Kimmelman 1

Jessie Kimmelman
Mrs. Thomas
UWRT 1102
18 April 2016
(Non) Conformity
Reflection: This process as a whole has definitely been a difficult one. Starting with the
annotated bibliographies kind of eased us into the entire process of writing an eight to ten page
paper, but it was still a lot to take in at one time. By completing the annotated bibliographies, it
helped me improve my critical reading skills. I was challenged to read texts like articles and pick
out all of the key parts of information that could be used within my thesis paper. This was very
difficult and time consuming at first, but by the time I had completed around five or six of them,
it became much easier. These annotated bibs became an actual blessing when it was time to
write my thesis paper. It was so convenient to have all of my sources in one spot and to have all
of the key information already pulled out. Writing this ten page paper became much easier than I
had originally anticipated. Once I began writing, I started using comparative processes to
compare the pros and cons of conformity and nonconformity. Comparative processes also
included the use of they say, I say. Overall, what I enjoyed most about this assignment was
how it helped me improve as a writer. Before this course, if someone wouldve told me to write a
ten page paper, I probably wouldve had a panic attack and told myself this was nearly
impossible. Now that Ive done it once with the use of a step by step process, I feel like I can
tackle another ten page paper with ease.
Why do people feel the need to conform to society? This is a question that runs through
my head on a daily basis. I walk the brick sidewalks on campus and constantly people watch. In

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doing so, I notice that it is very rare to see a person striving to be an individual. While observing,
it is easy to notice that there are recurring patterns. Examples could be guys wearing L.L. Bean
boots and chubbies or girls wearing Patagonia pullovers and Jack Rogers sandals. Yes, this may
be the current trend, but this is a slight example of people choosing to conform and be similar to
one another. An even bigger example could be how women and men feel the need to have bodies
just like the people in magazines. Why couldnt people be content with the way they are as
opposed to making shallow comparisons? What initially made people think this way about
themselves? I myself conform to society with what I choose to wear or the places I choose to go
to at times because thats the easier option. With this being said, who is to say that people who
are considered nonconformists are actually their own group of conformists? These people are
conforming to the idea that they want to be radically different. This is an inquiry question that
not only sparks many questions and thoughts, but it can be viewed from several different
perspectives.
When thinking about the society being spoken of and the so-called people within it, I
began to think: do they know? Do people consciously realize that they are conforming to
society? Maybe it is just something that people involuntarily do because it is easy or common.
This could be one aspect of the question that is subject to research. A persons attitude towards
this specific inquiry questions depends greatly on their personal memories, their culture, what
country the person is from, etc. It is difficult to predict what someones attitude towards a subject
could be because theres no way in telling what their past experiences are in relation to this topic.
There could easily be positive and/or negative associations.
This inquiry question is significant in the sense that it involves everyone in todays
society. This is not a topic that is only geared to a specific group of people such as depression or

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mental disorders. Although some may believe that social conformity is directed more towards
teenagers, this is not the case. The feeling to conform could take place at any age, at any place
and at any time. An example of this is the commonly known Elevator Conformity Experiment
that is constantly being shown in Psychology and Sociology classes. This experiment has been
executed in many places, many times and by several different psychologists and sociologists; this
including a group of students at Bethany Lutheran College located in Minnesota (Kent). You
press the button to get onto the elevator. The doors open, you look inside and everyone is facing
the wrong way. They all have their backs to you. What would you do? Most of the results show
that the person would stand backwards as well. Not because thats what they would normally do,
but because they want to conform and be like the other people within the elevator. This is an
example that could pertain to truly anyone. This project gave us a chance to see what
conformity really looks like, said one of the students from Bethany Lutheran College (Kent). So
the question still remains, why do people feel the need to be like the others as opposed to being
individual? Why didnt that person stand in the elevator normally despite everyone else standing
backwards?
Another experiment that shows how people choose to conform is The Sherif Auto kinetic
Effect Experiment. This experiment was conducted by Sherif, in 1935, simply with the purpose
of proving that people choose to conform to group norms when they are put in an unclear
situation. Sherif used the auto kinetic effect which is where a group of people sit in a dark room
and a small light is projected onto a screen. Although the light is actually stagnant, to the human
eye, it appears to move (McLeod). After watching the light, the people within the group are
individually questioned and asked how far they thought the light had traveled. The answers
ranged anywhere from 20 centimeters to 80 centimeters (McLeod). Sherif then strategically

