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CONFORMITY

Conformity is changing one's behaviors or opinions to fit in with a group. Solomon Asch's famous experiments in the 1950s showed that around 75% of participants conformed to the group by intentionally giving incorrect answers when other confederates did. There are different types of conformity, including normative conformity where one acts like the majority to avoid standing out, identification where one conforms based on social roles, compliance where one outwardly agrees but internally disagrees, and internalization where one fully adopts the group's beliefs. Conformity can have benefits like social cohesion but also drawbacks like restricting individuality and potentially leading to negative outcomes if no one challenges the status quo.

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47 views

CONFORMITY

Conformity is changing one's behaviors or opinions to fit in with a group. Solomon Asch's famous experiments in the 1950s showed that around 75% of participants conformed to the group by intentionally giving incorrect answers when other confederates did. There are different types of conformity, including normative conformity where one acts like the majority to avoid standing out, identification where one conforms based on social roles, compliance where one outwardly agrees but internally disagrees, and internalization where one fully adopts the group's beliefs. Conformity can have benefits like social cohesion but also drawbacks like restricting individuality and potentially leading to negative outcomes if no one challenges the status quo.

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CONFORMITY

Conformity is the act of changing your behaviors in order to fit in or go along with the people around you.
In some cases, this social influence might involve agreeing with or acting like the majority of people in a
specific group, or it might involve behaving in a particular way in order to be perceived as "normal" by
the group. Essentially, conformity involves giving in to group pressure.

In many cases, looking to the rest of the group for clues for how we should behave can be
helpful. Other people might have greater knowledge or experience than we do, so following their
lead can actually be instructive.

In some instances, we conform to the expectations of the group in order to avoid looking foolish.
This tendency can become particularly strong in situations where we are not quite sure how to
act or where the expectations are ambiguous.

Asch's Conformity Experiments


In this series of famous experiments, conducted in the 1950s, psychologist Solomon Asch asked
participants to complete what they believed was a simple perceptual task. They were asked to
choose a line that matched the length of one of three different lines.

When asked individually, participants would choose the correct line. When asked in the presence
of confederates who were in on the experiment and who intentionally selected the wrong line,
around 75% of participants conformed to the group at least once.

This experiment is a good example of normative influence. Participants changed their answer
and conformed to the group in order to fit in and avoid standing out

Identification
Identification is conforming based on social roles. The Stanford Prison Experiment is an example
of this type of conformity.

Compliance
Compliance is changing one's behavior while still internally disagreeing with the group. For
example, you might read a book for your book club and really enjoy it. But at your meeting, you
learn that the other members all disliked the book. Rather than go against the group opinion, you
might simply agree that the book was terrible.
Internalization
This type of conformity involves changing one's behavior to be like another person. You might
notice this in a friend who's taste in music or movies shifts to match that of their romantic
partner.
Conformity can be both good and bad. It can be good because it helps
society to cooperate and function in an orderly way. But it can also be
bad when conforming leads to bad outcomes and people stop thinking
for themselves.

Examples of conformity include wearing a uniform to work or school,


following fashion trends, and following a typical career path because it
feels like the safe thing to do.

Conformity Examples
1. Wearing a uniform to school – Uniforms at private schools are a
way to enforce compliance. However, people who are against school
uniforms say that they teach children to conform to rules blindly and
stifle individuality.
2. Following current fashion trends – When a new fashion trend
emerges, young people often run out to get clothes that look trendy.
This helps them to achieve some degree of social status among their
friends and helps them to fit into the crowd so they’re not teased.
3. Getting a haircut like everyone else – A lot of people get their
hair cut in the same style as their friends or celebrities. This way, they
feel like they’re a part of the group and they’re not sticking out like a
sore thumb.
4. Going along with the majority opinion – In group settings, it’s
often easier to just go along with what everyone else is saying, even if
you don’t agree with it. This can be seen in things like jury
deliberations, where people tend to conform to the majority opinion in
order to avoid conflict.
5. Voting for the same political party as your family – People often
vote for the same political party as their parents or other family
members. Partly, this is because you were raised with the same
values as your family. However, it could also be because you don’t
care enough to go against your family’s opinions and feelings.
6. Following cultural norms – Examples of cultural norms include
things like shaking hands when you meet someone and standing up
when the national anthem is played. We conform to these norms
because we don’t want to be seen as strange or outsiders.
7. Standing up when a judge enters the room – This is an example
of a legal norm. We stand up when the judge enters the room because
we are expected to show respect for the law. If you don’t conform, the
judge can have you kicked out of the room due to contempt of court.

Normative conformity – occurs when an individual goes along with


the crowd in order to fit in or be liked. For example, a student may
decide to dye their hair black because it’s the cool thing to do.

We can also look at conformity through the three categories of


identification, compliance, and internalization:

 Identification: Adopting the behaviors or attitudes of a


group because you want to be like them or identify with
them. Generally, it’s also related to social roles, such as
men identifying with and conforming to a traditional culture
because they embrace their cultural role in that community
(e.g. men being identified as natural community leaders).
 Compliance: Lip service or going through the motions of
conforming without actually believing in what you’re doing.
A good example of this is when someone at work who
doesn’t like their job goes along with the company’s rules
and standards because they have to in order to keep their
job.
 Internalization: Completely adopting the beliefs and
values of the group. For example, you might join a religious
group and over time come to completely believe in their
doctrine.
Pros
1. Helps Maintain Social Order – Conformity helps to keep society
functioning smoothly by maintaining order. It helps to ensure that
people follow the rules and behave in ways that are acceptable to the
majority.
2. Facilitates cooperation – Conformity also makes it easier for
people to cooperate with one another. When everyone is following the
same rules and behaving in the same way, it is easier to work together
towards a common goal.
3. Reduces Conflict – Conformity can also reduce conflict by
discouraging people from behaving in ways that are contrary to the
norms of society. When everyone is following the same rules, there is
less room for disagreement and conflict.
Cons
1. Restricts Individual Freedom – One of the main drawbacks of
conformity is that it can restrict individual freedom. When people
conform to the norms of society, they may give up some of their own
personal beliefs and values.
2. Can Lead to Groupthink – Another potential downside of
conformity is that it can lead to groupthink. This is when people blindly
follow the group without questioning its decisions or actions. This can
be problematic because it can lead to bad decisions being made.
3. Can Lead to Negative Outcomes – In some cases, conformity can
also lead to negative outcomes. For example, if everyone in a group is
conformist, they may be less likely to speak up against something that
is wrong or to challenge the status quo. This can lead to a lack of
progress and innovation.

Everyone conforms to some extent to another in order to be part of a


society. Some common ways you might be conforming include
wearing certain types of clothing to fit in with a group, changing your
political beliefs to match those of your friends or family, and going
along with the crowd even if you don’t agree with what they’re doing.
The concept was developed in the mid-20th century by the
following notable social psychologists: Muzafer Sherif, Solomon Asch,
and Harold Kelley.
The term “normative influence” was coined by Morton Deutsch and
Harold B. Gerard in their 1955 paper A study of normative and
informational social influences upon individual judgment. However,
they cite Muzafer Sherif as a key influence on their work.

Normative social influence is a powerful driver of cultural identity. It


helps people to come together and adhere to a strong, shared,
protected cultural group. We all experience it through socialization
and informal social sanctions that show us how to behave in ways that
generate optimal social capital within our societies. However, it can
also lead to lack of critical thinking and group mediocrity, as societies
require individuals with new and innovative ideas to achieve social
progress.

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