It amazes me how easily we conform to others. The first time I watched this I thought it was a joke but it really does make since. In a group most people want to and will do what the majority of everyone else in the group is doing. This makes me think of the cards used in Asch's experiment. It's basically the same thing as what they do in this video. When you think about group conformity, I think most people think of kids and high school kids. They are always getting in trouble because they want to do fit in with the group and they will take things to the extreme. It is really just as common for adults too, maybe even more so. No body wants to feel left out of something even if they don't know why they are doing it. -mybabygirl004
It really is amazing to see how others conform to the group norms in a certain setting. And we'd like to thik that we wouldn't fall into the same trap, but it's very likely that we would. I thought of it as a joke at first as well, but as I thought more about the sociological imagination, it totally makes sense. -chillato004
Well, I thought that doing something the next person does was called, "follow the leader", or "copy cat". I had no idea there was a diffrent word for it. So conformity is how we become more socialized. It was said in the video that we follow bad habits and repeated wrongs. I can say that I picked up a bad habit of smoking in High school because everyone else was doing it. I felt just like the young lady in the video that I was excluded from the group, until I picked up that cigarette and started puffing. I felt better and became a part of that group. The problem is that I still have that bad habit. Not only did I learn something new, my sons learned also. They joined me in watching the video and thought is was hilarious so we all agreed that the next doctors visit we were going to try the same exercise. Wish us luck! myboys004
I also thought that if you follow another person its called "follow the leader" or "copy cat", I learn something knew everyday. I'm also guilty of being a follower. When I used to go to the night clubs, I obviously would be drinking but I would also smoke cigarettes in the beer garden or wherever because my girls were doing it and I wanted to fit in, I knew it was bad for my health but I didn't care. I am not a smoker and I learned my lesson, I also think back to my ridiculous ways, shake my head and think to myself about why I did what I did. This video raises a point that there are a lot of followers in today's society, and some people are not even aware of why they are following others.~Mznurse004
Its crazy how people in today's society will do things without even knowing why. People do things just by seeing someone else doing it. I am guilty of this as well, if I see a group of people or even one person running I'm going to get out of dodge as well because I don't know what or who they are running from or why I just wanna get away as fast as possible. This video is a good example. It takes one person to start doing something and everyone else follows suit. This is how bad habits can start and how some can get into trouble in school or on the job. We have all in our time done things to fit in because we didn't want to feel left out or get ridiculed for not taking part. I love the caption which is referring to people as sheep. In other words, in today's society a tendency to conform is so strong that intelligent people are willing to follow a leader even if they know its wrong.~Mznurse004
I completely agree. We all have a tendency to follow along in a situation. A reaction to certain stimuli I guess. It shows how easy it is to create a negative situTion. Or how easy it is to geg a needed/ wanted effect. Crazy. Thatgirl618-004
I totally agree with you! It is insane just how easy people in our society will do something without even know the real reason why. I think this is something we are all guilty of, just as you mentioned about seeing a crowd running the opposite way, I too would turn around and go that way also. We may not know why but seeing so many people running away it’s like it automatically triggers something in our brain that it is wrong and we too need to follow the crowd. -JustMe1989004
That was very well put! Even the smartest people in society will conform when they think they will be left out. Groups foster the idea that it is good to be just like everyone else. There really is no escaping groups either. I definitely agree that people will just follow along with others without asking questions. I liked your example of running away, if I see a bunch of people running, without knowing exactly what it is, I know it can’t be good, so I would start running as well. -DTH004
I'm laughing at you Mznurse because what you are saying about running when someone else runs not knowing why you're running, or who or what you're running from is so amazingly truthful. I will ask questions later, but thats how we are as a people, we just react to the situation. myboys004
Follow the leader. That's what this video brings to mind. Just goes to show that we are not truly independent. We have our own thoughts, but what would it take for you to follow suit. We tend to follow along even without knowing the true reasoning. That reasoning itself could differ from person to person in the same group. The media plays a huge part in this. We develop an understanding, or feelings, for a certain situation while only having half of the I formation. We only see one side. Being able to see the whole picture or having all of the available information about a situation shouldkeep you in the leader category. Thatgirl618-004
I agree with this we are all different and have different thoughts but not too far off. and follow the leader really does come to mind which is a game taught to us as little kids which is very interesting. I liked how you brought up the media and how we only get one side. kind of makes you wonder who is the leader.. -dislikeblogs004
This video to me seems a little bit off. How does she continue to stand even though she is all alone? How hasn't she asked someone what the heck is going on? I have unanswered questions. But at the end of the video the guy asked her "why are we standing?" and she replies " I thought i was suppose to because everyone else was doing it" So I guess it just depends on the person. If it was me I would have asked someone right away, but i can see how a more shy person would just go with it. Its silly, but amazing how easy it is for people to fall in line and do something because "everyone else is doing it" It is really crazy to think is this how the government controls us? We go to school because we are told to, we get jobs because we are told to, we have iphones and nice cars because everyone else does. We wear the same style trends because everyone else does. This clip really gets you thinking. RueTootie004