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formed groups of three. In these groups, there would be two people with similar estimates and
the third persons estimate would be radically different. Once in these groups of three, each
person had to say their estimate out loud. The person who had an estimate greatly different
would end up converging, and ultimately conforming, with the other two to create a common
estimate. The results of Sherifs experiment showed that a person will look to others in hopes of
getting assistance towards the correct choice (McLeod). This specific type of situation is known
as informational conformity. In this case, why did this person agree to the other peoples
estimates instead of sticking to their own?
Some of you may be asking, why is this topic even relevant? Whether it was experience
or observance, weve all been somewhat exposed to social conformity. It could be beneficial in
the development of our society if this topic was brought to peoples attention. With that being
said, people should be educated on the research results. The more people know, the more
individual and diverse our culture can become. Imagine if everyone just did what they wanted to
do without the fear of going against social norms? The possibilities are endless of what could
happen.
Samantha P. Lumbert, from the Rochester Institute of Technology, focused on the idea of
conformity in one of her articles. She broke this idea down into five main motivational reasons
and then elaborated on each individual one. With that being said, she brings up the idea of how
most people view themselves as unique and unlike any other. As much as we would like to
believe this, it is far from the truth. Most human beings comply to some set of social norms or
rules without even realizing theyre doing it. These rules could be as simple as cars go when
the light is green and stop when the light is red. Although this example seems unbelievably basic,
if people didnt follow the road rules, our entire societal structure would collapse.

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The first motivational reason for conformity is the need for correctness. People strive to
be accurate in their observation and judgment. With each given situation, people analyze social
cues. Lumbert brought up an important study, which examined how an individuals motivation
to be accurate was influenced by the social pressure created by the group of inaccurate
individuals. (Conformity). She provided an example of a group of people where the main
person is presented with an easy question. The main person knows the correct answer with
confidence. Every one around that person says the incorrect answer, but they still firmly answer
with the correct response. In a different case, the same main person was given a difficult question
where they were not 100% confident in their answer (Conformity). In this case, the person
looked to the other people within the group for cues as to what the correct answer could be. Once
again, everyone in the group answered incorrectly, but this time the person went along with what
the group had said. This is relevant because it shows that under enough pressure, a person will
cave and conform to the rest of the group to no longer be a minority (Kiesler).
According to Lumbert, there have been numerous studies where human beings strive in
many ways to just be accepted or not rejected by a social group. With that being said, another
reason people choose to conform is for social acceptance. She brought up an example of college
student who are binge drinking and playing drinking games at a fraternity party. There are
studies, which show that people mainly do this to fit in, for social acceptance, etc. A human
beings desire to be accepted within a group is so great we are willing to risk our health and well
being to do so (Conformity). There have also been studies about how human beings have a
natural fear of rejection. In a group of people discussing their opinions on a debatable topic,
those holding the minority opinion tend to hesitate greatly before going against the majority and

