What is conformism: definition, examples

Imagine that someone told you deliberately false and even absurd information. For example, that the full moon in the sky has become twice as large as before. I think you will laugh at that inventor. What if five more people tell you about this? Probably, after taking a closer look at the night star, you will agree that its size has indeed increased somewhat. You will listen to four more without surprise, and the tenth will be convinced of the incredible size of the moon.

It turns out that we believed other people more than our own eyes? Yes, and this amazing phenomenon is called conformism.

Conformity as a psychological phenomenon

The word "conformity" comes from the Latin conformis, meaning "similarity." The phenomenon in psychology is characterized by the individual’s compliance to pressure from a social group. A person quickly adapts to the required norms of behavior and changes his life attitudes and principles, even if initially they were opposite to the position of the majority.

The degree of manifestation of conformity depends on how valuable for the individual is his relationship with the social group; The higher a person’s attachment to others, the more he fears conflict and loss of reputation, and accordingly, the likelihood of conformity increases.

Also, a person's views are influenced by authorities who represent the views of the group. The stronger the influence of a community representative, the more all members of this group succumb to conformity. When making a particular decision, forming an ideology and development guidelines in society, the number of people who support the adoption of any measures plays a large role.

The more people become unanimous in their decision, the greater the likelihood of conformist behavior among the minority. Also, if a group is prone to aggression towards those who oppose it, conformity also manifests itself much more clearly.

The role of conformity has been described by many researchers who want to understand the nature of the phenomenon and its impact on a person’s personality. For example, the neo-Freudian philosopher Erich Fromm paid a lot of attention in his works to the automating role of conformity.

He considered conformity to be a psychological defense mechanism for a person who unquestioningly accepts imposed patterns of behavior. In a society of consumption and alienated labor, a person becomes inclined to unconditionally accept cultural models and become part of the same type of social mass.

Such a reaction allows the individual to avoid the loneliness that haunts him in the current cultural conditions, but the lack of any initiative and desire to develop his individuality will lead to a complete loss of his “I”.

Reasons for conformity

By the nature of its origin, conformity can be: internal - it manifests itself when a person’s opinion changes, he accepts the opinion of the group, is in harmony with it, adheres to the opinion of the group, regardless of his location; external - characterized by demonstrative agreement with the opinion of the group, but at the same time the individual continues to adhere to his opinion.

External comfort is often shown in order to avoid disagreements and conflicts.

A person’s adherence to certain patterns of behavior is due to the following motivations:

egoistic motivation - allows you to increase your social status and receive a share of group rewards, typical for individuals with little power who are afraid of being caught in insubordination;
altruistic motivation – contributes to the preservation of the group, demonstrated by people who attach great importance to belonging to a group and communication with other people;
cognitive motivation - helps to solve a problem when there is a lack of information, typical for people who are unsure of their abilities and who do not have enough information to make a decision.

Pros and cons of conformity

What are the advantages and disadvantages of conformity? The pros and cons of conformity are determined by the characteristics of the specific situation of its manifestation.

pros

Internal conformity is a psychological defense mechanism. Thanks to this typological character trait, a person avoids loneliness.
Conformity in following traffic rules can reduce the number of road accidents and save a person’s life.
The positive effect of conformity was described by S. Asch when he studied the features of the organization of intragroup activities.
In psychology, experiments were carried out with the help of which it was possible to prove that such a phenomenon as conformism increases the level of team cohesion.
In production, workers show conformity, which allows them to receive a salary and quickly move up the career ladder.
The effect of conformity in managerial psychology allows managers to successfully solve assigned tasks.
Thanks to conformists, social values such as religious education, patriotism, marriage and family, and a woman’s desire to have children are preserved.

Minuses

Why is conformism dangerous?

The negative consequences of conformity are loss of individuality, loss of one’s “I,” and violation of personal harmony.
Correction of conformity in enterprises is necessary, as it slows down the introduction of innovative technologies and contributes to the development of conservatism.
A person’s inability to make decisions independently and take responsibility for their life.
Decreased self-esteem, the emergence of personal complexes.
In the realm of politics, conformists are informers.

Types of conformism

Researchers traditionally distinguish internal and external forms of conformity.

