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The Social Impact of Conformity (Kevin Steed, PhD Candidate Macquarie University School of Education) WhatIsConformity? According to Chartrand & Bargh (1999), conformity takes place when people adjust their behaviour or thinkingtocoincidewitha‘groupstandard.’Specifically,conformitymanifestsitselfasadirectresultofan individual’swillingnesstoacceptothers’opinionsaboutreality. The degree to which people conform in any given situation is dependent upon a number of common factors.Theseusuallyrelatetotheextenttowhich: 1. someoneismadetofeelincompetentorinsecureinagivensocialsetting(egfearofpeerpressure canfacilitatethis). 2. asocialgroupisunanimousaboutaspecific‘idea’or‘worldview’(egreligiousdoctrine/values). 3. aparticularsocialgroupisperceivedtopossesshighsocialstatusand/orcharismaticpower(eg celebrityfashiontrends/lifestylesetc). 4. anindividualhasnopriorcommitment/stanceonparticularsocialperspectives(egsocietal attitudesregardingimmigration/refugees). 5. themainstream/dominantgroupcloselyobservesthebehaviourofnewcomerstothegroup (adolescentpeergroupsdothisallthetime). 6. one’sculturestronglyencouragesrespectforasocialstandard(egreligiousvalues). ReasonsforConformity Peopleconforminasocialcontextforanumberofreasons. ThemostsignificantreasonwhypeopleconformisadirectresultofwhatisknownasNormative Social Influence.Thistypeofinfluenceresultsasaconsequenceofanindividual’sinnatedesiretogainapproval and/oravoidrejectionbythemajority.Moreoftenthatnot,peoplehaveatendencytorespectoradopt ‘normative behaviour’ because if they don’t, there may be significant social costs incurred by those individualsifcertainmainstreamattitudesorvaluesarenotembraced. Another reason for conformity is Informative Social Influence. Mainstream society usually seeks to enculturate its membership at the micro, meso and macro levels to value particular norms, values and mores.Assuch,mainstreamsocietyprovideswhatitcollectivelyconsiderstobe‘valuable’informationto the majority of the populous via socializing institutions such as schools, media and government departments.Despitethis,therewillalwaysbesomepeoplewillneveradopttheinformationprovidedeg; some individuals, for various reasons, choose not to have their children vaccinated against various childhooddiseasestherebyreducingthe‘herdimmunity’levelsinoursociety. Mindlessconformityisanotherreasonfortheadoptionofmainstreamvalues,attitudesandperceptions. Therewillalwaysbesomeindividualsinsocietywhowillautomaticallyadoptthebehaviouralcuesof othersinthecommunitywithouteverthinkingtoodeeplyaboutwhytheydoso.Rightlyorwrongly, contemporaryadolescentsareoftenaccusedofbehavinginsuchamannerwhentheyengagewithsocial media,hairstylesandfashionetc. FurtherResearch: http://www2.psych.ubc.ca/~schaller/Psyc591Readings/CialdiniGoldstein2004.pdf 1 Conformity-OnlineActivities WatchthefollowingTEDtalksand/orYoutubeclipsonconformity. 1. Conformity–DeadPoetsSocietyMovie(youtube) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SnAyr0kWRGE Watchtheclipandanswerthefollowingquestions: a) Howis‘conformity’explainedinthisclip? b) Whatistheessentialmessageabout‘conformity’thatemergesfromthisclipmovie? 2. ‘Looksaren’teverything.Believeme,I’mamodelCameronRussell’(Tedtalk) https://www.ted.com/talks/cameron_russell_looks_aren_t_everything_believe_me_i_m_a_model?language=en Watchtheclipandanswerthefollowingquestions a) Whyisimagesuchapowerfulforceforconformity? b) WhatdoesCameronmeanbysuggestingthatshe“wonageneticlottery’?Intermsof conformity,whyisthisproblematicforwomeninoursociety? c) Outlinethestereotypicalimagesofbeautytowhichmanyyoungwomenconform. 3. ‘Asch’sConformityExperiment’(youtube) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NyDDyT1lDhA Watchtheclipandanswerthefollowingquestions: a) Explainthepremiseofthisclassicexperimentintoconformity. b) Whatdoesthisexperimenttellusaboutthepsychologyofconformity?Isthisagoodthing? Why? 2