An insight for your day to day decision making
An experiment conducted in The Pennsylvania State University showed that about 33% of people in their test group changed their opinion to conform with others.
One of the most well-known facts about primates is that they are bound to groups and it is one of their instincts to survive together as a pack. Although that behavior is beneficial in the hunting era, what about now? does it apply to us, humans?
Although that question can’t be answered directly, you can’t deny that being in the majority is a comfortable choice when uncertainty comes.
Social Conformity
I mentioned above a study conducted by students from The Pennsylvania State University, it’s a great one, you should read it. But to save some time, here is a recap of that journal.
The experiment itself was based on classic studies such as The Asch Conformity Experiment. The experiment hypotheses that when a group of fake participants responded similarly, the lone real participant will feel pressured enough to conform to the group choices, even though it is incorrect and the participant knows of it.
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The experiment concluded that people generally conform for two main reasons, one is they want to fit in with the group (normative influence) and two is that because some thought others were better informed (informational influence).
The experiment conducted by The Pennsylvania State University leveraged a particular case in its history when a local figure was fired due to a scandal around the time. People were asked to lay their opinion on whether this figure should be fired or not.
Long story short, several people were able to be swayed from their original opinion due to the influence of others and/or new information being given to the participants.
How does it affect you ?
You might not realize, but social conformities do affect us in many ways. Even the simplest act in choosing whether something’s right or wrong.
Imagine a teenager in his 15, sitting with a bunch of his friends, most of them are trying this new thing called smoking, and one of them offered him a cigar, this teenager knows that smoking is bad and doesn’t want to smoke, so he said no. Well that’s supposed easy right? Turns out amongst teens that have 2 or 3 friends that smoke, that teen is 10 times more likely to smoke out of pressure or discomfort for being the different one.
That example may not be the best, but you must’ve had an experience where you find it difficult to not do what others are doing or offering out of a feeling of guilt and unease towards the others.
Be with the right people !
To conclude this short article, I would like to mention The Asch Conformity Experiment once more.
If the situation were changed, and the majority of people have chosen the right answer, then that other person will choose the right answer also, hence this group could influence others to do the same, to choose their definition of true.
When faced with a decision, don’t worry to take a different approach, even though the majority may say otherwise, follow what you truly think what right is, you may find yourself satisfied even when you are alone, you can even be the first amongst many, other may start to think the way you think and follow what you have started.
But of course, don’t forget to be wise, and hear what others thought, don’t be arrogant. Always be humble enough to seek others for guide and opinion. Find yourself your definition of true and be with the people that support your growth. I find these worked very well for me.
Written by: Leonard
Further Reading:
Daniel J. Mallinson and Peter K. Hatemi. (2018). “The effects of information and social conformity on opinion change”. https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/1a21/82c5277b7ebee6242deeb880cf1d4352ddf3.pdf?_ga=2.147610743.1756517251.1590394069-65672119.1590394069. , The Pennsylvania State University.
McLeod, S. A. (2008). Asch Experiment. “Asch Experiment”. https://1.cdn.edl.io/qYWuujjbgRZSnAlguLErnBbDpUcKPD9L27xjVyH6zHrMvW7C.pdf
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