I feel like I would question things as well. I couldn’t see me just start standing and not know why. I do however look at situations where you go to a place whether it be a restaurant or some kind of service place. There’s a line and almost immediately we line up behind the “group” of individuals. We don’t ask if we need to get in line we just do it. If I look at it this way which is obviously more generalized than standing up when you hear a noise. I understand it more. I wonder how many other times I conform without noticing. -mysonmyworld004
We always want to think of ourselves of leading our own life’s and being control of ourselves, but we tend to be more of a follower than what we think we are. This video showed a perfect example of that. Some of us might be faster to join the crowd than others but social learning does always take effect. It always has amazed me just how easy something can take control if make enough people believe that is what they should be doing. As for the woman who kept standing up even though everyone had left and she was by herself, I think it was because she watched them do it enough times it was stuck in her mind as if she had to stand at the sound of the beep and it was no longer viewed as a choice. Just as we talked about in class if someone tells you to shoot and kill a village even though you think it is wrong, but a couple guys start to do it so you join in, it is drilled into your brain as something you have to do instead of want to do. This video just makes me think of maybe we are just puppets on a string. -JustMe1989004
I agree with what you said about how maybe we are just puppets on a string. We like to think all the choices we make are of our own free will and we decide what we do all on our own but that's not the case at all and this video shows that. We like to think we are unique and on some level we are but mostly we are just like every other person in the world and something other than just our free will influences almost every choice we make in life. -mybabygirl004
Such a good point that she probably kept standing because it was stuck in her head. Or "drilled" in her head. As a society we patterns, we like not having to think outside of the box. After a certain amount of time I bet she forgot that she even questioned why she was standing. I feel like politicians do this to us. We question there ethics but if they keep repeating that they are who is best fit for the job than that's all that matters and that is all we remember. Conditioning, it can be a scary thing. KtKay004
I enjoy and agree with your comment in that we always want to think of ourselves as leading our own lives. It is very easy for us to watch this video and say that we wouldn’t stand like the girl did. We wouldn’t conform to everyone else around us when we know they are wrong. Truthfully, I have no idea what I would do in the situation. I could be just like that girl and stand up when I hear the tone, even if no one else is around me. I have to wonder if the girl was changed after this experiment. I can’t help but think that she questions things a little more than she did ‘pre-video’. ~happilycurious004
This video is so crazy. I want to say it's fake but I know it's not. So many times especially in big crowds I want to just be in a turtle shell. I for some reason do not like being surrounded my strangers. Though I would like to think I would not start standing like this individual did, in the moment I might just do it. I can come across as pushy sometimes so would hope I'd at least ask why everyone was standing. For wanting to preach individuality all the time especially to my son, This is one instance I would want to just go with the crowd. Side note. Why did this girl not ask why she was not getting called back. For the entire waiting room to go back and then more people come in and get called back before her... I work at a doctors office. Most people would have complained. Just an observation of mine. It is a major reason I questioned if this was entirely true. KtKay004
This video definitely says a lot about how human beings interact with each other. We really don’t like to be the odd one out. When a majority of people start to do something we blindly follow without knowing why. This experiment shows that for as smart as we are, we make some really dumb decisions. There is absolutely no reason that those people had any reason to be standing up when the tone went off. It is eye opening to realize how much we conform. Everyone likes to think that they are so individual but this experiment goes to show how little we do individually. This video really illustrates that groups are very important in our everyday lives. They are part of everything we do, even something as simple as sitting in a waiting room. It also shows that these groups we encounter in every aspect of our lives radically change how we act. We may not think about the group mindset infiltrating our brain when we choose to stand at the tone but it is exactly what it does. -DTH004
Your comment was a little similar to mine in that we don’t really do things as an individual, but rather as a society. We really are followers and creatures of habit. Whether you say you’re not doing something, you’ll eventually do it (like the guy in grey at the end of the video). Gators004
Ok I seriously was so surprised by this. I mean these individuals didn’t even know why that noise was going off. I would hope that I would question something about this. I couldn’t even imagine my face if I saw everyone standing because of the noise. I am sure there has been times that I have conformed without even noticing that I have done it. I actually posted this video on my Facebook to see what some of my friends thought. Now some have probably not taken a sociology class and so of course they were definite in their answers that they would not be the type of person to conform. But I think they are unaware of how much we conform in our everyday lives. I mean if you walk in to a building and there is a line more than likely you are going to stand in that line. It makes me wonder what other little things in life we naturally conform to. -mysonmyworld004
I agree with your blog. I think we as a society tend to follow the lead of what we think is ok or the norm. Sometimes that being the example of what everyone else is doing. It does make a person wonder what other things they have done was just following someone else and not having a reason to do so. bdole004
I laugh every time I see this video because it is so true. As humans we always say, “Oh I won’t do that, I’m my own person, no one’s going to tell me what to do” and so on. I say the exact same thing. But if I were the girl in the purple, I most likely would have done the same thing. Much like the man in the grey shirt towards the end; he wasn’t standing up for any reason under the sun, but he ultimately caved and stood up. This is how we as humans act. At first we’re apprehensive about things but we always fall in line. If we were to do this experiment individually, I would imagine we’d all have similar outcomes. There’s a reason we have the saying ‘monkey see, monkey do’. Gators004
There has to be a way to get rid of 'monkey see monkey do'. It is way to much of a powerful force. If a person had evil intentions and had a lot of followers that had robotic minds. Then that would just be a bad situation so we need to start using our mind more.
