I am a Non-Conformist… Really?
By Dr. Sheereen Khan Bajpai
Suppose you volunteer for a study along with four other candidates. You are asked to complete a simple perceptual task. All of you are shown two cards. Card A has one line, and Card B has three lines of different lengths. You are asked to compare the size of the Card A line with that of the other three in Card B to determine which two lines match. The other participants give their answers, one by one. They unanimously give the wrong answer. When it’s your turn, do you change your answer to match theirs, or do you stick with the answer you know to be right?
This scenario is part of a famous experiment conducted by Polish American psychologist Solomon Asch in 1951 to study social conformity, a social influence for an individual to align their attitudes, beliefs, and behaviours with those of the people around them.
In his experiment, the person at the end of the row was the only true participant. The other people in the room were confederates of the experimenter and were instructed to select the wrong line beforehand. When asked individually, participants would choose the correct line. When asked in the Confederates’ presence, about 25% of the participants conformed most of the time and an additional 50% of them conformed at least once.
Conformity generally means imitating others’ actions, observing the group to determine how to think or behave, or doing what is “expected” based on widely-accepted social norms.
Most people like to think of themselves as unique entities, albeit humans are social beings — and owing to this coherence; we are evolutionarily driven to fit in.
Be it greeting a person in a meeting or standing in a line at a bus stop or other places; we do so because society wants us to follow them. The human population is a herd. We have been following each other since the very beginning of our lives.
The need to belong is deeply wired into human biology.
In evolutionary terms, going against one’s group could be costly. Today, the desire for acceptance (to fit in) remains a basic human instinct for many people.
For example, Teenagers dress in a particular fashion because they want to fit in with the rest of their social group. Even youngsters mostly get involved in detrimental habits like smoking due to peer pressure.
Does it mean everyone conforms?
The answer is, yes, generally, though we prioritize fitting in, at varying degrees. Nearly everyone who interacts with society conforms to it in some way. Our appearance, behaviour, or the social norms we choose to follow are some of the manifestations of social conformism. Marriage is one of the most notable conformities in society, which is being consciously challenging by many now.
Why Do We Conform?
Following others can be instructive when one is not sure how to act or avoid looking foolish. Researchers have found that people conform due to several different reasons.
In 1955, American social psychologist Morton Deutsch and American psychoanalyst Harold B Gerard identified two key reasons why people conform-
- Informational social influence, that occurs when we are unsure of the correct response. We often look up to better informed and more knowledgeable others and use their counsel to guide our own behaviours. For example, in a classroom setting, agreeing with the responses of another classmate who you perceive as highly intelligent.
- Normative social influence arises from a desire to avoid punishments (such as following the college rules even though one doesn’t necessarily agree with them) and gain rewards (such as coloring hair to be more likable).
Harvard psychologist Herbert Kelman described other forms of conformity which helps us understand why we do so.
- Identification occurs when people conform to what is expected of them based on their social roles. For example, police officers act and behave in a certain way to conform to the law.
- Compliance is acting according to the made request. It does not refer to an attitude change or an inner state of acceptance of the behaviour performed — for example, a targeted marketing advertisement that pitches you products based on your online behavior is likely to make one comply & act as proposed (to buy the said product)
- Internalization occurs when we change our behaviour because we aspire to be like another person. E.g., becoming a vegetarian when in the constant company of vegans.
Some conditions which increase the chances of social conformity-
- If the task is challenging, then people are more likely to conform.=
- Individual characteristics such as zeal to accomplish and strong leadership abilities are linked with a decreased propensity to follow others.
- People are more likely to conform in situations that involve 3–5 other people.
- People presumably follow others in ambiguous circumstances when uncertain about how to respond. E.g., When using cutlery items that one is unfamiliar with, like chopsticks.
- Researchers have found that people from collectivist cultures are more likely to conform where group goals are above individual needs or desires.
- If responses are going to be public, then conformity is more likely to occur. This is why we use election ballots- to keep every voter’s decision secret, so others’ opinions do not influence them.
Though it’s often mocked, conformity isn’t always a flawed trait. At its best, a healthy amount of conformity can give way to social harmony. For instance, if we collectively agree to respect our private estate and abide by traffic guidelines, we witness lesser road accidents and effective law and order.
Summing up, It would be right to say that social conformity can influence the behavior of large groups (to start or end conflicts). It provides an evolutionary advantage, which explains its universal presence. When it ensues due to fear or leads to a dangerous consequence, it could turn out to be traumatic & undesirable. However, a conformity that is reciprocally practiced and preserves the overall well-being of the group can help humanity thrive.
As acclaimed author & political activist, Jim Hightower says-
“The opposite of courage is not cowardice; it is conformity.
Even a dead fish can go with the flow.”
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