Key idea: Conformity is changing what we do or believe to match a group. It explains why groups develop shared habits, even ones few members want.
Why people conform
1
Normative influence
Going along to be liked and accepted by the group.
2
Informational influence
Going along because the group seems to know better.
3
Pluralistic ignorance
Everyone privately disagrees but thinks the others agree.
Normative influence · Informational influence · Pluralistic ignorance
Prentice and Miller (1993) asked Princeton students how comfortable they and the average student were with heavy drinking. Most thought others were more comfortable than themselves.
Go further: higher-level insight: Conformity as a term is taught in 2.3.3 (Asch). Here the question is how it explains, and can change, what a group does.
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Key idea: Conformity explains shared habits; people still differ in how much they go along.
Strengths
- Real students, real habits
- Explains false norms
- Points to a fix: correct the norm
Limitations
- Women did not shift the same way
- Self-report at one university
- Many people resist the group
Correcting a false norm, 'most students drink less than you think', applies conformity to change a group's behaviour.
Watch out: Conformity is not obedience. No one gives an order; the pressure comes from the group.