What is conformity?
- Conformity is the act of agreeing with the group (usually the majority)
- An individual falls in line with the group’s behaviour and/or thoughts, opinions, feelings, beliefs etc.
- People may go along with and appear to agree with the majority even when they disagree with the group’s ideas/opinions/behaviours (a type of conformity known as compliance)
- Conformity occurs when people wish to be accepted by the majority of the group or when they feel that the group are better informed than they themselves are e.g. ‘I’ll just see what everyone else does and then I’ll follow them’
- Conformity may occur due to social or dispositional factors (or a combination of the two) which is covered here
- Conformity is not the same as obedience as conformity involves going along with the group and being guided by them rather than carrying out the instructions/orders of an individual authority figure
- Examples of conformity might be
- Joining in with bullying due to your fear that the group might make you their next victim
- Laughing along to a joke you don’t find funny
- Following the group at lunchtime as you’re not sure where the canteen is
Conformity Diagram
Safety in numbers…conforming to the group can give us a sense of security and belonging.
Exam Tip
Conformity tends to be regarded as a ‘bad thing’ in Western, individualistic cultures in which autonomy, independence and rebellion are idealised (think of how many films feature a hero/heroine who defies the majority or goes against what everyone else is doing).
However, conformity is not necessarily a negative behaviour: think of how difficult everyday life would be if nobody ever conformed to anything at all - it would be chaos! Conformity allows a sense of harmony and consensus to underpin daily life and (unless there is an evil element at work) it can aid human experience rather than hinder it.