Discuss the role of both informational and normative influence in Nazi Germany and the Holocaust. ...

Answer: Both informational and normative conformity were involved in the Holocaust. Informational influence can be seen as important because the government had control of all the media, and used propaganda to convey the consistent message that the German people must take action to preserve their racial purity and to increase their territory through conquest. Even though many of the facts conveyed were lies, the people had no other independent source of information that would help them to question this. The government was seen as the expert, and experts tend to have more informational influence when the situation seems threatening. In addition, normative influence was extremely important, as people feared that their acquaintances and even family members would spy on them and report any evidence of disloyalty to the Nazis. This fear of potential retaliation squelched the expression of any dissent, so that the majority appeared unanimous, even though many people may have had private reservations.