What Is Conformity? Research Paper Example

Compelled to Conform

I am not easily forced to conform and I believe I do a good job of staying true to my beliefs. However, I have been the victim of internalization. My weakness, for years, has been drinking Coca-colas. I love them. I have always been aware of the fact that they have a large amount of sugar and can even clear away erosion from a car battery. Nevertheless, I continued to drink them. Fortunately, I met a person who had the same love for the Coke as I did. However, she had stopped drinking them cold turkey. She was ranting about how much weight she had lost since she quit, and how her wellness visits to her physician had improved greatly. At that point, I knew that could be me as well. So, I have not completely quit the habit, but I have reduced the intake by more than half. I hope to eventually quit, but I was just unable to go cold turkey.

What is Social Conformity

“The term conformity is often used to indicate an agreement to the majority position, brought about either by a desire to ‘fit in’ or be liked (normative) or because of a desire to be correct (informational), or simply to conform to a social role (identification)” (McLeod,2007). There are several types of conformity-compliance, identification, and internalization. Compliance occurs when the individual accepts a particular influence in hopes of gaining a favorable reaction from another person (Deutsch & Gerard, 1955). In compliance, the person agrees with the majority, regardless to personal feelings about the issue. Identification occurs when the individual accepts a view because of the status of the person holding the view (Deutsch & Gerard, 1955). Most people do this because they want to establish or maintain a positive relationship with the person holding the particular view. Finally, internalization occurs when a person accepts or converts to a belief because it will prove rewarding or gratifying (Deutsch & Gerard, 1955 ). The new behavior produces satisfaction and usually integrates with a person’s existing values. Studies show that a person’s opinions and behaviors can be adjusted to favor the majority view (Burnett & Badzinski, 2000). People conform in various aspects of their lives. Socially, conformity is most noticeable in small groups. This conveys that people are more likely to conform when they are pressured by the majority. Psychologists have studied conformity for many years. One of the first psychologists to study conformity was Jenness. He conducted an experiment in 1932 where he asked participants in the study to guess how many beans were in a bottle.  He first asked each participant individually, and then he asked them in a group setting.  As the group discussed and debated, he watched the outcome. He then gave the participants and opportunity to change their guess based upon what the group members had estimated (Jenness, 1932). Astonishingly, the majority of the individuals changed their initial guess to correlate more closely to the group’s estimate. Social conformity can be triggered by the presence of a particular individual. Often people feel that a group working together has more knowledge than they would individually, so by accepting its view they are making a better more informed decision.

Was Is Successful

I believe the attempt was very successful because it altered my actions. Although I was unable to quit cold turkey, I am working towards quitting. Regardless to how small the change may be, any change that is brought about due to the actions, behaviors, or opinions of others is conformity.

Speculation

What the lady was telling me about Cokes was information that I was already aware of. I had this personal knowledge and agreed with it prior to talking with her. So, what she told me was aligned with what I believed. Seeing and hearing her progress just gave me the needed conformation that it was a good idea.

Reference

Burnett, A., & Badzinski, D. (2000). An exploratory study of argument in the jury decision making process. Communication Quarterly, 48, 380-396.

Deutsch, M., & Gerard, H. B. (1955). A study of normative and informational social influences upon individual judgment. The Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 51, 629-636.

Jenness, A. (1932). The role of discussion in changing opinion regarding a matter of fact. The Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 27, 279-296

McLeod, S.A. (2007). What is conformity? Retrieved from http://www.simplypsychology.org/conformity.htm