There are certain things that people do to reach their level of satisfaction. Some of them become legendary like some sport stars or inventors. These people did something different and unique that made them special or memorable. Most people are the same as the people in the video and even me sometimes. We follow what the majority does but the more we fight that and become ourselves the better society can move on.
Our entire lives we are taught to fit in, so it makes sense that when a group of people stand up, you stand up as well. Its a survival instinct. In a doctor's office it might be appropriate to ask why everyone is standing, but those of us who went to church when we were little never questioned why we had to stand when the music started or why we bowed our heads when we prayed. Its ingrained in us to follow along. This experiment only involved standing, which is a normal action for us to do, but if they had been told to scream at the top of their lungs every time the buzzer sounded, the girl would have been less likely to follow suit (and would probably check to see if she was in the psych wing of the office) secor22 004
You right there are some areas of our lives that we conform to without asking why. Religion is one area that most people are raised in from birth and follow until we start to question the purpose. I believe that’s important to ask the question why before continuing to perform ritual or follow crowd.
Okay, to be honest that would be me. I would be the one to conform to the group just because everyone else is doing it. I told myself I would not get up like everyone else after seeing it the first time in class, because it seemed dumb to me. After thinking about it I know I would. Just because I don’t like to stick out in a crowd. If I was doing it I would have for sure stopped after everyone had left, and was alone. This video is a really good example that shows how everyone conforms to society no matter who you are. -CFC004
Our society does seem to be that which tends to follow the lead of another. I don't know if this is something that is learned in a more social environment like a high school setting, but being an employee of a high school I see it everyday. Students don't even need a reason for why something is done, but if they want to be socially accepted often times we see them jumping on the bandwagon to join in. We sometimes see this especially when bullying becomes a factor. bdole004
I had a thought come across my mind that this video was fake too. You see this all the time maybe not like this exactly, but friend groups tend to dress the same and also act the same. You can see this all over we might not just notice it. -CFC004
It's weird how we conform with society without even questioning why. It's sort of similar to following a crowd when we know deep in our hearts that it may be wrong. It seems that we rationalize the behavior by telling ourselves that if everyone else is doing it then I can't be wrong. I feel that's a major problem in society. We don't question why we have to do something. Dieting is a great example. It's force fed to us that we have to diet. All of the unhealthy practices are overlooked in order to look a certain way. In other cultures music has a adverse effect on different cultures. We may hear certain lyrics and thing it's cool to act out. But in reality it shades the true reality of the consequences behind our actions if they choose to follow them. In closing I feel that as long as individuals continue not to wonder why they're doing something or understand their surroundings, they will continue to be sheep in this small world. DAM004
What a funny video to show how people will conform to what’s being done around them. I didn’t think that it would have continued after the first set of the people left but it did. I guess I should be so surprised because just back twenty ago the things that society viewed as morally wrong are being viewed as okay. The question that I have to what level will we conform? What sets that level and who says enough? Is there a cost to pay for the reward to conform? The second part on the excise when after everyone leaves and the young lady continues and then tells the guy who late starts standing up when hearing the sound. So conformity works enough when there is no group pressure. And last when the one guy that tried to rebel against the group later gave in to the silent pressure of the group. He didn’t want to be viewed as an outsider.
