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Differential Conforming as a Developmental Process
Author(s) -
SALMON PHILLIDA
Publication year - 1969
Publication title -
british journal of social and clinical psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.479
H-Index - 92
eISSN - 2044-8260
pISSN - 0007-1293
DOI - 10.1111/j.2044-8260.1969.tb00581.x
Subject(s) - conformity , neglect , psychology , peer acceptance , differential (mechanical device) , developmental psychology , differential association , peer group , social psychology , psychiatry , engineering , aerospace engineering
The study was designed to assess the relation between maternal attitudes and children's conformity behaviour towards peers and adults. Tests of conformity, values and sociometric status were administered to 60 primary‐school boys. Their mothers filled in an attitude questionnaire yielding measures of acceptance‐rejection and control‐neglect. Results showed the predicted association between maternal rejection and a failure to conform predominantly to either peers or adults, together with a non‐acceptance of either peer or adult values. Differential conforming to peers and adults, and differential acceptance of peer and adult values were found, against prediction, to be unrelated to maternal control‐neglect. Both differential conformity and differential value acceptance, however, were associated with previous sociometric status. It is argued from these results that conformity behaviour can be meaningfully regarded in differential and in developmental terms.