Social Influence and Conformity

Introduction
Social influence plays a major role in determining the extent to which people conform to norms in their environment. Social psychologists point to a variety of data that shows how impactful on the behaviors of individuals social factors can be. Bandura (2018) used his cognitive learning theory to show that “social cognitive theory is founded on an agentic perspective” that issues agency operation in a “triadic codetermination process of causation” (p. 130). In other words, Bandura (2018) showed that there are individual, proxy and collective agencies that impact an individual’s sense of self and that dictate how that person will conform to what is seen from the various agencies that provide meaningful inputs. Those agencies can consist of other people, other groups, or media, and they form the perspective and ideas that motivate human behavior. An individual’s psychology and behavior is thus determined by the person’s exposure to these agencies over time, which is why social influence is such a major factor in conformity. This paper will discuss social influence and conformity to show how the former leads to the latter.
Media as Social Influencer
The media is one of the most powerful agents in determining human behavior and in getting people to conform to a particular idea, ideal, or type (Chandra et al., 2008). This notion was put forward by critical theorists Max Horkheimer and Theodor Adorno of the Frankfurt School in their seminal work The Culture Industry (Horkheimer & Adorno, 1944). The premise of their work was that popular media is simply a tool of the state and of the ruling classes: it is used to mold and shape the behaviors, attitudes, perspectives, and beliefs of the mass of people who subsist under the ruling class. The state will use media to produce conformity in the public. This concept has been described in various disciplines wherein researchers have delved into social psychology to explain phenomena like the “CNN effect,” the “FoxNews effect” or the way in which “soft power” is used to create conformity of beliefs about what the state should do about a foreign country’s dictator (DellaVigna & Kaplan, 2007; Seib, 2009). Media plays an enormous role in determining the extent to which there will be conformity of viewpoint and opinion among the public.
The reason media is so powerful as one of the three social agencies that shape public behavior and beliefs is that acts on the passive viewer who absorbs the information that is presented typically without thinking about it critically. Bandura (2018) notes that people are more likely to buy into an idea that is presented to them on a socially accepted platform—i.e., the news—on public television (which can be found everywhere in public these days, from restaurants to airports) because the accept the authority of those on the TV and do not have a frame of reference that allows them to oppose the ideas on the TV or to think critically about them. Rather they allow the message communicated to act as a governing voice within their own minds, which propels them into a state of conformity with all the other individuals who are in the audience. In the film Network written by Paddy Chayesfky, the main character laments the fact that so many individuals in the audience eat, drink, think and act like “the tube” without even stopping to question why they model their every moment and behavior to reflect what they see on the TV. They conform to the values, styles, and ideas and actions communicated via popular media and thus everyone in the audience becomes a conformist to the doctrines and ideologies that they receive in this manner.
Groups as Social Influencer
Bandura (2018) points out that media is, however, only one agency and that the other two consist of individual people (one’s peers and family) and groups (such as organizations like schools, churches, or workplaces). Groups can be highly influential in determining the extent to which one conforms with an idea or way of life. Groups are all over the world and individuals are constantly interacting with them—whether it is at school, work or in one’s religious community. One of the most commonly perceived groups is the church group because it is a group that so often has a direct and clear bearing on one’s life. However, there are formal and informal groups that have to be considered when discussing the effect they have in terms of social influence and the outcome of conformity.
Formal groups are associations that are formally designed and that one makes a conscious effort of joining or avoiding. A formal group in a workplace for instance would be a team that is established with a specific purpose in mind (Hartman & Johnson, 1990). The formal group will state its aims and expectations of those who are part of the group. This is the same for a church group or a school group. There are specific, defined expectations among the people involved in the group so that those who are in the group know they must conform their behavior to the expectations and norms of that formal setting if they want to be included. People conform to the expected behaviors in a formal group because they want to belong, they want to do well, and they want to be seen as having a positive impact. They seek the praise that comes with conforming to the group’s values (Hartman & Johnson, 1990), which is consistent with the idea of Maslow’s (1943) hierarchy of needs theory. Maslow (1943) pointed out that people have basic human needs that have to be met—such as esteem, a feeling of belonging, security, and so on—before they can reach the level of self-actualization. In order for people to reach that level, they typically seek to obtain esteem and a sense of belonging first. And to do that they have to conform to the principles and ideas of a group: that is the only way for them to get that sense that they belong to something.
