Internalization

Definition

Internalization is the process by which individuals adopt the beliefs, values, and attitudes of others as their own, often leading to lasting changes in their behavior and thinking. This shift typically occurs when people are exposed to persuasive messages or social influences that resonate with their personal experiences, resulting in a genuine acceptance of those views. Internalization is crucial for understanding how persuasion, conformity, and resistance to persuasion manifest in social settings.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Internalization often occurs when individuals identify strongly with the source of influence, making them more likely to accept those beliefs as their own.
2. Once internalized, attitudes and beliefs become integrated into a person's self-concept, making them resistant to change even when faced with contrary information.
3. The process of internalization can be influenced by factors such as the credibility of the source and the emotional appeal of the message.
4. In classic studies of conformity and obedience, internalization explains why individuals may publicly conform while privately maintaining their original beliefs.
5. Resistance to persuasion can occur when individuals have already internalized opposing views, leading them to reject new information that conflicts with their established beliefs.

Review Questions

• How does internalization differ from compliance and identification in social influence?
  • Internalization involves adopting beliefs or values as one's own, leading to lasting attitude change. In contrast, compliance occurs when individuals go along with a request or demand without genuinely accepting the underlying belief. Identification happens when people align with others they admire but may not fully adopt their beliefs. Understanding these distinctions helps clarify how different social influences can lead to varying levels of behavior change.
• Discuss how internalization plays a role in the effectiveness of persuasion techniques used in advertising.
  • Internalization is crucial for effective advertising because it transforms temporary attitudes into lasting preferences. Advertisers aim to create messages that resonate emotionally with consumers and establish a connection between the product and the consumer's self-identity. When consumers internalize these messages, they are more likely to develop brand loyalty and make purchasing decisions based on these ingrained beliefs rather than short-term persuasion tactics.
• Evaluate the implications of internalization for understanding resistance to persuasion in social movements.
  • Internalization has significant implications for resistance to persuasion in social movements because once individuals internalize certain beliefs or values, they are less susceptible to opposing viewpoints. This deeply-rooted acceptance can create strong group identities that resist external pressures for change. Evaluating this phenomenon shows how entrenched beliefs can sustain movements over time and highlight the challenges in altering perceptions within strongly identified groups.

Related terms

Cognitive Dissonance:

A psychological phenomenon where an individual experiences discomfort due to conflicting beliefs or behaviors, often leading them to change one of the beliefs or behaviors to reduce the dissonance.

Social Influence:

The effect that other people have on an individual's beliefs, attitudes, or behaviors, which can occur through conformity, compliance, or obedience.

Attitude Change: A modification in an individual's evaluative response towards a particular object, person, or issue, often resulting from persuasive communication or social pressure.