Meaning, Types, Causes and Effects, Experiments of Group Conformity - Essay Example

of the Unit Group Conformity Human beings do not exist in vacuum or isolation. The society is a unit where people co-exist and their behaviors are shaped by the norms and values of the society where they belong. Individuals often have a tendency of belonging to groups for comfort, security and achievement of goals. There are numerous similar and distinct groupings in the society which directly or indirectly influence the behaviors of individuals. Some groups advocate for the common good of individuals and the society and should be embraced but some are detrimental and should be discouraged. It is important to note that some may obey and adhere to the requirements of the groups where they belong while others may oppose them. Whether they oppose or conform to the standards of their groups; one thing is sure - groups affect them either socially, psychologically or even physically. This paper will explore group conformity; its meaning, types, causes and effects, experiments on the same and recommendations. At the onset of this paper, it is expedient to be well acquainted with group conformity. According to the TheFreeDictionary, conformity is defined as, “action or behavior in correspondence with socially accepted standards, convections or rules.” Group conformity can also be defined as, “yielding to group pressures” and can also be called “majority influence or group pressure” (McLeod). For people to be accepted in the various groups, they must adhere to the norms and rules and regulations of such groups, and must behave in a manner accepted by the group members. They have to alter their behaviors in a way that is acceptable to the written and unwritten codes of association of their groups. There are consequences associated with non-compliance and rewards for compliance with group norms. The consequences may include: rejection, seclusion and stigmatization. Since the consequences are unpleasant, people are forced to toe the line and follow the dictates of the group. Further, group pressure is reinforced by rewards like a psychological feeling of belonging, material benefits and acceptance. Group conformity is a great influence that alters the behaviors of people to be in line with what is expected by a group. At times people may be forced to suspend reasoning for compliance and for the survival of a group. Group conformity is a subject that has elicited a lot of debate in social sciences like psychology and it has been subdivided into various types. According to McLeod, “Man (1969) identified three types of conformity; normative, informational and ingratiational.” In normative conformity, members of the group bow to the pressures of the group to allow them to fit in pursuit of the rewards. The driving force for compliance is the fear of the consequences that can be faced in the event of disobedience. McLeod observes that in normative conformity individuals bow to the majority pressure in the public arena but internally reject them. Let’s give an illustration: in political spheres, individuals often find themselves conforming to the notion of democracy but in the real sense the minority are always dissatisfied but they just move on with the group since they lack options. It is a fact that that learning is a life-long process and an individual who lacks knowledge may choose to change behaviors to fit in a group with the aim of acquiring the same; in essence that is informational conformity (McLeod). Knowledge is a very precious commodity in life and people often endeavor to obtain it since it is associated with power. This can be practical in a learning environment where one copes with the norms and the rules of a learning institution in order to acquire knowledge. Finally, ingratiational conformity is founded on people’s strong desire to benefit from the warmth of acceptance within the group and the kindness that they can derive from group membership. McLeod notes that this conformity is similar to normative conformity but their main difference is that the former is motivated by the need for social reward while the latter is motivated by fear of rejection. A good example of ingratiational conformity would be in a prison setup where inmates conform to the dictates of the group to get favors from prison wardens and leaders. If an inmate fails to conform to the norms of the group, then prison life can become exceedingly unbearable. Irrespective of the group conformity type, the underlying factor is that individuals change their behaviors to fit in various groups for benefits and for fear of the repercussions of non-compliance. Group conformity is a subject in the field of social sciences and has brought forth a lot of debate in the academic spheres. Science arguments must be based on research and proven facts. Social scientists have conducted numerous experiments on group conformity. Some of them include: Asch Line Study, Zimbardo Prison Study and Auto-kinetic Effect Experiment (McLeod). Such experiments have always established that people tend to conform to the dictates of the groups where they belong. The paper will explore auto-kinetic experiment which investigated how people behave when faced with uncertainties. The auto-kinetic experiment involved the use of a spot of light projected onto a screen in a dark room and the effect was that though motionless, the light appeared to move (McLeod). Different participants individually estimated how far the light moved and they gave different answers (McLeod). This is because they had an independent mind devoid of group influence. When they were made to estimate the light movement in manipulated groups of three with two people who had similar prior estimations and one that had a different estimation, it was revealed that the one with a divergent estimation embraced the estimation of the two counterparts (McLeod). It is clear that when people are faced with uncertainties in life they always conform to the notions that have been presented by their groups. Though people have their own feelings, opinions and decisions on issues, when in a group scenario, they often agree with what is upheld by the group. This is because of the fear of contradiction and they suppress their own beliefs and opinions to show unity. Group conformity is caused by group pressure that is exerted on an individual to comply. According to Uky.edu, people conform to groups due to motivational reasons like: acceptance, desire to achieve personal goals through group membership and to enjoy group participation. People imagine that if they do not abide by the norms of the group they may suffer, for example in welfare group when one fails to abide by the set rules and norms they often fall victims of rejection when they are faced with difficult life situations like sickness or bereavement. These pressures of life are inevitable since life is complex and uncertain, thereby compelling individuals to belong and fit in various groups for social, economic, psychological and physical benefits. Let’s take an example of trade unions. Members of a union always subscribe and conform to the union requirements for motivational reasons like safeguarding their rights and improving their working conditions and remunerations. Trade unions also come in handy in times of bereavement of members for economic and emotional support. It is therefore safe to argue that people do conform to groups’ norms and values due to the underlying benefits and also for the fear of the dangers of non-compliance. Many people conform to the norms and rules of the groups where they belong but it is important to note that there are those that for one reason or another deviate from the group’s requirements. Human beings are complex and dynamic and so cannot be manipulated like robots or programmed like computers; they change with situations. Those who deviate from the norms and opinions of a group should not be demonized since they can be agents of change by pointing the weaknesses and the loopholes of the common idea of a group. According to Uky.edu, one deviating from a group opinion may have valid reasons for the same and can act as a voice of criticism in a positive way by opening the minds of group members. This works towards the betterment of the group and should be encouraged with astuteness. Group conformity is one of the areas of study of social sciences and many scholars have done research on the topic, identifying as the key trait of conformity bowing to group pressure and accepting the norms and requirements of groups for social, economic, psychological and physical benefits. Conformity can also be caused by the fear of consequences of non-compliance. Note that there are different types of group conformity as the paper has discussed. It is critical for people not to conform blindly to the dictates of a group since some groups are for the common good of the individual and the society at large but some groups are not. It is detrimental to belong and conform to dangerous groups like gangs and cults but very beneficial to conform to legitimate and development oriented groups. Even for the groups that are generally accepted in the society it is prudent that before conformity, the voice of reason should prevail. Works Cited McLeod Saul. What is conformity? Simply Psychology. 2007. Web. 02 April 2013. http://www.simplypsychology.org/conformity.html The Free Dictionary. Conformity. The free Dictionary.com. Web. 02 April 2013. http://www.thefreedictionary.com/conformity Uky.edu. Chapter 6-Conformity and Deviance. Web. 02 April 2013. http://www.uky.edu/~drlane/teams/pavitt/ch6.htm Read More