Conformity

Conformity is the act of matching attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors to cultural standards or conforming to social norms in a society. Norms are implicit, unsaid rules shared by a group of individuals that guide their interactions with others. For example, people tend to follow social norms when eating or watching TV, even when alone. People often conform to a desire for security within a group.

Nature of Conformity:

• It is often associated with adolescence and youth culture strongly affects humans of all ages.
• It can have good or bad depending on the situation.
• It allows one to learn and adopt the appropriate behavior and develop correctly within one’s society.
• It influences maintain formation and maintenance of social norms and helps for smooth functioning.
• It can be perceived as a positive force that prevents acts that are perceptually disruptive or dangerous.
• As it is expected behavioral patterns in which an individual follows the norms and values activities of if needed.

Major Types of Conformity

Man(1969) conducted the research and brought out the major types and they are as follows:

• Normative Conformity
• Informative Conformity
• Ingratiation  Conformity

Normative Conformity

• Persons want to fit in within a group. This type often involves compliance where a person publicly accepts the group though he may have certain reservations rejections in it. Norms, values, and sentiments bind him together for the collective good.

Informative Conformity

• It often occurs when a person lacks knowledge and looks to the group for proper guidance. It involves internalization where a person accepts the view of the groups and adopts them as an individual for his collective good.

Ingratiation  Conformity

• It is similar to normative influence. Under such a process, a person is influenced and motivated for social rewards and honor. He conforms to impress and tries to get acceptance from others in order to get social dignity, respect, and symbolic capital.

Hence, it is a type of social influence involving a change in belief or behavior in order to fit in with a group.

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