Group Conformity
The Basic Idea
Imagine you befriend someone who attends a prestigious art school, and go out to a modern art museum with their group of friends. Not long into the museum tour, you find yourself staring up at an artwork that seems to be nothing but a large white canvas containing a single black line. You have never seen this artwork before, nor are you familiar with the artist, but you hear the tour guide say that the value of this work surpasses one million dollars. Your new friends all seem to agree that it is a special piece of work.
Under these conditions, maybe you pretend to ‘get’ it in order to fit in with the group. You don’t want to seem out of touch! Perhaps you go one step further and actually begin to believe that the artwork is brilliant. After all, the group you’re with is more involved in the art world than you and therefore must be better at judging the value of art.
This situation is an example of group conformity, which refers to the way people match their attitudes, beliefs, and behaviours to group norms, beliefs, and practices. As has been thoroughly documented in psychological literature, individuals have a strong desire to fit in with the groups in which they find themselves, and will often conform not only to their outward behaviour but also their internal beliefs, attitudes, and even identities due to group influence1. While the impact of group conformity can vary depending on factors such as cultural background, age, gender, individual personality and more, group conformity is a universally recognized and powerful influence on human behaviour.
Why do we often go along with the group majority—even if we privately disagree?
About the Author
Jeremy Buist
Jeremy was a former content creator with a passion for behavioral science. He previously created content for The Decision Lab, and his insights continue to be valuable to our readers.