Interior

Internal conformism is the purposeful adjustment of one’s behavior to the ideas of others. It is characterized by a person’s conscious change in his values and norms based on the views of the surrounding group. This form of conformism comes from the individual’s need for public approval and subsequent self-censorship. Often a person's idea that a group forces him to follow other people's values is erroneous. Factors of internal conformity are:

informational influence - a person receives information only from certain sources, and does not show interest in alternative options;
obsessive comparison of one’s behavioral model with the “correct” standards accepted in society;
the process of self-categorization - assigning oneself to a certain social group and following the group norm.

External

External conformism means exclusively external agreement with the values and ideas of the group. In this case, a person can have his own opinion and internally accept it, but when in society, he suppresses it for the sake of public ideas. It is in external behavior that the conformist pattern of behavior is especially clearly manifested.

In terms of characteristics, external conformism is similar to compliance and opportunism and is expressed in a person’s desire to be like everyone else, even if the norms accepted in the group are opposite to his life values and views. If following other people's standards is justified by group pressure and the desire to avoid censure or punishment for disobedience, then after the pressure ceases, he returns to his opinion and openly expresses it. Also, the manifestation of conformity may be due to personal ambitions.

Examples of external conformism are easy to find in many areas of life:

in economics, this is the influence of advertising, the mass popularity of certain brands;
in politics - the effect of propaganda, comparing one’s decision with the opinion of the majority;
In the field of information, the media and social networks have a huge influence.

The psychological mechanisms of conformity are:

Submission implies an external adjustment of behavior that may not coincide with the internal views of the individual. Following the demands of society, a person does not demonstrate his personal ideas, agreeing with a stereotypical model of behavior. The duration of submission is limited by the presence of pressure, after which the need to play along disappears (for example, a way of life under the totalitarian power of the state).
Identification is likeness to a partner or group with which a person interacts. As a rule, this style of behavior is based on his positive attitude towards those whom he imitates. There are two types of identification: • classical, in which an individual adopts the characteristics of another person because of the sympathy he feels for him (for example, the desire to be like his idol in everything); • reciprocal-role in which participants in interaction expect certain behavior from each other and themselves strive to meet the expectations of a partner or partners (for example, relationships between family members or another social institution).
Internalization is a partial or complete coincidence of one’s ideas with those expressed by society. It is the result of unconscious internal assimilation and acceptance of the attitudes and views of other people.

The concept of conformism in psychology and sociology

Conformity in psychology is a model of personal behavior that determines the degree of compliance to pressure exerted by a group of people. Under imaginary or real pressure, an individual abandons his point of view and agrees with the point of view of the majority, even in the case where such attitudes were not previously shared. In addition, this term is used to denote the unconditional agreement of an individual with the opinion of the public. In this situation, the level of consistency between the opinions of others and one’s own ideas of the world does not matter. Often a person who shows conformism internally resists the imposed moral and ethical rules and norms.

They talk about external conformism when a person, agreeing with the imposed opinion of the majority, internally remains with his convictions

In sociology, the phenomenon under consideration manifests itself in the form of passive acceptance of the social foundation that dominates in society. It is important to be able to distinguish conformity from the same opinions and views on the social order of society. Most often, many judgments about the social order are formed in the process of personal formation. A person can change his view of the world only if he has convincing arguments.

The term “conformity” is used in sociology to describe the process of changing one’s own beliefs under the influence of the majority. Such changes in one’s own worldview are explained by the fear of various sanctions and the fear of becoming lonely. According to studies, approximately every third person agrees to accept the majority opinion in order not to stand out from the group.

Types of conformism

There are several classifications of conformism. Let's look at some of them.

By type of subordination:

Internal conformism. A person accepts and shares the opinion of the group, lives by its rules even outside its boundaries, and finds a rational explanation for his choice.
External conformism. A person formally accepts the rules and norms of the group, but remains unconvinced. This leads to intrapersonal conflict. Often external acceptance is forced.

According to the specifics of behavior:

Rational conformism. A person is influenced through the reasoning, opinion, and arguments of another person.
Irrational conformism. A person submits to the majority at the level of herd instinct.

According to the specific pressure:

Passive. A person submits under the influence of direct pressure.
Active. This is militant conformism. There is no direct pressure from above, but the person himself wants to feel its specificity, and begins to fight dissidents.