This video I actually have saved to my Facebook, I loved this when I first seen it. We go along with society not even knowing why we are. I seen another blogger rsay if they seen a group of people running they would run too. Which us very true if I seen people running I'm going what them I'm not going to stand there and let them run past me. I remember in high school I seen all the kids running out the lunch room. I didn't just stand there I grabbed my purse and charged out with them because they were running from a food fight. This video is something a lot of us would have done some just not wanting to admit it, I would have just thought they made it before me and they said when you hear this sound stand up. Not I probably would have said now hold up after the first few times and asked someone next to me what's going on I wouldn't have kept going. She's following society and really doesn't even know why its just a habit some of us do on a everyday basis we just assume we are suppose to if everyone else happens to be doing the same thing. Pure004
That is so true we do go alone without knowing why. I can see why if you would run if you see a group people running because I would think danger of some type. We all follow someone most of the time. When we follow people we do think that's what we are suppose to do. wonderwoman004
This was a silly video but I realized it happens all the time. I see my kids all the time. No one wants to feel left out. They talked about how this is social learning and how your brain feels like it's a reward. Most people conform to what others are doing. They also talked about social norms because that is why the group went along. It was a form of social learning because everyone went along with it because they thought that was what they were suppose to do. The girl keep doing it even when the rest of the group was gone but I thought she would stop. That was very interesting that when she was alone, she still did it. I really enjoyed watching this video. wonderwoman004
I like how you point out that you see your kids do that all the time. That's how we all learned almost everything we know today as grown adults. We repeated the behavior of those around us. We obviously still do this throughout our entire lives but it seems to be more prevalent in children or at least more noticeable. -Antoinette004
I also loved how you mentioned about your kids. I too see my kids do this all the time. I have a teenage son and the last thing he wants is to feel "left out" or "different". But, as adults we do it just as much. We conform in areas like our jobs so that people won't look at us different. We do what "the man" says sometimes without question even though we know that it goes against our beliefs or opinions. ~peoriahighlionsfootball004
I really like this video. My second favorite part is when asked by the newcomer why the girl stands when she hears the tone, she responds, “Everybody was doing it so I thought I was supposed to”. I was curious if she complied because of her age or her personality. Maybe she was simply young or reserved and didn’t want to look out of place or appear that she didn’t know what she was doing. My all time favorite part of the video is when the gentleman didn’t stand the first few times he heard the tone. I was secretly hoping that he wouldn’t stand at all. Then … he heard the tone and rose from his chair. Why? Clearly nothing happened to him the first few times he didn’t stand. There was no punishment for his non-compliance. So why did he finally stand? I was both humored and disappointed in us as a society. ~happilycurious004
I really enjoyed watching this video in class. It was hilarious. It makes you wonder though how often we actually exhibit that kind of behavior. How much of what we do on a day to day basis is just us follow the crowd? We already know that celebrities and the media shape our way of thinking and sway us into believing that what these people do are the "norm" so we follow that, but without that influence a lot of what we do as day to day routines, we probably wouldn't do. This class has really made me think about human behavior as a whole and what goes into making us who are as people. We truly aren't as unique and individual as we claim to be. It makes me wonder how different we would be without all the constant influence from everyone around us. -Antoinette004
I agree with you if you just sit back and “people watch” you will notice how different every human is. And if you sit and listen to what we say we really say some funny things that we really don’t think about on a day to day basis. Its crazy how different we are in our own way but at the same time we are all so similar -Boop004-
“Most people are sheep,” I’d like to quote myself on that because this is something I say all the time. I’m a firm believer of this but it still shocked me to see how far it went. I can’t believe everyone started doing it. Even if you could tell they thought it was crazy and they didn’t understand they still did it they would lift up off the chair even the slightest bit to conform. I know for a fact I would’ve sat down and watched then maybe left because I thought something weird was going on. I really don’t know why people conform so easily. I enjoyed the guy who was chewing gum at the end just thought it was funny so willing to just go along with everything else. This is a controlled experiment on societies control over people but the world we live in is a social experiment itself. Nobody questions why they need the new iphone or the nicest shoes on the market. I have a friend who just broke their phone and they said they felt lonely. It’s easy to trick people into standing because subconsciously they are already tricked when they stand out of bed first thing in the morning. -dislikeblogs
Is it really as crazy as we think? How much of what we do daily is considered "group conformity?" Some nations meditate instead of medicate. They could look at everyone in the U.S. as a conforming group because of the health options that we choose to neglect. Do you think about it this way? -kylegoldheart004
I remember first being introduced to the idea of conformity a couple years ago. I was encouraged by a new SIUC grad to always ask questions. Group conformity is a product of fear. Whether it's fear of standing out, fear of being the "Devils advocate," or fear of the unknown. Fear can save our lives and it can also inhibit our growth and understanding. I think group conformity is also a result of not know how to address the task of getting information in unfamiliar situations. Sometimes you have to jump through loop wholes to even receive a response. Not all information is given willingly. Maybe the receptionist could have gotten frustrated and said "just do it please mam, even if you don't understand." Action that we consider to be conforming can be a matter of ones perception. -kylegoldheart004
I absolutely agree with your view about group conformity. I too believe that it is the fear of not knowing how to address the situation that makes an individual conform to the group. I also agree that it is an individual's perception that will help them perceive the situation and act upon the situation. -Happy004
I am a skeptic for this video because it is unlikely for a the lady that was not an actor to sit between the first female and the other male. On the other hand, I do believe that the sociological study is true. People no matter who would participate in whatever the whole group is doing. People would do things that since they see somebody else doing it they would follow. They don't know the reason why they are doing it, but they will do it just because the whole group is doing it. Even the male at the near end of the video stood up and conformed to the group. He was a bit more stubborn, but he still stood up with the group when the beep went off. Although, some might not want to admit that they would conform to society, until they are put on the spot and in the position, they will most likely conform due to the fear of being singled out and seen as odd. -Happy004
This video just absolutely blows my mind. I would like to think that I would not conform to the "norms" around me, but it's hard to say. This video makes it exceptionally hard to say. You would think that you would not stand up with everyone else in a doctors office waiting room, or at least you would have the confidence to stand up and say something, or ask why everyone is standing up. But in reality, you might just go along with what everyone else is doing because it's easier to go with the flow. Or maybe you just don't want to question what everyone else is doing. This video just goes to show that we are easily influenced by the behavior of those around us. Many people will take the easy way out and just conform to what everyone else is doing. These actions can be helpful or detrimental to our society. -chillato004
This video was kinda weird to me. I guess it's because I consider myself so "nosy" that I would've asked what was going on. As a parent we really emphasize to our children to be a "leader" and not a "follower". We try to teach especially my teenage son to not just go along with everyone else just because "everyone is doing it" But, as adults it is just as common. I see it everyday at my workplace. If someone is different or goes against the norm they are looked at as an outsider. Even as adults we are greatly influenced by what others think.~peoriahighlionsfootball004
It amazes me how easily we conform to others. The first time I watched this I thought it was a joke but it really does make since. In a group most people want to and will do what the majority of everyone else in the group is doing. This makes me think of the cards used in Asch's experiment. It's basically the same thing as what they do in this video. When you think about group conformity, I think most people think of kids and high school kids. They are always getting in trouble because they want to do fit in with the group and they will take things to the extreme. It is really just as common for adults too, maybe even more so. No body wants to feel left out of something even if they don't know why they are doing it.
