Conformity by Matthew Landeen

Conformity:  Thinking or acting differently in a group than you would normally act or think alone.

There are many examples of conformity and I feel that we are all guilty of it at some point in our life.  Remember this is not always a bad thing.  Sometimes it is good to conform even though it has a negative connotation.

This candid camera video illustrates conformity very well and provides some humor.

 

If the people in the elevator were alone they all would probably face the doors.  When the groups behavior is different than the norm, the individual conforms to the group behavior even though it does not make sense to them.  This experiment has been done by other modern-day groups and the reaction is the same.

Since studying conformity I have become more aware of the small ways that I conform and sometimes am not aware of it.  When we took a brake during class I went to the bathroom.  After washing my hands I always take just one paper towel.  Both of the people before me took two and I conformed and took two.  I definitely would not have taken two if I was by myself in the bathroom.  This is not the first time this has happened.  I typically conform to the groups behavior unless I strongly disagree with the groups behavior.  Pay attention to your own behavior and try to observe when you have tendencies to conform.