Conformity to Social Roles

Psychology: AQA A Level, topic 1.1.5

Motivation to Conform

Researchers have categorised the motivation to conform into two types:

People conform to the group norm to fit in, to feel good, and to be accepted by the group.
In Asch's (1951) line judgement task, participants complied to fit in and avoid ridicule, an instance of normative social influence.

People conform because they believe the group is competent and has the correct information, particularly when the task or situation is ambiguous.
An example of informational social influence may be what to do in an emergency situation, e.g. if you are in a crowded cinema and see smoke coming out from under the fire exit. You are not certain that it is smoke as it may be a special effect for the movie, so you will tend to look at the behaviour of those around when deciding what to do.

Orlando (1973) looked at how people conformed to roles given to them in an experiment in a mock psychiatric ward.

The mock patients quickly began acting like normal hospital patients. They conformed to their given roles.
Lots of patients showed signs of having withdrawal and depression.
Six mock patients attempted to escape the ward.
Some mock patients admitted to feelings of lost identity.

Orlando's (1973) study and similar studies give an insight into real patients' experiences in hospital.
Orlando's (1973) study influenced hospital staff to empathise more with patients.

Which type of social influence does NOT underlie why people conform in Asch's line judgement task?
What are the two types of social influence that categorise the motivation to conform?
How did mock patients behave during Orlando's (1973) mock psychiatric ward experiment?