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I agree with you that this is a crazy amazing experiment. Really gets you thinking. Makes me want to go test it out! RueTootie004
DeleteIt really is amazing to see how others conform to the group norms in a certain setting. And we'd like to thik that we wouldn't fall into the same trap, but it's very likely that we would. I thought of it as a joke at first as well, but as I thought more about the sociological imagination, it totally makes sense.
Delete-chillato004
Well, I thought that doing something the next person does was called, "follow the leader", or "copy cat". I had no idea there was a diffrent word for it. So conformity is how we become more socialized. It was said in the video that we follow bad habits and repeated wrongs. I can say that I picked up a bad habit of smoking in High school because everyone else was doing it. I felt just like the young lady in the video that I was excluded from the group, until I picked up that cigarette and started puffing. I felt better and became a part of that group. The problem is that I still have that bad habit. Not only did I learn something new, my sons learned also. They joined me in watching the video and thought is was hilarious so we all agreed that the next doctors visit we were going to try the same exercise. Wish us luck! myboys004
ReplyDeleteI also thought that if you follow another person its called "follow the leader" or "copy cat", I learn something knew everyday. I'm also guilty of being a follower. When I used to go to the night clubs, I obviously would be drinking but I would also smoke cigarettes in the beer garden or wherever because my girls were doing it and I wanted to fit in, I knew it was bad for my health but I didn't care. I am not a smoker and I learned my lesson, I also think back to my ridiculous ways, shake my head and think to myself about why I did what I did. This video raises a point that there are a lot of followers in today's society, and some people are not even aware of why they are following others.~Mznurse004
DeleteIts crazy how people in today's society will do things without even knowing why. People do things just by seeing someone else doing it. I am guilty of this as well, if I see a group of people or even one person running I'm going to get out of dodge as well because I don't know what or who they are running from or why I just wanna get away as fast as possible. This video is a good example. It takes one person to start doing something and everyone else follows suit. This is how bad habits can start and how some can get into trouble in school or on the job. We have all in our time done things to fit in because we didn't want to feel left out or get ridiculed for not taking part. I love the caption which is referring to people as sheep. In other words, in today's society a tendency to conform is so strong that intelligent people are willing to follow a leader even if they know its wrong.~Mznurse004
ReplyDeleteI completely agree. We all have a tendency to follow along in a situation. A reaction to certain stimuli I guess. It shows how easy it is to create a negative situTion. Or how easy it is to geg a needed/ wanted effect. Crazy.
DeleteThatgirl618-004
I totally agree with you! It is insane just how easy people in our society will do something without even know the real reason why. I think this is something we are all guilty of, just as you mentioned about seeing a crowd running the opposite way, I too would turn around and go that way also. We may not know why but seeing so many people running away it’s like it automatically triggers something in our brain that it is wrong and we too need to follow the crowd. -JustMe1989004
DeleteThat was very well put! Even the smartest people in society will conform when they think they will be left out. Groups foster the idea that it is good to be just like everyone else. There really is no escaping groups either. I definitely agree that people will just follow along with others without asking questions. I liked your example of running away, if I see a bunch of people running, without knowing exactly what it is, I know it can’t be good, so I would start running as well.
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I'm laughing at you Mznurse because what you are saying about running when someone else runs not knowing why you're running, or who or what you're running from is so amazingly truthful. I will ask questions later, but thats how we are as a people, we just react to the situation. myboys004
ReplyDeleteFollow the leader. That's what this video brings to mind. Just goes to show that we are not truly independent. We have our own thoughts, but what would it take for you to follow suit. We tend to follow along even without knowing the true reasoning. That reasoning itself could differ from person to person in the same group. The media plays a huge part in this. We develop an understanding, or feelings, for a certain situation while only having half of the I formation. We only see one side. Being able to see the whole picture or having all of the available information about a situation shouldkeep you in the leader category.
