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Wheeler's (1966) analysis of the distinction between two types of social influence, behavioral contagion and conformity, is reviewed and extended to include two subtypes of conformity, conversion and compliance. We propose that contagion is influence that moves from internal (intrapersonal) conflict to internal harmony whereas compliance is influence that moves from internal harmony to conflict. Conversion begins with harmony, moves through conflict, and returns to harmony. It is desirable to reexamine the distinction between contagion and conformity in order to call attention to the need for a more adequate descriptive model of social influence.
The study of social influence is concerned with how people's perceptions, thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are affected by others (for reviews, see Cialdini & Trost, 1998; Levine & Russo, 1987). An issue fundamental to the study of social influence is the delineation of different types of influence phenomena (e.g., Allen, 1965; Crutchfield, 1962; Hogg & Turner, 1987; Jahoda, 1959; Levy & Nail, 1993; Nail, 1986; Nail & Van Leeuwen, 1993; Willis, 1965). One of the most interesting and important of these distinctions is that between behavioral contagion and conformity. According to Wheeler (1966; Wheeler, Deci, Reis, & Zuckerman, 1978), contagion and conformity are similar in that (a) both are characterized by movement on the part of influencee(s) toward the position of an external influence source and (b) both involve conflict. They are distinct, however, regarding the nature of the conflict and how it is managed.
Although we agree with Wheeler's (1966) analysis as far as it goes, we believe that the distinction between contagion and conformity is worthy of further consideration. The purpose of this article is to extend Wheeler's analysis to include consideration of two recognized types of conformity, conversion and compliance.
Before beginning, it is important to note that Wheeler (1966) was deliberate in his use of the term "behavioral" in relation to contagion. Because of Le Bon's (1896) continuing influence, many social scientists through at least the 1960s associated contagion with the spread of an emotional climate. Wheeler, however, emphasized changes in overt behavior that need not be accompanied by the spread of emotion, hence the term behavioral contagion.
It is also important to note that contemporary theorists often distinguish between different types of contagion. For example,...