The presence of group members affects each of them differently. This is reflected in various phenomena that are established in social psychology: social facilitation, social inhibition, the Ringelmann phenomenon, social laziness, risk shift, group polarization, group spirit, group pressure.
A number of phenomena relate to the effectiveness of group activity. Phenomenon social facilitation is the motivation of a person to perform better simple or familiar tasks in the presence of others; social inhibition - the deterioration of the performance of such actions in the presence of others. It was found that the presence of others has a positive effect on the quantitative characteristics of the activity and negatively on the qualitative ones.
According to the Ringelmann phenomenon, the efficiency of each member of the group depends on the size of the group and decreases with the growth of its size. An inverse relationship has also been found between attractiveness groups for its members and its size: the larger the group, the less attractive it is for the members of the group. The phenomenon of social laziness: people make less effort if their efforts are combined for a common goal than in the case of individual responsibility. However, if the group members are friends, they mess around less.
A number of phenomena relate to the decisions made by a small group. Phenomenon risk shift: decisions made by a group are more risky than individual decisions. Group Polarization Phenomenon: After discussion, the views of individual members of the group converge and reinforce the average trend regarding the decision made. Spirit Phenomenon groups: the obviously correct decision is sacrificed to the unanimity of the group.
Members groups become intellectually insensitive to other views, in particular to opponents, and any alternative information is blocked. The most important factors in the formation of this phenomenon are a pronounced sense of "we", high group cohesion, isolation of the group from an alternative source of information, disapproval of the individual views of group members. In this case, the group becomes a victim of its cohesion. This often causes erroneous decisions, particularly in politics.
The essence of conformism
One of the most common is group pressure phenomenon, or conformity(from lat. conformis - similar, corresponding). It consists in changing a person's views or behavior under real or perceived group pressure. The phenomenon occurs when there is a conflict between the opinions of the group and the individual, and this conflict is resolved in favor of the group.
Conformism breeds conformity, external or internal. With external conformity, the individual only externally accepts the opinion of the group: external actions correspond to the pressure of the group, but internally the person does not agree. This behavior is also called complaisant. With internal conformity, the individual really, under the pressure of others, assimilates the opinion of the majority.
Examples of conformism
The first experiment who demonstrated the phenomenon of conformity, held by the American psychologist S. Ash (1951). A group of students (7-9 people) was asked to compare the length of the segments. Each was given two cards: in the right and left hand. In the left hand, the card showed one segment; in the right - three, of which one is equal in length to the segment in the left card. The other two were shorter and longer. The subjects had to determine which of the segments on the right card was the same length as the segment on the left.
In the first part of the experiment, during individual performance, the tasks were solved correctly. In the second part of the experiment, a so-called "dummy group" was formed. The experimenter agreed in advance with all participants, except for one ("naive subject"), that they would answer incorrectly. The survey began with this "dummy group". The results of the answers of such “naive subjects” were different, but more than a third (37%) accepted the view imposed by the majority, demonstrating an unwillingness to defend their own view in conditions where this did not coincide with the opinion of other participants in the experiment. This is how the existence was proven. conformity.
Exposure to Conformity
Conformity is a manifestation of a certain passivity and helplessness in relation to the group. Basically, a person chooses conforming behavior in order not to be rejected by the group, but there may be other reasons. Tendency to be conformist depends on:
Increases in group size: An increase in the number of group members leads to an increase in collective pressure, however this relationship is not directly proportional. So, 3-4 people “press” more than two, however, a further increase in the size of the group to 10-15 people practically does not add pressure;
Group reference: if a group is a reference for a person, it is difficult to disagree with it;
Group Composition: It is difficult to resist a group that has outstanding people or individuals who are generally recognized experts in a particular field;
Group cohesion: the more cases that bind the members of the group together, the stronger its pressure will be;
Unanimity of group members: the presence in this group of at least minor differences of opinion significantly reduces the level of pressure;
Professionalism of a person: when a person does not feel like a specialist in the area in relation to which pressure is applied, group pressure will be stronger;
Status of a person: the lower the status in the group a certain person has, the more likely it is that he will take a conformist position; the higher the social status of the person who initiated the pressure, the greater the pressure will be;
The level of self-esteem: the lower the level of self-esteem, the more conforming the person;
Complexity of the problem: the more difficult the problem is solved by the group, the greater the pressure of the group;
Clarity of the task: the more incomprehensibly the task is formulated, the more tangible will be the pressure of the group;
Methods of answer: with a public image of the answer, conformity grows;
Age: in children, conformity is higher than in adults;
Gender: Females are more conformable than males.
