Sign up to access the complete lesson and track your progress!
Unlock This CourseWhen we talk about conformity, we often focus on situational factors like group size or unanimity. But what about the individual differences that make some people more likely to conform than others? These are called dispositional factors - the personal characteristics that influence how we respond to social pressure.
Key Definitions:
Understanding why some people conform more readily than others helps us predict social behaviour and explains variations in conformity studies. It also helps us understand how individual differences interact with situational pressures in real-world scenarios.
Dispositional factors represent the "nature" side of conformity. While situational factors (like group size) are external influences, dispositional factors are internal characteristics that may be influenced by genetics, early experiences and personal development.
Your personality plays a significant role in how likely you are to conform. Researchers have identified several key personality traits that influence conformity behaviour.
One of the most important dispositional factors in conformity is your locus of control - whether you believe you're in charge of your life or if outside forces control what happens to you.
People with an internal locus of control believe they control their own destiny. They tend to conform less because they trust their own judgement and feel responsible for their decisions.
People with an external locus of control believe outside forces determine what happens to them. They tend to conform more because they believe others know better or that resistance is futile.
Rotter (1966) developed the Internal-External Locus of Control Scale. Studies show that those scoring high on external locus conform significantly more in Asch-type line experiments.
Odell conducted a study where participants completed a locus of control questionnaire before taking part in an Asch-style conformity experiment. Those with an external locus of control conformed 77% of the time, while those with an internal locus conformed only 38% of the time. This provides strong evidence that our perception of control influences our tendency to conform.
How you feel about yourself has a significant impact on how likely you are to go along with the crowd. Self-esteem acts as a psychological buffer against social pressure.
People with high self-esteem generally conform less. They're more confident in their judgements, less concerned about social rejection and more willing to stand out from the group. However, this isn't always the case - sometimes people with high self-esteem conform to maintain their social status.
People with low self-esteem typically conform more. They may doubt their own judgement, fear negative evaluation, or seek approval from others. Conforming can be a way to avoid standing out and risking social rejection.
Authoritarianism is a personality trait characterised by obedience to authority, rigid thinking and conventional values. It strongly predicts conformity behaviour.
People high in authoritarianism tend to:
Adorno et al. (1950) developed the F-scale (Fascism scale) to measure authoritarian personality traits. Research consistently shows that those scoring high on this scale are more likely to conform in social situations, particularly when the influence comes from an authority figure.
In a follow-up to Milgram's famous obedience studies, researchers found that participants who had been fully obedient (delivering the maximum 450-volt shock) scored significantly higher on measures of authoritarianism than those who had refused to continue. This suggests that authoritarian personality traits predict not just conformity but also obedience to authority.
People who enjoy thinking deeply about issues (high need for cognition) tend to conform less. They're more likely to carefully evaluate information rather than simply accepting what others say.
Those with a strong desire to be liked and accepted (high need for affiliation) typically conform more. Their motivation to maintain social relationships outweighs their desire to be independent.
Research suggests that intelligence has a complex relationship with conformity. While higher intelligence can lead to greater independence of thought, intelligent people may also be better at recognising when conformity is socially advantageous.
Understanding dispositional factors in conformity has important applications in many areas:
Teachers can use knowledge of dispositional factors to encourage healthy independence in students with high conformity tendencies. For example, building self-esteem and internal locus of control can help students resist negative peer pressure.
Organisations need both conformity (following procedures) and independence (innovation). Understanding dispositional factors helps managers create balanced teams and identify when conformity might prevent speaking up about problems.
Strengths: Dispositional factors help explain individual differences in conformity that situational factors alone cannot account for. They provide a more complete picture of conformity behaviour.
Limitations: Most research focuses on correlations rather than causation. It's difficult to determine whether personality traits cause conformity or if other factors influence both. Additionally, dispositional and situational factors interact in complex ways that are difficult to separate.
Remember that while dispositional factors are important, they always interact with situational factors. The same person might conform in one situation but not another, depending on the specific circumstances and social pressures involved.