Conformity has as much to do with safety as it does with avoiding punishment
From the perspective of social identity theory, conformity, while as the normative influence implies is certainly being about avoiding punishment, is at least as much about the benefits of fitting in. When we imitate someone’s actions, our mesolimbic pathway activates. When we choose incorrectly in a task, the dopaminergic decline is less if we made the decision as part of a group than if we did so as an individual. Belonging is safety.
References
- Sapolsky, Robert. (2017). Behave Chapter 12. Hierarchy, Obedience, and Resistance (p. 521). New York, NY: Penguin Random House.
Metadata
Type:🔴 Tags: Psychology / Social Psychology / Biology / Neuroscience / Neuropsychology Status:☀️