Then there are informal groups and these are not formally designed and people can come and go in them without much fanfare. Informal groups can be found in workplaces, schools and within churches and so on. They do not have clearly defined purposes but they do convey ideas and communicate norms to which members of the group typically seek to conform so as to fit in with the informal group. This is done for social purposes, so that the person can develop relationships, friendships, and so on. The individual conforms to the behavioral norms and expectations of those in the informal group so as to be accepted by the group. This can include adopting ways of talking, using slang, using curse words (or not using them if they are not socially accepted practices within the group), engaging in specific types of behavior that are accepted within the group (such as praying, working out, drinking, smoking, dating, etc.), and any other type of social activity. Informal groups help people to feel more included in the society around them and again also appeal to what Maslow (1943) defined as the need for belonging.
Individuals as Social Influencer
Bandura (2018) also explains that individual peers and members of one’s family can serve as a major source of social influence leading one to adopt conforming habits or behaviors. The reason for this is that humans are social creatures and they look to others to help develop their own patterns of thought, reinforce stereotypes or develop behaviors that are accepted and allow them to get along well with others. Individuals create relationships with one another but in order for those relationships to be successful there are codes and norms of behavior that are expected in order for two people to share a common space. Disruption of those codes or not meeting expectations results in a destabilization of the space—a kind of cognitive dissonance within the relationship that has to be addressed or else the two individuals will repel one another. Therefore, for friendships or marriages or families to exist, the individuals involved in these relationships will conform to the standards agreed upon either explicitly or implicitly through the course of the relationship. It is when there is disagreement that there are breakups, fights, and disconnections.
When an individual is introduced to a new acquaintance, the individual will also be expected to make a judgment about the new person based on what is shown in the style of the person’s hair, dress, demeanor, behavior, etc. These modes of communication offer implicit ideas that shape the responses of the individual. There can be a more explicit communication of ideas and expectations regarding social roles, assumptions of accepted attitudes and morals, or these can be implied and inferred accordingly. As Bandura (2018) points out, individual agencies have a very personal impact on the extent to which conformity is shown by a particular person, oftentimes more so than groups or media, because the level of intimate involvement is so high. On the other hand, individual social influences can also have a repellant effect in terms of driving a person away from conformity. The person may feel that the individual with whom he has come into contact does not offer anything satisfactory or in the way of having any of the person’s needs met, so there is no need to conform to that person’s world view, ideas, beliefs, attitudes, behavior and so on. As Maslow (1943) explains there has to be some trade-off between a need being met and something given in return. Bandura (2018) suggests that the trade-off is one of psychological satisfaction, which can be associated with a social need, such as belonging.
Conclusion
Social influence and conformity go together according to the theory of human agency, as applied by Bandura (2018): there are three main agencies—media, groups and individuals (peers or families). Each of these social agencies is responsible for influencing human behavior and can lead to the development of conforming actions. People have social needs that have to be met once their physical needs are met, according to Maslow’s (1943) theory of the hierarchy of needs. Conformity to the beliefs, expressions, attitudes, ideas, actions or viewpoints of others, as obtained through media, formal or informal groups, or other individuals, is part of that process of having the social needs met. Maslow (1943) points out that these needs can include a need to enhance one’s self-esteem, one’s sense of belonging, or one’s sense of self-actualization. Conformity is enacted by individuals because they want to be accepted, they want to put into practice the ideas they have come to know, or they want to belong to a group, have a relationship, or show their devotion to a particular concept seen in media. When there is disagreement between the individual and one of these agencies, non-conformity occurs.
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