The nature of conformity

Some researchers in this field wonder what the nature of conformity is. The study of this phenomenon made it possible to say that the basis of the conformist behavior of a person or broader social groups is the fear of being different from others. If you make an attempt to distinguish yourself, then you can get punished according to the principle “if you stick your head out, it will be worse.”

Note 1

As a rule, groups react quite negatively towards those people who try to resist it. People who actively go beyond patterns and stereotyped thinking are subject to pressure and aggression from conformists - the so-called “silent majority”.

It should also be noted that conformity and compliance can sometimes become a manifestation of conscious loyalty to the demands made from the outside.

It is easier for people to agree with something than to try to resist these processes and phenomena, because it is more convenient and easier for them to live. “It’s clearer from above”—this is the opinion of those who accept the rules of the game from higher authorities. There is an opinion that they are much more educated and competent in certain issues, so their opinions, suggestions and, accordingly, decisions are exactly what the majority needs.

Such conscious loyalty is sometimes a wise decision, but more often than not people simply show their fear and laziness to think through decisions and actions on their own. Therefore, their life turns into a familiar standard, and their behavior is also subject to routine. You can completely remove responsibility from yourself, because it’s not you who makes the decision, but someone else for you.

Note 2

Thus, the main reasons for conformist behavior are the fear of taking responsibility and simple laziness in thinking about possible solutions to the assigned tasks. Conformity can also be either congenital or acquired throughout life.

Innate conformism depends on a person’s personal characteristics, his intellectual and physical abilities. Acquired conformity is one that is developed over the course of life. It forces a person to adapt to external circumstances, forces him to obey the conditions in which he lives, as well as the people who make the most significant decisions.

The level of personality conformity also depends on many factors. For example, the larger the number of participants in the group, the higher the feeling of unanimity, which is quite difficult to resist. If a person does something that goes beyond the expectations of the group members, he may be punished and even expelled from the group. If a group tends to show aggression towards those who oppose it, then conformity also increases: no one wants to get into trouble or be expelled, so they are forced to obey the conditions and accept someone else's point of view for the sake of their own peace of mind. Conformity for many is the path to salvation, but for many it is real torture, because a person has to give up his interests and opinions. This is the phenomenal nature of conformity as a social and psychological phenomenon.

Personality characteristics also play a big role. For example, women, teenagers or children are more conforming. People with low social status who do not have outstanding intellectual abilities are also susceptible to this. They are anxious and easily suggestible, so it is easier to convince them of something, to force them to accept someone else’s point of view. Some of them simply do not have their own position, and they are forced to obey circumstances and superior people. If a person is attached to a group, he will also be more conformist than people who can live outside the group and do not depend on its attitudes and rules within.

Why does role conflict occur?

The clashes between people, their expectations and ideas, largely depend on the formed norms and rules of society. If a person does not conform to established stereotypes and rules, as well as legal norms for regulating behavior, he experiences a role conflict. You need to understand that it does not appear out of nowhere. First, a person’s action occurs (within the framework of his activity), then his behavior is analyzed from the outside based on the listed mechanisms, then an assessment is given.

What is conformism?

Conformity is a moral, political and psychological concept that implies an individual’s adaptation to the social order, its absolute acceptance, adherence and absence of contradiction. With conformism, a person does not resist, unconditionally accepts everything and makes the public his own. Conformism is:

Agreement with public opinion, even if inside a person thinks differently.
Refusal to fight for the personal, one’s own and agreement with the public.
Lack of your own opinion for the sake of accepting the public.
Disclaimer of personal liability.
Blind obedience and willingness to follow other people's instructions and rules.

A society can be a whole state, or organizations, groups, families, or other collective gatherings of people.

From birth they try to fit a person into some framework, stereotypes, ideals. “Do as everyone else does,” “Be like the other person,” “Behave decently (or rather, in a way that is acceptable in society).” They constantly try to squeeze a person into clothes that don’t fit him. Women must have shapes of 90-60-90 (the individual characteristics of each woman are not taken into account).

There is an anecdote where a man decided to patent his invention - an automatic face shaving machine. “You just need to throw a coin, stick your head into the hole, and sharp knives will shave your face.” But excuse me, everyone's face is different! “Yes, but only until the first shave.”