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expressing their opinion. In this situation, there is a fear of going against the majority of a group.
As the minority decreases, their hesitation greatly increases (Kiesler).
Group goals also drive people to conform. There was a study where a group of people
were given stories to read and interpret individually. They were then told what their group
members thought and were given the option to change their mind (Conformity). This study
showed that the people altered their opinions towards a common goal for the entire group. People
want to achieve success as a whole therefore, through discussion and conforming, they are better
able to reach this group goal.
Lumbert seems to believe that there are cultural and sex-typed reasons that lead to people
conforming, therefore people sometimes conform for social identity. She states uniqueness in
America is often associated with the positive outcomes of freedom and independence. In Eastern
Asian cultures, however, conformity implies the positive outcomes of harmony and
connectedness. (Conformity). This shows that this particular reason for conformity is heavily
based on culture. What is considered a negative action here in the United States could be viewed
as a positive one in another culture. This can be reflected through even the smallest things such
as the pattern of squares and lines on a shirt. The topic of social identity even branches off into
masculinity and femininity. People comply and do things to avoid going against their gender
(Kiesler). A guy is not going to wear a dress and order a martini in fear that he will be called gay.
The final reason Lumbert believes people choose to conform is because of alignment
with similar people. This refers to the group of people known as our in-group. (Conformity).
These are people that a person feels the closest with. With that being said, it has been shown that
a certain group of people can form a large, unsupported prejudice against another group that is
not their own.

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An example of how people conform to todays society can be shown through how women
perceive media. Laura Fraser, the author of a book called Losing It, wrote about Americas
obsession with weight and the industry that feeds on it. She began by telling a personal story of
when a man came up to her and said Wouldnt you like to be thin Laurie? Youd be a pretty girl,
you know, if you lost some weight. (Fraser 3) Little comments like these had a huge impact on
her self-esteem and body image. She believes that even with the vast amount of
accomplishments women have had in society, they still feel inferior and ashamed when it comes
to their body size. Fraser says, Most of us dont recognize that the social forces that keep
pulling us toward thinness are every bit more constraining as the corsets that kept our greatgrandmothers from actively participating in the world. (Fraser 6). She also discusses how the
cultural pressures to be thin in todays society are getting progressively worse. If people did not
conform to society as much as they do, they could look at the skinny models on the runway or in
the magazine and not be affected one bit (Fraser). This is not the case. Women and men look at
the models in the media as role models or aspirations of what they should look like. These people
are viewed as a goal needed to be reached (Developement 15). Fraser responded to this idea by
saying, We need a widespread rebellion of women who are tired of worrying about their weight,
who understand that weight is not a matter of health or discipline but a weapon our culture uses
against us to keep us in our place and feeling small. (Fraser 5).
With all of this being said, theres also another question that arises: what about those
people who choose to be nonconformists? There is a term to describe this action which is known
as deviance. Deviance is defined as the fact or state of departing from usual or accepted
standards, especially in social or sexual behavior. (Definition). An example of this could be
what I witnessed just a couple weeks ago when I walked into the South Village dining hall on

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campus. Sitting at a table full of friends was a boy with a Mohawk about a foot tall all around.
Having a hairstyle like this not only attracted a lot of attention, but it also seemed to be quite
distracting for a lot of people because this is not something you see everyday. So why did this
boy feel as though it was okay to go against the social norm and do whatever he wanted with his
hair? Is it possible for him to be conforming to the idea of being radically different in todays
society?
To some people, the term conformity has a negative connotation. They immediately
associate it with mental images of weak-minded individuals who are easily manipulated by the
people surrounding them (Cross). Although conformity can sometimes be unnecessary, road
rules for example, are viewed as a really basic necessity. If it werent for these rules that people
conform to, the entire structure of our society would collapse. Overall, conformity is viewed as
the easy route. But as my grandmother would always tell me, Whats the easiest option isnt
always whats right. Social conformity can also be viewed as jumping on the bandwagon. An
example of this could be when there is a Tar heel versus Duke game and you cheer for whichever
team is winning at the moment. With this many people falling into the routine of conformity, it
leads to the development of social power and influence, which can in turn create a large amount
of pressure on others.
When choosing not to conform, it can seem difficult and weird at first. This is normal
because essentially, that person is going against the status quo. It will also be uncomfortable for
the people surrounding this person (Cross). An example of this could be the boy at the dining hall
that I mentioned earlier. Not only must he have felt uncomfortable because everyone was staring
at him, but everyone else around him must have felt uneasy too because he was going against the
odds. The people surrounding him reported feeling uncomfortable because they themselves

