Social Conformity

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People will think, "Influence principles" on this one much in line with the others, i.e., reciprocity, consistency, liking, authority and scarcity that also work alone and feed one another including reciprocity. These psychological principles direct the way we humans behave and especially in regard to influencing us to do or believe or say or purchase something. It is a bit like what a resource predator might use to get something from you.

People tend to ask the question in martial social collectives, “What has this to do with martial arts, sports, or self-protection, i.e., the art of self-defense defense?” The answer is found once you consider how the psychological world views and interprets social conformity.

In essence, understanding what it is that drives humans both as individuals and a collective, i.e., social groups like families, tribes and clans, etc. Once you achieve the understanding then the lessons taught in self-defense defense models becomes clearer and such actions like awareness toward avoidance, escape-evasion and deescalation take greater importance in training and practices. 

In short, “Beware of Social Conformity” especially as it works under the influence principles that masters of the compliance profession use to influence all of us all of the time and through every venue possible that is socially driven and economically necessary for our very way of life today. 

One of the psychological influence principles is referred to as, “social proof,” that works something like this, and I quote, “Informational Conformity: usually occurs when a person lacks knowledge and looks to the group for guidance. when a person is in an ambiguous (i.e. unclear) situation and socially compares their behavior with the group. This type of conformity usually involves internalization – where a person accepts the views of the groups and adopts them as an individual. when in an ambiguous situation (such as the auto-kinetic effect), a person will look to others (who know more / better) for guidance (i.e. adopt the group norm).  They want to do the right thing, but may lack the appropriate information.  Observing others can provide this information.  This is known as informational conformity.”

Read that quote a few times, it becomes clearer as you contemplate how that works toward social proof, especially when influenced by the group dynamic influences that are the same yet are not. It involves a variety of different forms of social conformity as will be presented and quoted in the next paragraphs. I recommend reading the source article linked at the end of this works. 

Fitting in with a preferred group has some pretty complex/complicated influences on all of us, it is a part of our very nature and that nature goes back to the times we gathered in groups to protect, defend and provide for in the groups survival against natural predators of nature many, many hundreds to thousands of years ago. Theses traits, or instincts if you will allow some latitude, still exist in that deep survival place of our minds we laughingly refer to in self-protection martial disciplines as the “lizard.” That place that often triggers, as a base survival skill, the flight-or-fight process. 

Think of it like this, and I quote, “The term (social, etc.) conformity is often used to indicate an agreement to the majority position, brought about either by a desire to ‘fit in’ or be liked (normative) or because of a desire to be correct (informational), or simply to conform to a social role (identification).”

You see, as many folks already see, failure to conform to the group would lead to that groups destruction and those inherent feelings have not changed much in the time humans have walked, somewhat, the Earth. It pulls us hard and often long before the logical mind can take back the reins from our emotional monkey brain. The monkey brain will flood our minds with chemicals and emotions that will literally block the logical mind from doing the logical thing rather than flying about chattering and doing strange, bizarre and dangerous things to us. Another reason why we in the self-protection models MUST understand this and how it works. It is a modern survival thing. 

The following excerpt, quotes, are provided from the resource linked at the end to help you get motivated toward understanding not just, “social conformity” but also the “Compliance/Influence Profession.” Both work together and provide huge clues, concepts and abilities that can be leaned, trained and utilized in everyday activities but especially in regard to self-protection, i.e., awareness, avoidance tactics, escape-n-evasion strategies along with deescalation communications. People in the professions of aggression and violence all understand how important these are to understanding civil self-defense protection defense; social, civil, criminal and legal systems oriented, etc. 

Types of Conformity:

Compliance (or group acceptance): when an individual accepts influence because he hopes to achieve a favorable reaction from another person or group. He adopts the induced behavior because....he expects to gain specific rewards or approval and avoid specific punishment or disapproval by conformity' (Kelman, 1958, p. 53). conforming to the majority (publicly), in spite of not really agreeing with them (privately).

Internalization (genuine acceptance of group norms): when an individual accepts influence because the content of the induced behavior - the ideas and actions of which it is composed - is intrinsically rewarding. He adopts the induced behavior because it is congruent [consistent] with his value system' (Kelman, 1958, p. 53). involves public and private conformity. A person publicly changes their behavior to fit in with the group, while also agreeing with them privately. This is the deepest level of conformity were the beliefs of the group become part of the individual’s own belief system. This means the change in behavior is permanent. 

Identification (or group membership): Individuals conform to the expectations of a social role, e.g. nurses, police officers. It is similar to compliance as there does not have to be a change in private opinion.

Ingratiational: This is when a person conforms to impress or gain favor/acceptance from other people. motivated by the need for social rewards rather than the threat of rejection, i.e., group pressure.

Normative Conformity: Yielding to group pressure because a person wants to fit in with the group. Conforming because the person is scared of being rejected by the group. usually involves compliance – where a person publicly accepts the views of a group but privately rejects them.

Informational Conformity: usually occurs when a person lacks knowledge and looks to the group for guidance. when a person is in an ambiguous (i.e. unclear) situation and socially compares their behavior with the group. This type of conformity usually involves internalization – where a person accepts the views of the groups and adopts them as an individual. when in an ambiguous situation (such as the auto-kinetic effect), a person will look to others (who know more/better) for guidance (i.e. adopt the group norm).  They want to do the right thing, but may lack the appropriate information.  Observing others can provide this information.  This is known as informational conformity.

Non Conformity: Not everyone conforms to social pressure.  Indeed, there are many factors that contribute to an individual's desire to remain independent of the group. This means that they value being independent and self sufficient (the individual is more important that the group), and as such are more likely to participate in non conformity. In contrast eastern cultures (such as Asian countries) are more likely to value the needs of the family and other social groups before their own.  They are known as collectivist cultures and are more likely to conform.

Source references: https://www.simplypsychology.org/conformity.html

Note 1: It may seem that this article points to the negative side of conformity, influence and compliance, but it is a two sided coin, think yin-yang principles, where the negative and positive feed off each other toward a balance. I liken it to thinking that aggressive sales techniques are a negative side; also thinking that much of our political side is also a negative. I then liken it to thinking also that when we all benefit and the influences, etc., end up giving us what we want be it resource or processes especially when we didn’t know that we needed or wanted that resource or process is very positive.

Note 2: It also may seem to the reader that this is something unique and apart from normal human existence and survival but it isn’t for each of us use these same principles and methodologies to communicate toward achieving our own goals and objectives, to “get something” from someone or some entity as a resource or process. 

Note 3: Please try to take all of this in the positive proactive light in which I intended because in and out of the dojo everyone benefits the knowledge and understanding of how the compliance profession works both in life as in self-protection. It is how humans interact and communicate to gain something be it resources or processes that contribute to our very group and individual survival whether social in nature for modern survival or literally a life-n-death survival if self-protection defense is needed, or even necessary.

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