Conformal behavior plays a dual role in human life. On the one hand, if the view is correct groups, it helps to correct the views of a person; however, on the other hand, it prevents the assertion of independent behavior and independent views of a person. The connection of a person with a group will be stronger and longer if the adoption of its norms occurs on the basis of internal approval, and not conformity.
Nonconformism
In addition to those who approve of the norms of the group or conform to them, there are also people who are ready to resist the pressure of the group, they are called nonconformists. There are two main types of nonconformists: aggressive and creative. Aggressive nonconformists oppose almost all proposals of the group. They are guided by a superiority or inferiority complex and hostility.
Creative nonconformists oppose the tendencies of "equalization" in the group. The original proposals of such a person can be a problem for the leader of the group, who sometimes misinterprets the initiative of a creative nonconformist as a threat to his own position or position in the group.
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Conformity: what is it?
According to many researchers in the field of sociology, psychology, philosophy, a person who constantly lives in society becomes dependent on his opinion. Throughout life, a person enters into a variety of relationships and interactions with others, exchanges information and experience with them. Thus, there is a mutual influence: a person acts on society, introducing something new into it, and society, in turn, affects the personality of a person, his worldview and personal attitudes.
The behavioral model of a person is often built precisely under the influence of society, just as our perception of the world around us can take shape depending on what attitudes the public offers us.
Remark 1
This behavioral model of modernity is characterized as an individual's tendency to conformism and appropriate behavior - consistent, opportunistic. In fact, conformism also acts as a passive agreement with the opinion of the majority of people who are part of a particular social group. In this group there is a person who can either unquestioningly accept all conditions (be conformal), or deny them (show signs of nonconformity).
According to researchers, conformism develops under the influence of a number of factors:
- Gender of a person - women are more prone to conformity than men, which is due to the peculiarities of their social status and the roles that they take on (the role of a mother, the role of a housewife, who should listen first of all to the opinion of a man);
- The age of a person - often conformity manifests itself in people under the age of 25 years. Due to the lack of life experience and knowledge, it is easier for them to agree with the majority, since their opinion can be considered immature and incompetent, unlike the opinion of their elders;
- The social position and level of education of a person - the more competent a person is, the higher his professionalism in areas that are most significant in the activities of a social group, the lower will be the level of his conformism. A real specialist is always confident in his judgments and conclusions. He is able to listen to other points of view, but he can designate his own in such a way that the majority will agree with him, trust him.
Examples of Conformal Behavior
In general, we do not need to delve into the historical aspect to give the most striking examples of conformism, since we ourselves are confronted with this phenomenon on a daily basis. For example, getting a job, we immediately get acquainted with a new team, in which connections have already been established. People who know the intricacies of the company's hierarchy and each other's personal characteristics become for us some kind of reference points, to whose opinion we listen, and which can have a strong influence on the perception of the entire organization as a whole.
Mass media play a very important role in the formation of conformism in the modern world. They have become a tool through which you can shape public opinion, manipulate it, create current trends in the mind of a person. If the media supports a certain event or action, or an individual, then most people will also support them. The media are a source of information about current events taking place in the world, people believe them, and therefore show loyalty and conformity towards them. But sometimes the media deliberately use fake news to hide the most important and burning information. In this case, everything depends on the level of trust in them, as well as on how much people themselves are ready to be subjected to such pressure.
One source of conformity is teamwork. In the process of its implementation, people do not always realize how much they suffer. Usually, joint activities in a team create the illusion that everyone is united by a common idea and goal. But, in fact, in the process of joint work, it is easier for people to impose their point of view on each other, this especially applies to the leaders of the group. They are well aware that they can lead the whole team, so they try to influence the weak members of the group, pull them over to their side, impose their point of view as the only true and accurate in the circumstances.
A person subject to conformism loses his individuality. This applies to the political sphere: being involved in a campaign, a person perceives its ideas as the only true ones, and therefore ceases to think critically and develop their own ideas that can also change the world. Therefore, political parties and social movements today act as the very organizations that have the brightest conformists as members. Everyone is aware that they can make an independent choice or create something new, but at the same time, due to fear, indecision, lack of professionalism, or simply out of laziness, it is easier for a person to join a movement that has already developed than to offer new ideas.
Remark 2
Thus, there are countless examples of conformism in the modern world. Each of us can be considered a conformist to one degree or another, everything depends on our worldview, internal attitudes, acceptance or non-acceptance of generally accepted values and norms. Also, people can show non-conformist sentiments, and, in this case, their ideas completely or partially contradict the ideas of the absolute majority.
