What is social conformism and why do we conform to the opinions of the majority

With the deadline social conformism we mean a psycho-social phenomenon which, in summary, leads toadaptation of tastes and behaviors of the single individual to the majority ones present within one or more social groups in which the person is involved or feels involved. Have you ever worn, for example, a certain item of clothing because “everyone does it”? Here, a gesture like this, even if limited, is precisely the exemplification of how conformism influences our daily life and our thoughts, often without us realizing it. Conformity can manifest itself in different shapes: when we rely on others to understand an uncertain situation, when we follow the majority to avoid the psychological discomfort of social dissent, and when the act of conforming allows us to access a desired identity or role within a group . Reflecting on conformism does not necessarily mean judging it. Experiments like that of Solomon Asch or the theories of sociologists such as Émile Durkheim And Pierre Bourdieu they demonstrate what conformity can be be one positive forcewhich promotes social cohesion and identity, is negativeleading to the standardization and renunciation of critical thinking.

What it means and how social conformism comes into action

We call that conformism profound, personal and lasting change in behavior and attitudes due to group pressure. The way this takes shape, however, It depends on the circumstances. When we find ourselves in a certain situation, we need to trust that our perceptions, beliefs and feelings are “correct”; when however the situation is uncertain (because external stimuli are ambiguous or because there is social disagreement), we start looking “objective checks”but if this is not enough, we put into practice “social comparisons”, implementing the so-called informative influence.

THEinformational influence it is that act that leads us to accept information from another person or group of people as evidence of reality. Conversely, let’s talk about regulatory influence when we conform to the positive expectations of others to gain social approval (and thus avoid disapproval). Finally, let’s talk about informative influence of the referent in reference to the pressure we feel when we feel we have to conform to become part of a group: conforming allows us to access a role and an identity previously excluded from us.

Asch’s experiment

THE’Asch experiment is a clear example of regulatory influencerather than informative or informative of the referent, because participants tend to conform to the incorrect answers of the majority to avoid the discomfort of social dissent, not because they believe that the majority is right or because they are driven by the need for identity belonging to the experimental group. THE’regulatory influence occurs when a person conforms to be accepted or to avoid rejection by a group, even if he or she knows that the majority opinion is wrong. In the experiment, 75% of participants conformed to the group at least once, choosing a clearly incorrect answer so as not to go against collective judgement.

Is conformism a negative attitude?

Although many attribute a negative meaning to conformism, in reality this phenomenon it has neither a positive nor negative meaning in itself: for example, those who conform are not weaker than others. Furthermore, going deeper into the merits of the sociological discipline, it is possible to read conformism as an important task cohesion And solidarity social: individuals, by adapting (conforming) to collective values ​​and rules, contribute to the stability of society and prevent regulatory chaos (anomia). Or again, for Pierre Bourdieu conformism has an important function social distinction: belonging to one’s reference group (which manifests itself through adherence to specific norms such as the way of dressing or speaking) strengthens both the group’s choral identity and the personal identity of each member. We certainly remember that conformism can bring negative consequences when it leads to gives up critical thinking and the perpetuation of collective errors.

Let’s dispel some myths about social conformism

• We must not fall into the deception of believing that only the majority has the power of influence: theexperiment by Serge Moscovici onthe influence of minorities demonstrates that minority groups can have a significant impact in changing the opinions and behaviors of the majority. A historical example is the impact of minorities in civil rights movements or battles for gender equality.
• We must not believe that in groups where a high level of conformism reigns they do not exist conflicts or anyway someone who steps outside the norm: in addition to conformism, in fact, it is possible to observe attitudes of mediation And innovation.
• Those who conform are not necessarily people with low self-esteem and/or strong need for social support or approval. From the studies conducted, it would seem that people who conform in one situation do not necessarily do so in another: this explains to us that in conformism the characteristics of the situation matter more than the person’s personality.