Conformity refers to the behavior of individuals exposed to external crowdinfluence, but in their ownperceptionIn judgment and understanding, it is consistent with public opinion or the majorityBehavior。Experiments show that only a small number of people can keepIndependence, not being followed by others, so the psychology of following others is universally owned by some individualspsychological phenomenon。[1]
group psychologyIt refers to the phenomenon that individuals, under the influence or pressure of the group, give up their own opinions or go against their own opinions to keep their words and behaviors consistent with the group, which is commonly referred to as "following the crowd".andConformity behavior, generally refers to the tendency of group members to follow the group.That is, when he finds that his actions and opinions are inconsistent with those of the group or different from those of most people in the group, he will feel a pressure, which will urge him to take actions consistent with the group.[2]
experiment
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Asch conformity experiments
1956Asch conformity experiments To studyConformity phenomenonThe specific performance, occurrence and causes of.In this experiment, college students were taken as subjects, with 7 people in each group sitting in a row, of which 6 were the experimental collaborators arranged in advance, and only one was the real subject.The experimenter showed two cards each time, one with a standard line X and the other with three straight lines A, B and C. The length of X was obviously equal to one of the three straight lines A, B and C.The experimenter asked the subjects to judge which of the three lines A, B and C is equal in length to the X-ray.The order indicated by the experimenter always arranges the real subjects last.From the first to the sixth test, there was no difference. From the sixth to the twelfth test, the first six subjects deliberately made mistakes according to the previous requirements, so as to observe whether the reaction of the subjects was herd behavior.[3]
Ashe experiment steps
The experimental results are very interesting. The responses of the subjects are diverse. 25% of the subjects insist on their own judgments from beginning to end without being affected, while more than 50% of the subjects listen to the wrong judgments of the experimental partners in more than six experiments, and even 5% of the subjects show blind obedience to the wrong judgments in each experiment.Divide the total number of conformity behaviors by the number of subjects and then by the number of experiments, and the incidence of conformity behaviors is about 33%, that is, one third.[3]
After the experiment, Ashi analyzed the 25% of the subjects who insisted on their own opinions and summarized the reasons why they did not choose to follow the crowd:
(1) Their judgments from beginning to end are based on their own real ideas, rather than following others.They didn't choose to follow the trend in the first six real experiments, so when others deliberately made mistakes later, they still habitually said their own ideas, but this time their results were different from most people.[4]
(2) When their opinions are inconsistent with those of most people, they will also have anxiety.But they can get rid of anxiety as soon as possible, and will not let anxiety affect their own judgment.[4]
Ashi also interviewed the subjects who followed the crowd and concluded that there are three situations of following the crowd:
(1) The subjects really took the reaction of others as the reference frame, and the observation was wrongPerceptual distortion。[3]
(2) The subjects realized that what they saw was different from others, but they thought that most people were more correct than themselvesJudgment distortion。[3]
(3) The subjects knew that everyone else was wrong, but then they made a wrong responseBehavioral distortion。[3]
Impact mechanism
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From the extension of Ashi's experiment, the influence mechanism of conformity can be divided into two types, one from information pressure and the other from norm pressure.[3]
(1)Information pressure: Experience makes people think that the correct probability of most people is relatively high. The more ambiguous the situation is, the more the lack of reference framework is. The more people believe in the majority, the more they follow the crowd.
In the 1930s,Sharif's conformity experimentThe swimming phenomenon is applied to the study of herd behavior.The experiment process is like this. Sharif first told the subjects that the light spot was moving in the dark environment, and then asked them to judge the distance of a light spot.Since people generally have no knowledge of swimming illusion, they have made various distance judgments.Then Sharif asked an experimental assistant to point out the scale of distance judgment in a positive tone. It was found that after several experiments, the distance judgment of subjects was getting closer and closer to the distance judgment made by the experimental assistant.[3]
This misjudgmentsocial psychologyThe basis is that all the subjects were in a situation where they could not be sure of themselves, so they had to follow the judgment of others slowly.The conclusion of the experiment is that there is a kind of herd behavior in the situation where people do not know the situation and cannot be sure of themselves.andThis conformity behavior is caused by the lack of necessary information, not blind obedience。Because in Sharif's experiment, if the experimenter told the subjects that the light spot did not move, and the movement they felt was just a visual illusion, they immediately stopped following the crowd.This shows that in the absence of necessary information, we will unconsciously move closer to the ideas of others. When supported by reliable information, this herd behavior will disappear.Information pressure can occur when people are uncertain or when they disagree.Information pressure can lead to tangible cognitive change.[3]
(2)Gauge pressure: Individuals in a group are often unwilling to violate group standards and are regarded as deviants by other members. They are afraid of being different and becoming "a stray horse" and being isolated, so they take the opinion of the majority.