It is impossible to unequivocally assess conformism as a negative phenomenon, because in the most controversial situations it allows you to come to a common decision without negative consequences. Negative consequences are reflected directly on the individual, especially if the person himself realizes that the ideas do not appeal to him at all, and that they completely contradict his internal attitudes and value orientations.
The phenomenon of group pressure in social psychology is called the problem conformity, which is interpreted as opportunism, conciliation, conciliation, etc.
To
conformism- subordination of a person’s judgment or action to group pressure (opinion of the majority) in a situation of conflict between
his own opinion (experience) and opinion
the majority.
To clarify the vagueness of the meaning of the term "conformity", in the socio-psychological literature, the concepts "conformity" and "conformal behaviour".
Conformity can be defined as a change in a person's behavior or opinion under the influence of real or imagined pressure from another person or group of people(A. Aronson). Synonyms of the concept are the terms "dependence", "susceptibility to the influence of the group", "lack of one's own opinion", etc. Demonstrating conformal behavior, a person unconsciously follows the opinion of the group majority.
To
Conformity-
a change in a person's behavior or opinion under the influence of real or imagined pressure from another person
or groups of people.
Internal conformity is submission to group pressure.
E
Negativism -behavior or opinion of a group member that is contrary to the opinion of the majority.
Thus, if a group puts pressure on a person, and he resists this pressure, not
agreeing with the norms accepted in the group - this is the position of conformism.
The experiments of S. Asch, conducted in 1951, are considered classic studies of group pressure in psychology. The essence of the experiment was that a group of students was asked to determine the length of the line: choose from three segments of different lengths the one that corresponded to the standard. Each of the participants expressed their opinions.
Using the "dummy group" method, the experimenter entered into an agreement with all but one of the participants. The meaning of the contract was that during the experiment, everyone should simultaneously begin to express incorrect judgments that differ from the opinion of the subject who remained ignorant. The main objective of the experiment was to find out how the subject would behave - whether he would show independence or conformity, whether the opinion of the majority would influence him.
As a result of the experiments, conclusions were obtained that in 35 cases out of 100 people demonstrated behavior dependent on the group. In 25%, stable independent behavior was observed.
Variables that affect conforming behavior are:
Individual characteristics of the subjects. R.L. Krichevsky and E.M. Dubovskaya revealed a negative relationship between a person’s propensity for conformal behavior and such psychological characteristics as high intelligence, leadership ability, resistance to stress, social activity and responsibility.
majority unanimity. Conformal behavior of a person is especially strongly manifested if unanimity, except for him, is shown by all members of the group. If at least one "ally" appears, then the tendency to submit to group pressure is sharply reduced. It does not matter how many members of the group make up the majority. A group of three people can also have the maximum impact on a person, as can a larger unanimous majority.
The significance of the situation for the subject. The more significant the situation is for a person, the lower the likelihood of conforming behavior.
When people talk about conformity, they usually mean the influence of the majority on the minority. A person, being included in one or another social group, correlates his views and principles, taking into account those that already exist in this community. But there are situations when one or another position or situation has changed under the influence of a minority.
S. Moscovici developed a "conversion theory" of minority influence. Moscovici argued that an important factor in determining the effectiveness of minority influence is a style of behavior called nonconformism.
H
Nonconformism -displaying an opinion or behavior based on
own experience, regardless of opinion or
behavior
group majority.
Having chosen a norm for himself, a person takes a certain internal position in relation to his group.
The normative influence of the minority has both positive and negative consequences for the group. A minority expressing views that are different from the group ones contribute to the emergence of intra-group conflicts. At the same time, the influence of the minority encourages the group to search for new arguments in defense of its position and the emergence of new effective solutions.
The atrocities of the Holocaust were not committed by psychopaths, but by ordinary people who fell under the ultra-high pressure of conformity, says philosopher Hannah Arend. However, we now know that even pressure is not necessary. Instead, it can be faith.
People are herd animals. We only survive in highly coordinated groups. As individuals, we are meant to understand social cues, to cooperate, and to coordinate our behavior with those around us. Recent research shows that social disapproval triggers dangerous situation circuits in the brain. Conformity is reassuring.
An experiment in conformity
I do this demonstration with my students. Two volunteers leave the classroom. To the remaining students, I explain that they must avoid contact with volunteers at all costs. I'll give them a raise on the next test if they succeed. I give the task to students who have left the class to try in every possible way to involve their classmates in communication. After that, I run them back into the class.
