Behavioral conformity
Behavioral conformity is a phenomenon in which people imitate others. This behavior is often beneficial in heterogeneous social groups. Individuals who contribute the most to the welfare of the group exhibit the highest levels of conformity. In addition, the more individuals are exposed to a particular group, the higher the tendency to conform will be.
Behavioral conformity is a necessary process for social organization. Although it may have a negative connotation in a modern individualistic society, it is fundamental to our ability to organize into groups and take action as a collectivity. In order to achieve these goals, people must adhere to a set of standards, such as group norms. This can be a public or private process.
Behavioral conformity is important to a group’s survival, but it also can prevent innovation. By suppressing the voice of dissenting individuals, conformity pressures can crush alternative opinions and prevent analysis of problems. Consequently, innovation is as important to the survival of a group as conformity.
Social influences can affect behavior in many ways, and behavioral conformity is a common phenomenon. People want to fit in with their friends, coworkers, and peers. To achieve this, they adjust their attitudes to fit the norms of their groups. For example, they may follow popular fashion trends, adopt religious rituals, or watch certain TV shows.
Social proof
Social proof is the ability of a group to influence others. People who conform are more likely to survive in a group. Individuals who do not conform are likely to be left out, which can be disastrous for their mental health and ability to adapt to change. An example of Social Proof is the line of people waiting to enter a restaurant. A restaurant with no customers is not as safe as one with long lines.
It’s also true that the halo effect influences people’s decision-making. This phenomenon explains why experts and celebrities are often followed. People use these experts and celebrities to make a judgment based on the traits that these people have. The theory was first tested in 1951 by Solomon Asch.
Asch conducted experiments to determine the extent to which social proof influences our behavior. After finding that social proof influenced people’s responses to questions, he sought to determine whether it would influence their behavior in the real world. He did this by creating the “Face the Rear” experiment, a study that was made in collaboration with the TV show Candid Camera. The show had often featured people who played pranks on a random audience.
The use of a certified product or service is also an example of social proof. When consumers see a product or service has been approved by an industry organization, they are more likely to trust it. One study found that 55% of consumers didn’t make a purchase because the product didn’t have a trusted badge or logo. The presence of a certification or logo increases trust and drives sales.
Size of the majority
Size of the majority is an important factor in conformity. The larger a majority is, the stronger the pressure on the minority to conform. Asch’s study replicated this phenomenon. He found that when the majority size increased, the lone participant was more likely to give the wrong answer.
Size of the majority is a complicated relationship, which is not readily characterized by a simple function. Rather, it varies depending on the type of social influence process in place. Generally speaking, the larger a majority is, the higher the level of conformity. However, this does not necessarily mean that large majorities have a negative effect on conformity.
Studies that directly vary the size of the majority have had mixed results. Generally, studies have used a narrow range of majority sizes. In addition, they tend to involve informational and normative influences. Moreover, they rarely use private responses and rely on public responses. By contrast, fictitious norm studies rely on private responses and rarely use majority sizes over four.
The size of the majority in conformity is a crucial factor in understanding the extent to which people conform to group pressure. It is important to note that most measures of social conformity conflate the concept of compliance with that of acceptance. While compliance occurs when individuals conform in public, acceptance occurs when people internalize group influence. Studies that use a task designed for group members reveal that the presence of compliance and acceptance increases as the size of the majority grows.
Presence of a dissenter
The presence of a dissenter in a group can reduce conformity rates. Even if the dissenter does not give the correct answer, they can diverge from the group’s responses. Additionally, whether the dissenter’s responses are public or private can affect the amount of conformity.
In one study, the presence of a dissenter decreased conformity levels. In another study, a dissenter joined a real participant after he or she stopped conforming. This reduced conformity rates to 8.7 percent. However, when a lone dissenter was presented with a group consisting of three or more people, the conformity levels were very high. However, as the number of confederates increases, conformity levels do not increase.
A dissenter’s opinion is affected by the amount of pressure exerted by the group. The stronger the disagreement, the higher the pressure. This is why Schachter hypothesized that a curvilinear relationship exists between pressure and disagreement. However, it is important to note that Schachter’s hypothesis is not completely correct.
One study tested the effect of social support on conformity by using a Crutchfield apparatus to test 157 male and female subjects. The presence of a dissenter decreased conformity on information, opinion, and visual items significantly. However, no effect was seen when the number of subjects in the group was greater than seven.
Effects of conformity on confederates
The effects of group size on conformity can be very dramatic. In Asch’s experiment, seventy-six percent of participants gave the same answer, but when one of the confederates gave the correct answer, the conformity rate dropped to just five percent. However, this may be due to the fact that the real participants began to become suspicious of the experiment.
According to Asch, there are two major factors that increase or decrease the degree of conformity in a group. One factor is whether there is a dissenter present in the group. Studies conducted after Asch’s study suggest that the presence of another dissenter reduces conformity rates. In addition, the nature of the response can either increase or decrease the conformity rate.
In one study, Asch and colleagues studied actual group participants in which they were asked to match pairs of unequal lines. Participants were then asked to judge the pairs of lines by deciding which were more or less correct. The researchers found that when a majority of three or four members was present, there was maximum conformity. The effect of adding more members decreased, however, when the number of confederates reached five. This suggests that the size of the group is not as important as its unanimity.
In another study, a group of male participants was asked to evaluate a card containing a reference line and three lines. Participants were asked to say out loud which pair was the closest to the reference line. In the group with confederates, the deviant subjects were more likely to comply with the confederate who gave them social support.
Types of conformity
There are two main types of conformity – public and private. Public conformity is a voluntary movement toward the norms of a group. While compliance is an outward behavior, acceptance is a more inward, psychological process. A person who conforms may not actually share the group’s views, though they may claim to. For example, a person who says they like a particular type of music may be a conformist.
Another type of conformity is identification. In identification conformity, people alter their behavior in order to be recognized or to avoid punishment. The Stanford Prison Experiment is an example of identification conformity. In this experiment, participants were given a glass bottle filled with beans and asked to estimate how many beans were inside the bottle.
Ingratiational-Man theory identified an additional type of conformity: that of people who want to impress others and gain acceptance. The reason for this type of behavior is similar to the normative influence, as it is motivated by the need to be accepted and receive social rewards. It may also be motivated by the fear of rejection. Two theories of conformity have been developed to better understand the motivations behind this behavior.
Cultural differences also influence the degree to which people conform. According to anthropologists Smith and Bond, those of western cultures value individualism and self sufficiency, whereas people of eastern cultures value family and social groups. These people are more likely to conform than those from the west.
