Conformity happens for different reasons. Sometimes people look to others for guidance about reality, while at other times they fit in to gain approval and avoid social rejection.

Understanding explanations for conformity

Psychologists explain conformity by focusing on the motives behind behavior change in groups. A person may agree with others because the group seems to know the correct answer, or because belonging to the group matters. These explanations help show why people often adjust their judgments, opinions, or actions even when there is no direct force or command.

Informational social influence

Informational social influence (ISI) is based on the need for accuracy.

Summary diagram defining informational social influence as conformity driven by the desire to be correct under uncertainty. The examples emphasize ambiguous or unfamiliar situations where other people are treated as evidence about reality, which aligns with the notes’ description of ISI as a cognitive (judgment-based) explanation. Source

When a situation is unclear, unfamiliar, or difficult, people may assume that others understand it better than they do. Instead of relying only on their own judgment, they look to the group for clues about what is true or what the right response should be.

This form of conformity is especially likely when the individual feels uncertain. If a task has no obvious answer, other people become an important guide. The person may think, “They probably know something I do not.” In this way, the group is treated as a useful source of evidence.

ISI is more likely in situations such as:

• Ambiguous situations, where the correct answer is not obvious

• Novel situations, where the person has little previous experience

• Crisis situations, where quick decisions are needed

• Situations where others seem knowledgeable, expert, or more confident

A key feature of ISI is that the person may come to believe the group is genuinely correct. The influence is not just about appearance or politeness. Instead, the individual may accept the group’s view as accurate and use it as the basis for future behavior.

Because ISI depends on perceived information, it can happen even without strong social pressure. A person does not have to fear rejection in order to conform in this way. It is enough that the group seems to offer a better understanding of reality. For that reason, ISI is often described as a cognitive explanation: it is linked to thinking, judgment, and decision-making.

However, ISI does not guarantee that the group is actually right. People may still conform to inaccurate opinions if they mistakenly believe the majority has better information. Even so, from the individual’s point of view, conformity feels reasonable because it seems to increase the chance of being correct.

Normative social influence

Normative social influence (NSI) is based on the need for social approval.

Summary diagram defining normative social influence as conformity motivated by acceptance and avoidance of rejection. The examples illustrate how people may align their public responses with group norms even when their private beliefs do not change, matching the notes’ emphasis on outward compliance. Source

People are strongly motivated to belong to groups, maintain friendships, and avoid conflict. As a result, they may go along with the group’s expectations even when they do not truly agree.

With NSI, conformity is often about fitting in. The individual recognizes the group’s norms—the accepted ways of behaving or thinking—and adjusts their outward response to match them. This can include agreeing publicly, staying quiet instead of disagreeing, or copying the behavior of others in order to avoid standing out.

NSI is more likely when:

• The group is important to the person

• The person wants to be accepted or fears being excluded

• The response is made in public

• There is clear pressure to behave in a socially approved way

A major point about NSI is that behavior may change outwardly without a deep private change in belief. The person may conform to avoid embarrassment, criticism, or isolation, while still thinking differently in private. This makes NSI especially relevant in face-to-face groups, where people are aware of being judged by others.

NSI is often described as an emotional and social explanation.

Diagram of the cards used in Asch’s line-judgment task: a single reference line is matched to one of three comparison lines (A, B, C). In the classic procedure, the task is objectively clear, so conformity is typically explained by normative pressure (publicly going along to avoid standing out) rather than a genuine belief change. Source

The pressure comes from the value people place on relationships, approval, and belonging. In many everyday settings, this is highly powerful. Humans are social beings, so avoiding rejection can be a strong motive for conformity even when the group offers no better information.

Comparing informational and normative social influence

The most important difference between ISI and NSI is the reason for conforming.

• With ISI, the main motive is to be correct

• With NSI, the main motive is to be accepted

This difference affects how conformity operates. ISI is strongest when reality is uncertain and the person needs guidance. NSI is strongest when social relationships, approval, and group membership are especially important.

The two explanations can also work together. In many real situations, a person may believe that the group probably knows better and also want to avoid looking different. This means conformity is often produced by a combination of informational and normative pressures rather than by only one influence.

Another useful distinction is the likely effect on beliefs. ISI is more likely to produce a genuine shift in what a person thinks is true, because the group has been used as a source of evidence. NSI is more likely to affect what a person says or does in front of others, because the goal is social acceptance.

Both explanations show that conformity is not simply weakness or blind copying. It can come from rational attempts to understand the world, from the normal human need to belong, or from both at once.