After a few painful minutes of trying unsuccessfully to get any response from the other students, I declare the demonstration over. Then I ask how the volunteers felt. They say, terribly - embarrassed, rejected. Then I ask the rest of the students what they thought the experiment was about. They usually think that I was trying to demonstrate how hard it is to be an outsider, a social outcast. But in fact, the goal is the opposite: to show how easily and automatically we become conformists.
I tell them that none of them refused the assignment. They tortured two poor innocent students for ten minutes. No one stood up and said, “Reduce my points for the next test. I won't treat my comrades so badly for nothing."
The phenomenon of conformity
Often we are not even aware that we are behaving conformally. This is our "default mode".
We rely on two types of social cues to stay within the cozy confines of conformity. First, we look at those around us to understand what is going on (information cues). Second, we look to others to figure out what to do about it (normative signs).
The child learns to do this already in the second year of life. If he falls, he looks to his parents to see if he should cry or not. If mom is scared, he will cry. If mom laughs and cheers him up, no tears. Shortly thereafter, the child begins to check in with group members and adjust his or her behavior to the group's expectations.
The role of conformism
We use others to understand what's going on. This may be the positive role of conformism. Consultations, compromises, education, exchange of information - civilization is built on this. Aggregate data from many people helps solve big problems.
However, informational signs can lead us astray. Here are two examples of conformity in a negative aspect. In 1938, a radio broadcast about an alien invasion led to panic. The people who missed the beginning couldn't understand what was going on. They turned to each other for clarifications and exchanged false information. Not so long ago in Cambodia there was a stampede on the bridge, which led to 350 deaths. Many peasants did not know that it was normal for the suspension bridge to sway a little.
In history, misinformation picked up from misinformed, misguided, or malicious others has often led to military, financial, and personal misfortune.
Experimental example of conformism
In the 1950s, psychologist Solomon Asch conducted a classic conformity experiment. He told the students that they would have an eye test. Participants in small groups had to compare line lengths. However, all the members of the group, except for one, were sent agents who must give incorrect answers. As a result, three-quarters of the students completed the task, adjusting to the opinion of the group, even though it was incorrect. Their personal notes contained the correct answers.
This study of conformism showed that it is difficult for people to go against the opinion of the group, even if the group is small and consists of strangers. Such normative signs become even more important if they come from friends, loved ones and people important to us. A closely related group has more influence on the individual. If you want to know if your child smokes weed, ask yourself if their friends smoke. If so, then your child is doing it too, no matter what values you brought him up with.
Conformism and non-conformism
You will be surprised, but non-conformism is also a group phenomenon. Psychological research has repeatedly confirmed that the presence of like-minded people is the main prerequisite for nonconformist behavior. Individual courage is a manifestation of group beliefs and belonging to a group.
The visible manifestation of courage and rebellion on the part of the individual is only the tip of the iceberg. When you oppose a group, you are not doing it alone, but in the name and with the support of another group.
In other words, we cannot avoid conformity. We can only become more conscious and attentive to the signs of conformism. Then we can find reliable information and loyal allies.
The essence of conformal behavior lies in the desire of a person to imitate others in everything. As a rule, this applies even to situations where the group has adopted standards of behavior that are contrary to generally accepted norms. For example, a schoolboy, imitating some group of his classmates, may start smoking, offending younger ones, or allowing other actions that are condemned by society. He completely adopts the way of life of people who are part of his main social circle, and abandons his habits and tastes. Conformal behavior is especially pronounced when a person changes their appearance, including clothes and hair, to be like others, even if the new look is contrary to their tastes.
Conformal behavior can have several causes. Most often, it is chosen for themselves by people who do not want to face problems. They strive to achieve authority or at least protect themselves from the condemnation of others, adapting to them in everything and completely submitting to someone else's opinion. There is, however, another option: a person can adapt, obey the rules of the group in order to achieve some goal.
Conformal behavior is generally considered acceptable only if it helps a person to get rid of addictions and traits by accepting the correct opinion of the majority. In general, the most successful option is to use only some elements of conformal behavior, provided that the person retains his individuality. This allows him to remain himself and at the same time maintain good relations with others.
Types of conforming behavior
There are two main types of conforming behavior - internal and external. In the first case, we are talking about situations where a person takes the opinion of a group for his own opinion. In the second, he only superficially adheres to certain limits adopted in a particular society - for example, he uses clothes that are customary to wear, observes special etiquette.
There are also three additional types of conformal behavior. The first is submission, when a person fulfills the requirements only externally, and the influence of the group on him is limited to one specific situation. The second is identification, when people begin to imitate others, strictly observe the rules of behavior and expect this from others. The third is internalization, i.e. complete coincidence of the system of values, tastes, preferences of the person and the representatives of the group.
