Essay Hint: Students should avoid simply lifting quotes from the scenario. Students must meaningfully apply the material by explaining what each quote shows and linking it clearly to the relevant psychological concept.

Normative social influence happens when a person conforms because they want to fit in with the group and avoid rejection. The person goes along with the group publicly, even if they do not privately agree. This is usually linked to compliance, because the individual changes their behaviour but not their private beliefs.

This can be seen in Julie's behaviour. Julie thinks that MiniWorld is overpriced and would rather go to Kids' Cave, but she does not say anything because the other parents seem keen on MiniWorld. This suggests she conforms because she does not want to appear different or risk being excluded from the group. Her public behaviour changes as she goes along with the group choice, but her private opinion stays the same.

There is research support for normative social influence as an explanation for conformity. In Asch's study, participants often gave the same incorrect answer as the confederates, even when the correct answer was obvious. Interviews afterwards suggested that many of them conformed because they wanted to fit in and avoid social rejection, rather than because they actually believed the group was right. This supports the theory of normative social influence because it shows that people may change their public behaviour without changing their private beliefs. However, Asch's study may lack temporal validity because it was carried out in 1950s America, when conformity may have been higher than it is today. This means the findings may not fully reflect how strongly people conform in modern society. It may also suggest that Julie's behaviour may not be fully explained by normative social influence, as other factors, such as dispositional influences like personality or confidence, may also affect whether she chooses to conform or not.

Informational social influence happens when a person conforms because they want to be correct. This is more likely in situations where someone is unsure, new to a group, or believes that other people know more than they do. It is usually linked to internalisation, because the person comes to accept the group's view as correct, leading to a real and often lasting change in belief.

This can be seen in Anthony's behaviour. Anthony used to take his twins to Kids' Cave, but after joining the parent-toddler group, he hears the other parents describe MiniWorld as having a better play area. As a new member of the group, he may see the other parents as a useful source of information, so he changes his view and starts taking his twins to MiniWorld even when the group is not meeting. This suggests internalisation, because his behaviour changes both in public and in private, showing that he has genuinely accepted the group's opinion.

There is research support for informational social influence as an explanation for conformity. Jenness asked participants to estimate the number of beans in a jar individually and then discuss their answers in a group. When they later gave a second individual estimate, many changed their answer so that it was closer to the group estimate. This suggests that participants believed the group judgement was more likely to be correct than their own, particularly in an uncertain situation. This supports informational social influence and helps to explain Anthony's behaviour, because he changes his opinion after hearing the views of the other parents and appears to accept their judgement as more accurate than his own previous view.