ReplyDeleteThatgirl618-004
I agree with this we are all different and have different thoughts but not too far off. and follow the leader really does come to mind which is a game taught to us as little kids which is very interesting. I liked how you brought up the media and how we only get one side. kind of makes you wonder who is the leader..
Delete-dislikeblogs004
This video to me seems a little bit off. How does she continue to stand even though she is all alone? How hasn't she asked someone what the heck is going on? I have unanswered questions. But at the end of the video the guy asked her "why are we standing?" and she replies " I thought i was suppose to because everyone else was doing it" So I guess it just depends on the person. If it was me I would have asked someone right away, but i can see how a more shy person would just go with it. Its silly, but amazing how easy it is for people to fall in line and do something because "everyone else is doing it" It is really crazy to think is this how the government controls us? We go to school because we are told to, we get jobs because we are told to, we have iphones and nice cars because everyone else does. We wear the same style trends because everyone else does. This clip really gets you thinking. RueTootie004
ReplyDeleteI feel like I would question things as well. I couldn’t see me just start standing and not know why. I do however look at situations where you go to a place whether it be a restaurant or some kind of service place. There’s a line and almost immediately we line up behind the “group” of individuals. We don’t ask if we need to get in line we just do it. If I look at it this way which is obviously more generalized than standing up when you hear a noise. I understand it more. I wonder how many other times I conform without noticing.
Delete-mysonmyworld004
We always want to think of ourselves of leading our own life’s and being control of ourselves, but we tend to be more of a follower than what we think we are. This video showed a perfect example of that. Some of us might be faster to join the crowd than others but social learning does always take effect. It always has amazed me just how easy something can take control if make enough people believe that is what they should be doing. As for the woman who kept standing up even though everyone had left and she was by herself, I think it was because she watched them do it enough times it was stuck in her mind as if she had to stand at the sound of the beep and it was no longer viewed as a choice. Just as we talked about in class if someone tells you to shoot and kill a village even though you think it is wrong, but a couple guys start to do it so you join in, it is drilled into your brain as something you have to do instead of want to do. This video just makes me think of maybe we are just puppets on a string. -JustMe1989004
ReplyDeleteI agree with what you said about how maybe we are just puppets on a string. We like to think all the choices we make are of our own free will and we decide what we do all on our own but that's not the case at all and this video shows that. We like to think we are unique and on some level we are but mostly we are just like every other person in the world and something other than just our free will influences almost every choice we make in life.
Delete-mybabygirl004
Such a good point that she probably kept standing because it was stuck in her head. Or "drilled" in her head. As a society we patterns, we like not having to think outside of the box. After a certain amount of time I bet she forgot that she even questioned why she was standing. I feel like politicians do this to us. We question there ethics but if they keep repeating that they are who is best fit for the job than that's all that matters and that is all we remember. Conditioning, it can be a scary thing.
DeleteKtKay004
I enjoy and agree with your comment in that we always want to think of ourselves as leading our own lives. It is very easy for us to watch this video and say that we wouldn’t stand like the girl did. We wouldn’t conform to everyone else around us when we know they are wrong. Truthfully, I have no idea what I would do in the situation. I could be just like that girl and stand up when I hear the tone, even if no one else is around me. I have to wonder if the girl was changed after this experiment. I can’t help but think that she questions things a little more than she did ‘pre-video’. ~happilycurious004
DeleteThis video is so crazy. I want to say it's fake but I know it's not. So many times especially in big crowds I want to just be in a turtle shell. I for some reason do not like being surrounded my strangers. Though I would like to think I would not start standing like this individual did, in the moment I might just do it. I can come across as pushy sometimes so would hope I'd at least ask why everyone was standing. For wanting to preach individuality all the time especially to my son, This is one instance I would want to just go with the crowd. Side note. Why did this girl not ask why she was not getting called back. For the entire waiting room to go back and then more people come in and get called back before her... I work at a doctors office. Most people would have complained. Just an observation of mine. It is a major reason I questioned if this was entirely true.
ReplyDeleteKtKay004
This video definitely says a lot about how human beings interact with each other. We really don’t like to be the odd one out. When a majority of people start to do something we blindly follow without knowing why. This experiment shows that for as smart as we are, we make some really dumb decisions. There is absolutely no reason that those people had any reason to be standing up when the tone went off. It is eye opening to realize how much we conform. Everyone likes to think that they are so individual but this experiment goes to show how little we do individually. This video really illustrates that groups are very important in our everyday lives. They are part of everything we do, even something as simple as sitting in a waiting room. It also shows that these groups we encounter in every aspect of our lives radically change how we act. We may not think about the group mindset infiltrating our brain when we choose to stand at the tone but it is exactly what it does.
