Psychology defines conformity as the adjustment of one’s behavior, belief, or attitude to that of a group owing to real or perceived social pressure. Psychologists have posited that the impact of social rules on individual self-determination is very significant which is why conformity is so crucial in the analysis of social behavior.
There are several types of conformity such as an explicit one which involves the adoption of behavior as a result of being given instructions by a group, and an implicit one where acceptance of instructions is not necessary and the individual alters behavior in an automatic manner in order to be in agreement. It is as an example the case of a person who is told to keep quiet when the teacher is talking and who forgets and starts laughing, or who complies with peer pressure to follow a certain mode of dressing. In studies done in the past, the phenomenon of conformity is examined in detail.
Solomon Asch, in the 1950s, proved how individuals conformed to the perceptions of the group, irrespective of how invalid the members of the group may have been. Like in many other situations, there exists a positive and a negative side to conformity. In this context, the positive outcomes serve as the social order, cooperation, and a sense of belonging, while the negative effects are the loss of individuality and the encouragement of negative behaviors.
In social psychology, a distinction is made between normative conformity, where social approval is the main driving factor, and informational conformity, where individuals are relied on in situations of confusion. In the modern day, the phenomenon of social influence is studied in the context of educational institutions, offices, and the internet, and the ways in which it guides social thoughts and behaviors.