Undoubtedly, in theAsch conformity experiments Normative pressure should be the main cause of the subjects' conformity behavior.The length difference between the three comparison lines is very obvious. It is easy to see which line is as long as the standard line. Without the interference of wrong answers, all the subjects can make correct judgments. From this, it can be seen that the results are almost obvious. There is no impact of information pressure, but when everyone except themselves intentionally says wrong,People will still change their opinions, even if they know it is wrong.Normative pressure will not bring about cognitive change. Followers do not believe the views of most people. They just don't want to be the first to tell the truth and are afraid of "shooting the first bird".[3]
The strength of regulatory pressure can change with some factors.In the Ashe experiment, if privacy is increased (such as asking each subject's answer individually), anonymous answers are given (let everyone write their answers on a piece of paper without saying them), or the number of onlookers is reduced, then even if everyone except themselves intentionally makes wrong judgments, the subjects will have a greater chance to stick to their own opinions,In this way, their "unsociable" opinions will not be known to others, laughed at or excluded.[3]
From influencing factors
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Group factors
Group consistency: The pressure of conformity faced by individuals in the face of a consistent group is very large.When the opinions of the group are not completely consistent, the number of followers will decline significantly.Research shows that as long as one person stands out to disagree, the number of followers will immediately decline significantly.However, the dissent raised by members outside the group has less impact than the dissent of members within the group.[3]
Milgram experiment
Group size: within a certain range, people's conformity increases with the increase of group size.A small group can trigger a strong herd effect.The study found that compared with a group of 1 to 2 people, a group of 3 to 5 people can lead to more conformity behaviors. When the group size exceeds 5 people, conformity behaviors will decrease with the increase of the number of people[5]。In Milgram's experiment in 1969, 1, 2, 3, 5, 10 or 15 people were asked to look up on the sidewalk,[6]When the size of the crowd rose from 1 to 5, the proportion of passers-by who looked up and watched steadily rose to nearly 80%. When the size rose from 5 to 10, the proportion slowly declined, and then the number of people between 10 and 15 rose again, but the increase was not as great as before.
Group cohesion: The higher the group cohesion, the stronger the individual's attachment to the group, and the easier it is to have a strong sense of identity with the group to which they belong.For example, in a racial group, people will feel a common "herd pressure to belong to the group",[4]This kind of pressure urges people to move closer to the group as much as possible in terms of words, deeds, speech, clothing and dress, otherwise they will be ridiculed.
Individual's position in the group: the higher the individual's position and identity in the group, the more authoritative it is, and the less likely it is to succumb to group pressure.On the contrary, when the opinion of the authority is contrary to their own, those with lower status are more likely to give up their own opinions without thinking about it, and thus conform to the crowd.Similarly, the higher the status of an individual in the group, the more valuable his/her identity is, the stronger the influence of his/her views will be, and naturally the easier it will lead to herd behavior.[3]
Whether to face group pressure: As mentioned earlier, in the Ashe experiment, if you answer anonymously, then the subjects have a higher chance to adhere to their own judgments.Indeed, in this case, even if the opinion is inconsistent with that of the majority, there is no need to worry about being rejected by the group, so the subjects can be calm and behave themselves, and the occurrence of herd behavior will be reduced.[4]
Individual factors
Gender: It is generally believed that men are less likely to conform than women.But the fact is not so simple.Research shows that women tend to show more conformity in some issues that are more masculine or that men are good at (such as cars, football, etc.), while men are more likely to show conformity in some feminine topics (such as makeup, literature).Among the gender issues that both men and women know better, gender has little influence on herd behavior.[3]
Age: In terms of age, children and adolescents are more likely to follow the crowd than adults, which is also easy to understand. After all, the former has not formed their own unique values and is vulnerable to the influence of external voices.[1]
Personality characteristics: personal ability, self-confidence, self-esteem, social approval needs, etc. are closely related to herd behavior.Generally speaking, the stronger a person's ability, the stronger his self-confidence, the weaker his self-esteem, the lower his demand for social approval and recognition, and the stronger his ability to deal with anxiety, the less likely he is to have herd behavior[4]。This is true of the 25% of those who insisted on their own opinions in the Ashe experiment.
Knowledge and experience: the simpler the task, the more people understand it, the more information they have, the clearer their judgment will be, and the more difficult it will be to follow the crowd. On the contrary, it will be easier to follow the crowd, which is also affected by information pressure.[4]
cultural factor
According to Smith's experiment, the average incidence of conformity behavior is 31%, while the degree of conformity of students in Belgium is far lower than the average, only 14%. On the contrary, among Indian teachers in Fiji, this figure has reached an astonishing 58%. This huge contrast confirms that conformity behavior has very high differences between different cultures.In places where individualism prevails, such as North America and northeastern Europe, individual opinions and values are highly respected, while conformity behavior is negative. Its incidence rate in these places is only 25%, while in areas where collectivism is paramount, or where human interdependence is high, such as Africa, Asia, Oceania, and South America,One should show absolute loyalty to the group to which he belongs, so“The minority is subordinate to the majority”The concept of conformity is very popular. The conformity behavior will not be despised, and will even be respected and understood. Therefore, the conformity rate in these places has risen to 37% on average.[7]There is no difference between collectivism and individualism. The difference between collectivism and individualism provides us with a larger background, so that we can understand herd behavior from a broader perspective.
