Social Influences: Understanding Conformity and Obedience

Photo by David Rotimi on Unsplash

Have you ever felt the pull to follow the crowd, even when you had reservations about the choice? We've all been there; it's known as conformity, and it's a fascinating dimension of human behavior. In this blog post, we'll journey into the realms of conformity and obedience, delving into their practical significance.

Conformity and Obedience: Joining the Party

Conformity is like that invisible magnet that pulls us toward doing what everyone else is doing. Imagine being in an elevator and noticing everyone is facing the back wall, even though there's no reason to. Would you turn around too? Studies like Solomon Asch's elevator experiment show just how much we want to fit in, even if it doesn't make sense.

Obedience, on the other hand, is when you say "Yes, boss!" to someone in charge, whether it's your teacher, your boss, or anyone with authority. Ever wonder why you sometimes do things you're not so sure about, just because someone in charge said so? Stanley Milgram's electric shock experiment had volunteers zapping imaginary victims, revealing the extent to which we follow orders.

Impression Formation: Judging the Book by Its Cover

You know the saying, "Don't judge a book by its cover"? Well, that's exactly what we do when forming impressions. We size people up based on their traits, both the big, important ones (central traits) and the small, less significant ones (peripheral traits). Think of central traits like kindness or intelligence, which have a big say in how we perceive someone. Meanwhile, peripheral traits, like their love for pizza, don't weigh as heavily on our impression.

Social Influence: The Tug of the Social Current 

In the dynamic realm of social influence, there's a gentle tug of war within the social current. Leadership and being a leader are not one and the same; leadership involves the power to influence and guide others, while a leader is the one who possesses this power. This interplay of influence and persuasion is a fundamental aspect of our daily interactions, shaping our decisions, behaviors, and the direction of our social circles.

An iconic cinematic portrayal of social influence can be found in the movie "12 Angry Men". In this classic, a lone juror gradually persuades his fellow jurors to reevaluate their initial verdict. The film beautifully illustrates how the power of social influence can alter perceptions, challenge assumptions, and change the course of events. It's like a microcosm of society, where individual beliefs and persuasions can tip the scales of justice.

Moreover, anthropomorphism, the tendency to attribute human qualities to non-human entities or forces, isn't confined to our interactions with living beings and objects. In the realm of social influence, it plays a fascinating role. When we perceive nature as a competitor in a race, it influences how we approach environmental issues and understand natural disasters. Anthropomorphism can lead us to view nature as a challenging adversary, affecting our behaviors and decisions in response to environmental changes. This human twist in our perception of the natural world highlights the deep connection between our psychology and the world around us.

In a nutshell, these quirks in human behavior reveal just how much our surroundings, peers, and society influence us. Conformity and obedience, along with the dynamics of impression formation and social influence, are the fascinating elements that shape our interactions and decision-making. So, the next time you find yourself conforming to the social current or pondering the power of persuasion, remember that you're not alone in this captivating dance of human behavior.