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Conformity (psychology)

Conformity is the degree to which members of a group will change their views and attitudes to fit the views of the group. This can be influenced via unconscious processes or overt social pressure on individuals.

Famous experiments in conformity include:

• the Asch conformity experiments by Solomon Asch, whose development of the peer pressure theory aided greatly in the modern disciplines of psychology;
• the Milgram experiment by Stanley Milgram, which set out to measure the willingness of a participant to obey instructions from authority, even when the instructions (in this case, to 'torture' others by means of electric shocks) were in conflict with the participant's personal conscience.

compliance - conforming only publicly, but keeping your own views in private

• identification - conforming while a group member, publicly and privately, but not after leaving the group
• internalization - comforming publicly and privately, during and after group membership

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