Psychological advantages and disadvantages
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Positive conformity psychology can undoubtedly bring us many benefits.If people in a collective stand on the same front, think about one thing, make efforts to one thing, start from the overall situation, unite as one, and forge ahead, then naturally, "everyone gathers firewood, and the common goal will be achieved soon.".Positive conformity behavior can play a role in encouraging and encouraging each other, encouraging emotions and helping to establish a good social atmosphere.Some unpopular acts of novelty will be unanimously resisted by everyone. For example, if a person yells in public, he will be looked at sideways, and he will probably be wittily aware of the negative impact of this behavior, and then stop.The public dislikes deviants and even attacks them in groups, so as to maintain social order.[2]
But at the same time, conformity is also a double-edged sword. "Water can carry a boat or capsize it." Sometimes, conformity psychology also has many negative effects.For example:
Conformity psychology in decision-making
In collective decision-making, there is a general mentality of conformity.There are three main reasons. The first is that the decision makers are not willing to stand out and be different, so as to avoid being isolated by others.The second is that the participants do not understand the problems and lack their own ideas.Third, the participants saw that most people had similar opinions. Although they had different opinions, they were shy to express them and worried that they would not be accepted by others, so they simply followed the crowd.[2]Whatever the reason, the result is the same, that is, no one will stand up to defend the truth or stick to their own opinions when making collective decisions. If a few people are premeditated to speak first and seize the opportunity, then it is likely that most people will agree without thinking, which will result in dangerous decisions that harm the collective interests.
Blind obedience leads to the loss of individual thinking
Passive conformity will restrain individual thinking and lead people into blind conformity.When the physicist Fulton measured the thermal conductivity of solid helium, he used a new measurement method, and the final result was 500 times the value of the traditional theory. Fulton felt that this result was too far from the truth. Once it was announced, it would lead to the voice of doubt, and everyone would think that he was sensationalism, so he did not announce this number.But facts proved that Fulton's result was actually correct. Because of his hesitation and submission to traditional ideas, he missed the opportunity to shock the scientific community, which made Fulton regretful.[2]
Herding effect in the field of stock investment
In the stock market, many investors are willing to follow the trend in a short term and frequently operate, and there are many examples of losing money.
Shanghai Stock ExchangeResearch on the Behavior of Chinese Securities Investors[8]It shows that the behavior of Chinese securities investors has three significant characteristics, namely short-term operation, herd behavior and disposal effect.The survey results show that even in the 2006 A-share bull market, where the market rose by 130%, about 30% of investors still lost money, which is mainly due to blind conformity and short-term speculation.
The herding effect or herd behavior of investors is a typical phenomenon in behavioral finance.The herd behavior makes investors give up their independent thinking, and they will inevitably become unconscious investors, which contains great risks.Investor'sHerd Behavior , which not only easily leads to bubbles in the stock market, but also damages the efficiency of market operation;At the same time, it also increases the system risk and aggravates the volatility of the stock market.On“Herd Effect ”Under the effect, investors are enthusiastic when the stock market rises, and panic when it falls, which aggravates the market speculation atmosphere.[8]
Investment psychology tells us that the process of securities investment can be seen as a dynamic psychological equilibrium process.However, under the "herd effect" in the securities market, systematic cognitive bias and emotional bias often occur, and lead to investment decision-making bias.The deviation of investment decision will make the asset price deviate from its intrinsic value, leading to the deviation of asset pricing.[8]
However, asset pricing bias often produces an anchoring effect, which in turn affects investors' judgment of asset value, further producing cognitive bias and emotional bias, which forms a feedback mechanism.In this "feedback cycle", the initial "herd effect" makes the deviation form;Strengthening the "herd effect" makes the deviation diffuse and amplified.[8]
Psychological countermeasures
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Breaking the stereotype of authority
We should create a positive, scientific and open atmosphere of public opinion.The existence of authority is an extremely normal phenomenon, but excessive respect and blind pursuit of authority will only bring bad results.In life, people's blind obedience to authoritative opinions can easily lead to major mistakes in decision-making.Therefore, superstition and blind obedience to authority should be broken, and the opinions of authority should not be regarded asStandardWe should magnify and attach importance to the contributions and wisdom of ordinary people, so that a hundred flowers will blossom naturally.[2]
Create free space
To train peopleIndependent thinkingThe ability of independent innovation, rather than parroting.When making decisions or discussing issues, we should hold more exchange and sharing meetings, debates, etc., encourage different voices, and encourage people to analyze issues from multiple perspectives and express their opinions in various forms, so that people's independent thinking will gradually increase, and they will not blindly follow and haveInsights、Rationalization。[2]