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conform to society. By that one person being a nonconformist, it makes them question their own
decisions and choices. It is possible that the people even get offended because this person is
going against what they consider to be normal (Cross).
When living everyday as a nonconformist, it is natural to feel like an outcast. These
people will constantly feel alone, discouraged, like an outsider, etc. They may also feel the
pressure of the people around them waiting for the moment theyll fail and begin to conform
(Cross). For most people, this pressure is too much and they actually do succumb to their peers.
But there are still nonconformists out there, so how do they deal with this pressure?
A person must have the drive and the justification to be truly different from the others.
They need this drive and justification not only for the people around them, but mainly for
themselves. The stronger they are in their decision, the easier it will be to stick with it. Once a
person begins doing their own thing, they will almost instantly feel isolated (Cross). But there is
a very important thing these people keep in mind when doing this. They know that many of the
people they encounter in their everyday lives may think and feel the same way they do. These
people are simply not strong enough to take the action in becoming a nonconformist. They fear
retaliation from the society surrounding them. This mindset can provide a nonconformist with a
sense of peace. This in turn usually results in a nonconformist finding a group of people with
similar opinions (Cross). Another thing a nonconformist does constantly is reevaluate. They are
always testing themselves to make sure that this is the lifestyle that they want to stick with. In
many cases, people choose not to conform after an extenuating circumstance has clouded their
judgment. Once the feelings fade away, the person could realize that they actually do wish to
conform. After all of this happens, nonconformists usually find themselves in a healthy
environment surrounded by loving friends who are much like them (Cross).

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In some cases, people choose to not conform simply because they want to be truly
individual and unique. They are tired of being just like everyone else. Those groups of people
who purposely go against the odds and do their own thing have made history. Examples of
nonconformists who had breakthroughs include: abstract painters, writers and public speakers.
These people went against the odds and came up with something truly extraordinary. Painters
were painting people, nature, buildings, etc., but have you ever thought of the first artist that
decided to take paint and just splatter it all over a canvas? Or to paint animated versions of
people with distorted features? This type of nonconformity lead to great artists such as Picasso.
In conclusion, I feel as though conforming to society has more pros than it does cons.
People can still strive to be an individual without attempting to go against all social norms. The
amount of people conforming outweighs the amount who are not conforming for a reason.
Conforming to society is easy and it is almost expected. Ill leave you with one last thought; the
nonconformists take themselves out of a group of people, the conformists, to put themselves
into another, the nonconformists. Wouldnt that make everyone technically a conformist?
Maybe it is just time to learn how to stop conformity from changing the people we are.

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Works Cited
"Conformity and Group Mentality: Why We Comply." Conformity and Group Mentality. N.p.,
n.d. Web. 25 Mar. 2016.
Cross, Tracy L. Defying the Crowd: Cultivating Creativity in a Culture of Conformity by R. J.
Sternbert & T. I. Lubart. Journal For the Education of the Gifted. 19.3, (1996): 359-372.
Print. 26 Mar. 2016.
Development of the Conformity to Feminine Norms Inventory. Sex Roles April 2005: 417-435.
Print. 26 Mar. 2016.
"Definition of Deviance in English:." Deviance: Definition of Deviance in Oxford Dictionary
(American English) (US). N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Apr. 2016.
Fraser, Laura. Losing It. New York: Penguin Group, 1994. Print. 28 Mar. 2016.
Kiesler, Charles A., and Sara B. Kiesler. Conformity. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley
1969. Print. 26 Mar. 2016.
McLeod, Saul. "What Is Conformity?" What Is Conformity? N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Apr. 2016.

Pub.,