Social Influences Essay

2808 Words12 Pages
At one time or another everyone has been affected by social Influences. Because humans are very social creatures, we each have an effect on one another. Our family, our friends, our socioeconomic status, our culture, and even our gender can affect our behavior, our attitudes, and sometimes even our emotions. Some of these influences can be both positive and negative. Social Psychologists study these different types of pressure and agree that the three major kinds of influences are conformity, compliance, and obedience. Conformity is the first type of social influence that Social Psychologists have revealed. Conformity is defined as an action in agreement with generally accepted standards of business, law, conduct, or worship; fitting oneself and one’s actions to the ideas of others. In many instances from day to day we conform to society norms. For instance, standing in line at a grocery store or a bank is conforming to society norms. But when we are in a group we can be pressured into conforming to those particular group standards that may go against our beliefs. Informational and normative social influences can produce conformity. With informational social influence, we tend to conform to certain thoughts and behaviors because we have a need to be correct in what we perceive as truth. Considering the opinions of others can be used as a tool to assess the accuracy of our own conclusions. We conform because we consider that others may have correct data. Normative social influence can also cause conformity. When we are exposed to this type of social influence we mirror the conduct of others in the same situation because it is believed to be the proper normal behavior. Human beings in general do not like standing out from a crowd or feelings of rejection; so, although we logically consider the circumstance, we also are motivated to behave a
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