In the same way, people are forced into the same framework, without taking into account their characteristics, distinctive qualities, talents, etc. What does this lead to? Because most people agree to live like everyone else and live up to some ideals. They do not try to develop their unique qualities, to become beautiful in accordance with the parameters that have already been given to them. They limit themselves, cut themselves, change themselves just to meet some ideals.

But how responsible is the person who behaves like everyone else? The more a person refers to society, the less he thinks with his own head and bears responsibility for what he has done. “I did the same thing as all people do in this situation. It’s not my fault” - this is how you can characterize all the excuses of people who have committed certain actions, thereby causing pain to others, or the tears of those who did as is customary, but did not achieve the desired result.

As long as a person acts the same way as other people act, he is irresponsible. If he does not achieve what he did for the sake of doing things, then all the blame, judging by his words, falls on those whom he imitated. Don't give advice to other people on what to do in a given situation, otherwise, if they listen to you, you may become to blame for the fact that they did not achieve the desired results. It’s the same in a situation where a person commits actions that are accepted in society: by acting like everyone else, you get different results, because you don’t take into account the conditions that dictate what actions need to be performed in order to achieve your goal.

You are behaving correctly, or rather in the way that is accepted in society. But most often you don’t achieve your goals. Who is guilty? The society you submit to when deciding what to do. You are bitter and offended that you did everything right - and this “right” was dictated to you by society, which does not take into account the circumstances in which you find yourself. You acted like everyone else, and you also blame everyone else for your failure. Actions and decisions were made by you personally, respectively, and failure is a consequence of your incorrectly made decisions and actions, despite the fact that society is convinced that you did everything right.

It is important not to do what everyone else does, but to take into account the circumstances in which you find yourself. It is important to make your decision and take your actions so that you also bear responsibility for the result obtained, especially if you achieve success

Solomon Asch's experiment

The problem of conformity was raised in the 50s of the 20th century by the American psychologist Solomon Asch, conducting one of the most high-profile experiments in social psychology.

*Asch's experiment: find two identical segments.

A group of volunteers gathered, among whom all but one person were in cahoots with Asch. Participants were shown two cards: one showed a standard segment, and the other showed three segments of different lengths. It was necessary to determine which of the three segments corresponds to the standard.

The answer is obvious when you are alone in front of the monitor. Miracles begin when everyone around unanimously gives the wrong answer.

We will not delve into the algorithm of the experiment, but its results are amazing: 75% of unsuspecting subjects at least once, not believing their eyes, repeated the incorrect answer of the majority.

And 32% betrayed themselves again and again, each time giving the wrong segments. Moreover, throwing began when there were more than three participants in the group.

Solomon Asch's experiments revealed two causes of conformity :

A person does not want to go against public opinion;
A person believes that the majority is better informed than he is.

Three factors influence conformal behavior

Social support - if at least one more person from the group disagrees with the opinion of the majority, the indicators of conformity fall.
Emotional connection with the group - the more attractive the group is to a person, the more willingly he adapts to it, sincerely sharing the ideas of the majority.
Group size - the larger the crowd, the higher the likelihood that a person will show himself to be a conformist.

Who is a conformist

Conformist

They call a person who consciously occupies a subordinate position in society and agrees with its attitudes. A person who decides to change his behavior and way of thinking under the influence of another person, including his idol, is also called a conformist. Most often, however, the word is used in a socio-political context.

In fact, most people are conformists to one degree or another. Even without openly recognizing the existing political regime, most people prefer to remain on the sidelines, taking advantage of the freedom granted by the authorities. Even those who are trying to actively fight the existing system - as a rule, using non-violent methods - outwardly show a completely loyal attitude towards it; because otherwise he will be exposed, captured, arrested, executed - and his cause will perish.

A conscious conformist is characterized not so much by intellect (even people with sufficiently developed intellect can adhere to conformity), but by certain life values. They are most often low. A conformist usually values physiological survival most of all, and almost any political regime, including a dictatorial one, is ready to provide it. The conformist either does not have any higher inclinations and talents, or has them only in those areas that are supported by the government. For example, in Russia, most specialists in the oil and gas industry are conformists, since the government has made them an elite and provides them much better than all other citizens.

A supporter of conformism most often adheres to “traditional values”: he wants to start a family and have children, he is religious, he considers himself a patriot.

