NationStates Jolt Archive

An A Level psychology student told me of an experiment that was conducted on the streets of Britain.

A person (lets call him D) from the street was asked to take part in an experiment at random. The experiment was simple: tell us which black line in the longest. D was then placed in a room full of people who also had to do this test: difference is they had all been told to point at what was obviously not the longest black line. So when they were all asked, they all pointed at the line that was obviously not the longest. D looked at what his fellows had pointed at and pointeda at the same line DESPITE THE FACT IT WAS OBVIOUSLY SHORTER THAN THE OTHER CHOICES.

This experiment demonstrated just how suspectible the human mind is to peer pressure. We mostly associate peer pressure to its mot visible form: fashion and the air head blondes who follow it. But indeed it can be scientists all prescribing to one particular theory or people listening to rock music simply because it is popular. So how much do you conform to what your peers think? Do you wear clothes just because people think they are cool? Do you take part in fads or crazes?

I'll get the ball rolling. Although in political thought and in fashion I never conform and never will to what anyone else says or does, I have in the past been susceptible to several money wasting crazes. Yo yos for example were the hot thing for 6 months about 6 years and so I bought about 4 yo yos over the course of 6 months (on the income of a 13 year old, thats a lot of money). Pokemon cards were very big about 5 years ago (for anyone who is not aware Pokemon are Japanese anime monsters that were incredibly big in Britain) and they cost about £2.50 for a pack of 12 pieces of cardboard. I alas spent about £12 on them although that was moderate compared to what most of my friends spent (one lad spent about £50).

When I'm not actually sure of something, I'll conform. My induviduality ends where my ignorance begins.

I am my own person. It hurts my pride to let people tell me what to do. Sometimes I'll put myself in danger to prove myself right.

When I'm not actually sure of something, I'll conform. My induviduality ends where my ignorance begins.
Yes me too: if I don't know anything about a topic and am presented with a plausible explanation, I'm likely to believe it.

Other than that, I thinks we're influanced by our environment, peers, and surroundings in ways we don't even know.

I wish that their were more choices, but on the whole I'd say I'm the asshole that's does stuff differently just to do stuff differently.
Meh, so it's peer pressure in reverse a bit.

Do you really think you are going to get any accurate answers? Everyone is gonna say no even if they are listening to the same stuff their friends listen to, shopping at the same stores, and using the same fashion.

I wish that their were more choices, but on the whole I'd say I'm the asshole that's does stuff differently just to do stuff differently.
Meh, so it's peer pressure in reverse a bit.

Im not sure hwo many more choices I could have done - I was splitting hairs as it was

Im not sure hwo many more choices I could have done - I was splitting hairs as it was

eh, I'd guess I'm half way between the last two options. It's true though, you aren't going to get actual results.

i've never actively tried to not conform, but that's what i do. to be perfectly honest, i just do what i want, wear what i like, listen to what i want partly cos i think people following what other people do simply because its what others are doing is amazingly stupid and shallow, and partly cos i try not to care what others think of me in that way. if somebody thinks less of me because i'm not wearing the fashionable clothes, or looking like everyone else (just to look like everyone else), then that's their problem, their loss and their being utterly shallow and small-minded.
i don't care what other people wear, or like, or whatever. whatever makes you happy - do it. i applaud others for doing their own thing - i saw this total hippie (the most totally hippy dude i've ever seen) in the Post Office today... i soooo wanted to go shake his hand (and ask him where he got his clothes from ;) ).
i used to be susceptible, but by the time pokemon came out i stopped caring. i don't even listen to the same music as my friends (or, for that matter, anyone i know) anymore (not just Metal anymore) - this is pretty big for me cos music used to be what defined me as a person.

as for politics, i make my own mind up basically by arguing with myself. i take the standpoint i already have and debate it from another point of view within my own head (i spend a lot of time thinking :D ). i've arrived at my own political ideology that way (a crazy mix of uber-communism and technocratic capitalism with uber-democracy... i might write it down one day :) ), but other than that i do conform firstly to socialism (closest to what i truly believe in), and then modern-day liberalism (cos true socialism is still unworkable, so i may as well work for a more practical ideology). i suppose this is peer pressure, largely cos without having my ideology fully formed and arguement-proof i'll just get laughed off any political stage i care to suggest it at (ie, here).

I picked the "only on trivial things one", not because I can think of anything specific I follow peer pressure on - not even fashion, but because I am not arrogant enough to state that *nothing* I do may be the result of peer pressure.

I avoid the hell out of it whenever possible, however.

I wouldn't say I am completely immune against peer pressure.

But largely I am not effected by, I think largely due to the fact that I have 'unique' (in the sense of my circles of friends rather then the whole world or country) tastes in just about everything; Politics, music and literary tastes etc.

Though I did go through a faze of doing things au contraire simply so I could be au contraire.

Do you really think you are going to get any accurate answers? Everyone is gonna say no even if they are listening to the same stuff their friends listen to, shopping at the same stores, and using the same fashion.

Of course I am not. But its an interesting bit of discussion, no?

Yo yos are great. I only got one because my uncle gave me one though, and I enjoyed it so I bought another one, and then I lost it. :(

I don't tend to do the peer pressure thing. The only time I really go along with the group is I may hesitate to do something until others start doing it and then join them.

Even if I could afford to buy into fads, I wouldn't.

I've never been a fad person or a mindless group-follower. I've always wanted to do my own thing, even if very few people (or nobody) want to do the same. Back in school, I often found myself alone on the playground, but I was happier than I would've been as a brainless grouper.

And yes, Yo-Yo's are great... Though I misplaced my blue Duncan Butterfly a few years back.

I dont see the point in trying to please people they wont get exactly what they want from me so why should i bother?