ReplyDelete-DTH004
Your comment was a little similar to mine in that we don’t really do things as an individual, but rather as a society. We really are followers and creatures of habit. Whether you say you’re not doing something, you’ll eventually do it (like the guy in grey at the end of the video). Gators004
DeleteOk I seriously was so surprised by this. I mean these individuals didn’t even know why that noise was going off. I would hope that I would question something about this. I couldn’t even imagine my face if I saw everyone standing because of the noise. I am sure there has been times that I have conformed without even noticing that I have done it. I actually posted this video on my Facebook to see what some of my friends thought. Now some have probably not taken a sociology class and so of course they were definite in their answers that they would not be the type of person to conform. But I think they are unaware of how much we conform in our everyday lives. I mean if you walk in to a building and there is a line more than likely you are going to stand in that line. It makes me wonder what other little things in life we naturally conform to.
ReplyDelete-mysonmyworld004
I agree with your blog. I think we as a society tend to follow the lead of what we think is ok or the norm. Sometimes that being the example of what everyone else is doing. It does make a person wonder what other things they have done was just following someone else and not having a reason to do so. bdole004
DeleteI laugh every time I see this video because it is so true. As humans we always say, “Oh I won’t do that, I’m my own person, no one’s going to tell me what to do” and so on. I say the exact same thing. But if I were the girl in the purple, I most likely would have done the same thing. Much like the man in the grey shirt towards the end; he wasn’t standing up for any reason under the sun, but he ultimately caved and stood up. This is how we as humans act. At first we’re apprehensive about things but we always fall in line. If we were to do this experiment individually, I would imagine we’d all have similar outcomes. There’s a reason we have the saying ‘monkey see, monkey do’. Gators004
ReplyDeleteThere has to be a way to get rid of 'monkey see monkey do'. It is way to much of a powerful force. If a person had evil intentions and had a lot of followers that had robotic minds. Then that would just be a bad situation so we need to start using our mind more.
DeleteEmpowerlife004
There are certain things that people do to reach their level of satisfaction. Some of them become legendary like some sport stars or inventors. These people did something different and unique that made them special or memorable. Most people are the same as the people in the video and even me sometimes. We follow what the majority does but the more we fight that and become ourselves the better society can move on.
ReplyDeleteEmpowerlife004
Our entire lives we are taught to fit in, so it makes sense that when a group of people stand up, you stand up as well. Its a survival instinct. In a doctor's office it might be appropriate to ask why everyone is standing, but those of us who went to church when we were little never questioned why we had to stand when the music started or why we bowed our heads when we prayed. Its ingrained in us to follow along. This experiment only involved standing, which is a normal action for us to do, but if they had been told to scream at the top of their lungs every time the buzzer sounded, the girl would have been less likely to follow suit (and would probably check to see if she was in the psych wing of the office)
ReplyDeletesecor22 004
You right there are some areas of our lives that we conform to without asking why. Religion is one area that most people are raised in from birth and follow until we start to question the purpose. I believe that’s important to ask the question why before continuing to perform ritual or follow crowd.
DeleteOkay, to be honest that would be me. I would be the one to conform to the group just because everyone else is doing it. I told myself I would not get up like everyone else after seeing it the first time in class, because it seemed dumb to me. After thinking about it I know I would. Just because I don’t like to stick out in a crowd. If I was doing it I would have for sure stopped after everyone had left, and was alone. This video is a really good example that shows how everyone conforms to society no matter who you are.
ReplyDelete-CFC004
Our society does seem to be that which tends to follow the lead of another. I don't know if this is something that is learned in a more social environment like a high school setting, but being an employee of a high school I see it everyday. Students don't even need a reason for why something is done, but if they want to be socially accepted often times we see them jumping on the bandwagon to join in. We sometimes see this especially when bullying becomes a factor. bdole004
ReplyDeleteI had a thought come across my mind that this video was fake too. You see this all the time maybe not like this exactly, but friend groups tend to dress the same and also act the same. You can see this all over we might not just notice it.
ReplyDelete-CFC004
It's weird how we conform with society without even questioning why. It's sort of similar to following a crowd when we know deep in our hearts that it may be wrong. It seems that we rationalize the behavior by telling ourselves that if everyone else is doing it then I can't be wrong. I feel that's a major problem in society. We don't question why we have to do something. Dieting is a great example. It's force fed to us that we have to diet. All of the unhealthy practices are overlooked in order to look a certain way. In other cultures music has a adverse effect on different cultures. We may hear certain lyrics and thing it's cool to act out. But in reality it shades the true reality of the consequences behind our actions if they choose to follow them. In closing I feel that as long as individuals continue not to wonder why they're doing something or understand their surroundings, they will continue to be sheep in this small world. DAM004
ReplyDeleteWhat a funny video to show how people will conform to what’s being done around them. I didn’t think that it would have continued after the first set of the people left but it did. I guess I should be so surprised because just back twenty ago the things that society viewed as morally wrong are being viewed as okay. The question that I have to what level will we conform? What sets that level and who says enough? Is there a cost to pay for the reward to conform?
