Social Influence and Conformity: Media, Groups, and Individuals

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 showing how impactful social factors can be on individual behavior. Bandura (2018) used his social cognitive theory to show that it "is founded on an agentic perspective" that situates agency operation in a "triadic codetermination process of causation" (p. 130). In other words, Bandura (2018) demonstrated 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 observed from the various agencies that provide meaningful inputs. Those agencies can consist of other people, other groups, or media, and they form the perspectives and ideas that motivate human behavior. An individual's psychology and behavior are 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 discusses 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 uses media to produce conformity in the public. This concept has been examined across various disciplines, with researchers drawing on social psychology to explain phenomena such as the "CNN effect," the "Fox News effect," or the way in which "soft power" is used to create conformity of beliefs about what the state should do regarding a foreign country's leadership (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 it acts on the passive viewer, who absorbs the information 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 — such as the news on public television, which can be found in restaurants, airports, and countless other public spaces — because they accept the authority of those on screen and do not have a frame of reference that allows them to oppose the ideas presented or to think critically about them. Rather, they allow the communicated message to act as a governing voice within their own minds, propelling them into a state of conformity with all the other individuals who share the audience. In the film Network, the main character laments the fact that so many audience members eat, drink, think, and act like "the tube" without ever stopping to question why they model their behavior on what they see on television. They conform to the values, styles, ideas, and actions communicated via popular media, and thus everyone in the audience becomes a conformist to the doctrines and ideologies received 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 to an idea or way of life. Groups exist everywhere, and individuals constantly interact with them, whether at school, work, or within religious communities. One of the most commonly recognized groups is the church group because it so often has a direct and clear bearing on one's life. However, both formal and informal groups must be considered when discussing their effect in terms of social influence and the resulting conformity.

Formal groups are associations that are formally designed and that one makes a conscious effort to join or avoid. A formal group in a workplace, for instance, would be a team established with a specific purpose in mind (Hartman & Johnson, 1990). The formal group states its aims and expectations of its members. The same applies to a church group or a school group. There are specific, defined expectations among the people involved so that members know they must conform their behavior to the expectations and norms of that formal setting if they wish to be included. People conform to the expected behaviors in a formal group because they want to belong, they want to perform 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 Maslow's (1943) hierarchy of needs theory. Maslow (1943) pointed out that people have basic human needs — such as esteem, a sense of belonging, and security — that must be met before they can reach the level of self-actualization. In order to reach that level, people typically seek to obtain esteem and a sense of belonging first, and to do that they must conform to the principles and ideas of a group, which is the only way to achieve that sense that they truly belong to something.

Informal groups, by contrast, are not formally designed, and people can come and go within them without much fanfare. Informal groups can be found in workplaces, schools, churches, and elsewhere. They do not have clearly defined purposes, but they do convey ideas and communicate norms to which members typically seek to conform in order to fit in. This is done for social purposes — so that the person can develop relationships, friendships, and a sense of community. The individual conforms to the behavioral norms and expectations of those in the informal group in order to be accepted. This can include adopting particular ways of speaking, using slang, using or avoiding profanity depending on the group's norms, and engaging in specific types of behavior that are accepted within the group — such as praying, exercising, drinking, smoking, dating, and any other social activities. Informal groups help people feel more included in the society around them and, again, appeal to what Maslow (1943) defined as the fundamental need for 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 must be met once their physical needs are satisfied, according to Maslow's (1943) hierarchy of needs. Conformity to the beliefs, expressions, attitudes, ideas, actions, or viewpoints of others — as encountered through media, formal or informal groups, or other individuals — is part of that process of meeting social needs. Maslow (1943) points out that these needs can include the desire 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, because they want to put into practice the ideas they have come to know, or because they want to belong to a group, maintain a relationship, or demonstrate devotion to a particular concept seen in media. When there is disagreement between the individual and one of these agencies, non-conformity occurs.

References

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