Every time you follow a social norm you are conforming. You might also conform to behavior of a group, even if it is not an established social norm. Informational influence arises from the desire to be correct and to understand the right way to act in a given situation. This influence occurs most often when people enter a new or unfamiliar situation. The person will generally look to others for the correct way to behave or the correct opinions to espouse.
Normative influence arises from the desire to be liked and accepted by others.
This influence occurs even when people have a correct behavior or opinion in mind, but they adapt it so they will fit in. Now that you understand the influences that bring conformity, you are prepared to consider the factors that increase or decrease conformity. Conformity increases with uncertainty. This includes unfamiliar situations, ambiguous situation, or situations in which people have reason to doubt their judgment. For example, if a person with allergies is observing a baseball game, he may go along with the crowd's opinion of a close call at first base, even if he thought he saw it differently, because he assumes his allergies watered his eyes, blurring his vision.