Friday, February 06, 2009

ABTV 14: The Power of Conformity





What makes a person conform to something as simple as they way they stand in an elevator?

If you were placed in this situation would you "adapt?"

What other simple situations would someone's behavior change so rapidly if a difference occurred between them and others?
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3 comments:

thenewprogramme said...

pretty hilarious, kelly.

it's hard to say what i would do. of course i tell myself that i wouldn't go along with the crowd, but who knows.

i wonder about design examples that simulate this. do any exist -- where there is so much push all over the place that you feel silly if you don't participate?

February 10, 2009 at 8:14 PM
thenewprogramme said...

have you ever noticed how your body language or positioning tends to mimic the person with whom you're conversing? i notice this tendency all the time and think it's quite peculiar.

February 10, 2009 at 8:16 PM
Adam Tramposh said...

There are species of birds that can perfectly imitate the sounds of traffic, chainsaws, and human speech. Similarly, domestic cats have cultivated vocal expressions having ascertained that this is an effective way of communicating with humans. Developing traits that entice or satisfy the desires of another species is a proven successful evolutionary strategy. This may entail imitation (bees and flowers that look like bees).

This principle is not limited to intra-species affairs. One adapts to the language (verbal or otherwise) of another in order to ingratiate or seem familiar. Adversarial interactions often follow this pattern of imitation as well (one party provokes, the other escalates in temper and retaliates). my conclusion is that there is an evolutionary impetus for this peculiar tendency that you mention.

February 10, 2009 at 11:44 PM

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