quality by which one can represent a mental link among a person’s capability to
perceive, feel and learn. Attitude further gives an additional meaning to the experience in a
complicated social environment. Conformity is on the other hand is the individual tendency
to modify their behavior so that they can fit with the existing social norms.

4
SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY
Compare the limitations of the studies
Thus, from the literature review it has been observed that the researchers have faced
many limitations while conducting these studies on attitude and conformity. The very first
limitation that can be highlighted is the limited time and confined budget. These two are
important for any research and are considered the biggest limitations. However, from the
above-discussed studies it is clear that due to limited time period the researchers were unable
to collect admissible information from many other available sources. If the researchers have
more time then more valuable as well as worthy data would have been reflected through their
works. Getting more data would have helped these works to come up with more developed
quality of work. However, from the studies that have been collected for this specific research
from them the limitations that are evident is that apart from concentrating on the conceptual
parts of attitude and conformity these studies have not evaluated the in-depth components of
attitude or conformity. Components like affective, behavioral and cognitive are important for
attitude but neither of the selected studies have strongly discussed that. On the other hand,
conformity can be viewed in three types, which is compliance, identification, and
internalization which if explained would help the readers to understand the concept of
conformity in clearer and broader perspective (Kang & Schuett, 2013).
Moreover, the reasons behind an individual’s conformity are not discussed at all,
which would have helped the readers to further understand why people conform. There are
various reasons for an individual to conform to a group or person in the society which can be
influenced by the information, to avoid punishments, fear of being isolated or to avoid
responsibilities being in a group and many one but these points are not even touched in these
studies. Similarly, in case of attitude there are reasons, which states why attitudes are formed.
There are three theories which very clearly defines attitude formation and they are
functionalism, learning as well as cognitive dissonance theories but in the studies collected

5
SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY
they have not touched these theories to enlighten the readers about an in-depth knowledge
about the reason behind attitude formational in the society. Moreover, another striking
limitation was that none of the studies has explained the importance of attitude and
conformity in a detailed manner. They should have emphasized more on that part because
both attitude and conformity has a major role to play in the culture as well as society.
Therefore, it can be said that there are a lot of limitations in the studies that are collection and
needs more in depth research.
Conclusion
To conclude this report, it can be said that both attitude and conformity has a major
role to play in the society and culture. Attitudes are mainly the favorable or the unfavorable
judgment towards something or someone, which is clearly reflected in his/her belief, feeling
as well as in their intended behavior. On the other hand, conformity is social influence where
people mainly change their behavior or thoughts so that they can be liked by a person or
accepted by a group. Attitude can be developed in respect to some person or object but
conformity can be real or imagined. As per as the cultural importance is concerned it can be
observed that attitudes mainly directs the behavior which one displays in the society and
conformity is the modification of behaviors in order to get connected with a group. Moreover,
there are few limitations, which are clearly identified in these studies, which can be because
of limited time frame or restricted budgets. The main drawbacks are that in-depth reasons for
the formation of attitude and conformity have not been explained. These studies has mainly
emphasized on the concept related explanation of attitude and conformity excluding the
models, components and theories related to attitude and conformity which are important to
have a clear view of their importance in the society.

6
SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY
References
Greenwald, A. G. (2014). Why attitudes are important: Defining attitude. Attitude structure
and function, 429.
Kahle, L. R. (2013). Attitudes & Social Adaptation: A Person-Situation Interaction
Approach (Vol. 8). Elsevier.
Kang, M., & Schuett, M. A. (2013). Determinants of sharing travel experiences in social
media. Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing, 30(1-2), 93-
107.doi.org/10.1080/10548408.2013.751237
Pratkanis, A. R., Breckler, S. J., & Greenwald, A. G. (2014). Attitude structure and function.
Psychology Press.
Smith, E. R., Mackie, D. M., & Claypool, H. M. (2014). Social psychology. Psychology
Press.
Szolnoki, A., & Perc, M. (2015). Conformity enhances network reciprocity in evolutionary
social dilemmas. Journal of The Royal Society Interface, 12(103),
20141299.DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2014.1299
Vogel, T., & Wanke, M. (2016). Attitudes and attitude change. Psychology Press.