Conformal behavior is one of the most common terms in social psychology. It is used to refer to situations when a person abandons his opinion, his very individuality in order to please others.
Characterization of conformal behavior
The essence of conformal behavior is the desire of a person to imitate others in everything. As a rule, this applies even to situations where the group has adopted standards of behavior that are contrary to generally accepted norms. For example, a schoolchild, imitating a group of his classmates, may start smoking, offend younger ones, or allow other actions that are condemned by society. He fully adopts the lifestyle of the people in his main social circle, and abandons his habits and tastes. Conformal behavior is especially pronounced when a person changes his appearance, including clothes and hairstyle, in order to be like others, even if the new look contradicts his tastes.
Conformal behavior can have several reasons. Most often it is chosen for themselves by people who do not want to face problems. They strive to gain authority, or at least protect themselves from the condemnation of others, adjusting in everything to them and completely submitting to the opinions of others. There is, however, another option: a person can adapt, obey the rules of the group in order to achieve some goal.
Conforming behavior is generally considered acceptable only if it helps the person to get rid of addictions and traits by accepting the correct majority opinion. In general, the most successful option is to use only some elements of conformal behavior, provided that the person retains his individuality. This allows him to remain himself and at the same time maintain good relations with others.
Conformal behaviors
There are two main types of conformal behavior - internal and external. In the first case, we are talking about situations when a person takes the opinion of a group for his own opinion. In the second, he only outwardly adheres to certain frameworks adopted in a particular society - for example, he uses clothes that are customary to wear, observes special etiquette.
There are also three additional types of conformal behavior. The first is submission, when a person fulfills the requirements only externally, and the group's influence on him is limited to one specific situation. The second is identification, when people begin to become like others, strictly observe the rules of behavior and expect this from others. The third is internalization, i.e. complete coincidence of the system of values, tastes, preferences of a person and representatives of the group.