However, a certain conformity is neither good nor bad, and sometimes even good. After all, among social norms there are not only destructive, but also creative ones. Who argues that stealing, killing or walking around the city naked is good? Conformity in a number of cases demonstrates its positive sides. Thus, an employee accepts the rules of conduct at the enterprise, and in exchange for this he receives a salary, is promoted, and earns the respect of employees and superiors. An even more clear example: we cross the roadway in accordance with the traffic rules, thereby saving our lives.

Paradoxically, in some cases conformity is also rebellion. By completely obeying the commandments “Thou shalt not kill” and “Thou shalt not steal,” a person thereby protests against current Russian social attitudes, which prescribe the glorification of thieves and murderers. It happens that in a school class internal attitudes contradict accepted behavior at school; in this case, a student who accepts the conditions of a given group thereby rebels against school rules - and vice versa, while continuing to follow school rules, he becomes an outcast in his class.

Problems begin when conformity becomes a lifestyle. Man makes the subordinate state the ultimate goal of existence. It becomes “correct” even where it is not particularly required. In addition, he begins to tell others how to behave. Politically, a conformist becomes an informer.

Strictly speaking, any manifestation of initiative is a change in reality, which means an attempt to set new, own rules for it. Therefore, a supporter of conformism who has made it his lifestyle is a pathologically insecure person. Often he does not want to change anything even in his private life, not to mention any actions directed outward. He does not dare to quit his old job and move to a new one, even if the team there is better and the salary is higher. He is hesitant to watch new films or listen to new music, especially if they seem too challenging.

What is conformism

Before giving a definition, let’s figure out what the meaning of the word “conformism” is. It is derived from the Latin conformis, which means “similar”, “corresponding”. Conformity is a concept from social psychology. Refers to a form of adaptation to a small group. To become “similar,” an individual accepts the opinions, rules of behavior, norms and values of the majority, even if they contradict his personal opinions, beliefs, values, norms, etc.

Conformism in psychology is following the majority, the authorities. Conformity involves living like other people. An individual listens to the same music as the majority. He wears the same thing as everyone else. He eats the same as everyone else. He rests just like everyone else. In general, he does not stand out from the crowd.

Conformism in sociology is the blind submission of a person to the majority. He prefers to be like everyone else in everything, hiding and suppressing his individuality. This helps to avoid problems, conflicts, and difficulties. This is necessary for socialization. Social conformity (conformity) is a person’s behavior that obeys the expectations of a group that is significant to him.

Mechanism of development of conformity

The basis of its development is the fear of public condemnation and censure. “Keep your head down if you don’t want to be an outcast or be eaten,” this is the thought that drives the individual. Society doesn't like it when someone opposes it. Unique personalities, individualists have always been persecuted and misunderstood by the gray masses.

On the other hand, conformity can be considered as a manifestation of loyalty, that is, trust in people. For example, when the majority, through silence, agrees with the actions of the rulers: “They know better.” True, this is rarely backed by true loyalty, that is, true trust and respect. More often this is due to cowardice and laziness. A person is too lazy or afraid to understand pressing issues and fight for their rights.

Conformism and nonconformism

Nonconformism is the opposite of conformism. Derived from the Greek words non (a prefix meaning negation) and conformis, which means “conforming”, “similar”.

Nonconformism is the desire to be different from everyone else in everything, to stand out from the gray mass. Nonconformists are rebels. They are never silent, they always go against the system, express their point of view, fight for their rights and try to change the world.

In a broad sense, nonconformism is understood as the denial of all generally accepted norms and values. In this sense, the phenomenon is similar to negativism. For example, an individual who denies any norms, throws garbage past the trash can on principle, does not close the door, wears light clothes in winter, etc. Children and teenagers often behave this way.

Basic theories

Among psychologists and sociologists, there are several theories about the emergence of conformism:

Information theory. Its author is Leon Festinger. The basis is the impossibility of checking all the data that comes to a person. Because of this, he has to rely on the opinions of other people, but only if it is supported by the majority.
The theory of normative influence. Its essence lies in the desire of a particular individual to have the advantages that can be obtained by becoming a member of the group.

For your information. Social conformity is usually assessed negatively. But you shouldn’t be unambiguous - it all depends on the specific situation. Sometimes you need to agree with established rules, for example, in extreme situations, when success depends on the coherence of the participants’ actions.