ReplyDeleteThe second part on the excise when after everyone leaves and the young lady continues and then tells the guy who late starts standing up when hearing the sound. So conformity works enough when there is no group pressure. And last when the one guy that tried to rebel against the group later gave in to the silent pressure of the group. He didn’t want to be viewed as an outsider.
Buckroger004
This video I actually have saved to my Facebook, I loved this when I first seen it. We go along with society not even knowing why we are. I seen another blogger rsay if they seen a group of people running they would run too. Which us very true if I seen people running I'm going what them I'm not going to stand there and let them run past me. I remember in high school I seen all the kids running out the lunch room. I didn't just stand there I grabbed my purse and charged out with them because they were running from a food fight. This video is something a lot of us would have done some just not wanting to admit it, I would have just thought they made it before me and they said when you hear this sound stand up. Not I probably would have said now hold up after the first few times and asked someone next to me what's going on I wouldn't have kept going. She's following society and really doesn't even know why its just a habit some of us do on a everyday basis we just assume we are suppose to if everyone else happens to be doing the same thing. Pure004
ReplyDeleteThat is so true we do go alone without knowing why. I can see why if you would run if you see a group people running because I would think danger of some type. We all follow someone most of the time. When we follow people we do think that's what we are suppose to do.
Deletewonderwoman004
This was a silly video but I realized it happens all the time. I see my kids all the time. No one wants to feel left out. They talked about how this is social learning and how your brain feels like it's a reward. Most people conform to what others are doing. They also talked about social norms because that is why the group went along. It was a form of social learning because everyone went along with it because they thought that was what they were suppose to do. The girl keep doing it even when the rest of the group was gone but I thought she would stop. That was very interesting that when she was alone, she still did it. I really enjoyed watching this video.
ReplyDeletewonderwoman004
I like how you point out that you see your kids do that all the time. That's how we all learned almost everything we know today as grown adults. We repeated the behavior of those around us. We obviously still do this throughout our entire lives but it seems to be more prevalent in children or at least more noticeable. -Antoinette004
DeleteI also loved how you mentioned about your kids. I too see my kids do this all the time. I have a teenage son and the last thing he wants is to feel "left out" or "different". But, as adults we do it just as much. We conform in areas like our jobs so that people won't look at us different. We do what "the man" says sometimes without question even though we know that it goes against our beliefs or opinions. ~peoriahighlionsfootball004
DeleteI really like this video. My second favorite part is when asked by the newcomer why the girl stands when she hears the tone, she responds, “Everybody was doing it so I thought I was supposed to”. I was curious if she complied because of her age or her personality. Maybe she was simply young or reserved and didn’t want to look out of place or appear that she didn’t know what she was doing. My all time favorite part of the video is when the gentleman didn’t stand the first few times he heard the tone. I was secretly hoping that he wouldn’t stand at all. Then … he heard the tone and rose from his chair. Why? Clearly nothing happened to him the first few times he didn’t stand. There was no punishment for his non-compliance. So why did he finally stand? I was both humored and disappointed in us as a society. ~happilycurious004
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed watching this video in class. It was hilarious. It makes you wonder though how often we actually exhibit that kind of behavior. How much of what we do on a day to day basis is just us follow the crowd? We already know that celebrities and the media shape our way of thinking and sway us into believing that what these people do are the "norm" so we follow that, but without that influence a lot of what we do as day to day routines, we probably wouldn't do. This class has really made me think about human behavior as a whole and what goes into making us who are as people. We truly aren't as unique and individual as we claim to be. It makes me wonder how different we would be without all the constant influence from everyone around us. -Antoinette004
ReplyDeleteI agree with you if you just sit back and “people watch” you will notice how different every human is. And if you sit and listen to what we say we really say some funny things that we really don’t think about on a day to day basis. Its crazy how different we are in our own way but at the same time we are all so similar
Delete-Boop004-
“Most people are sheep,” I’d like to quote myself on that because this is something I say all the time. I’m a firm believer of this but it still shocked me to see how far it went. I can’t believe everyone started doing it. Even if you could tell they thought it was crazy and they didn’t understand they still did it they would lift up off the chair even the slightest bit to conform. I know for a fact I would’ve sat down and watched then maybe left because I thought something weird was going on. I really don’t know why people conform so easily. I enjoyed the guy who was chewing gum at the end just thought it was funny so willing to just go along with everything else. This is a controlled experiment on societies control over people but the world we live in is a social experiment itself. Nobody questions why they need the new iphone or the nicest shoes on the market. I have a friend who just broke their phone and they said they felt lonely. It’s easy to trick people into standing because subconsciously they are already tricked when they stand out of bed first thing in the morning.
ReplyDelete-dislikeblogs
Is it really as crazy as we think? How much of what we do daily is considered "group conformity?" Some nations meditate instead of medicate. They could look at everyone in the U.S. as a conforming group because of the health options that we choose to neglect. Do you think about it this way? -kylegoldheart004
DeleteI remember first being introduced to the idea of conformity a couple years ago. I was encouraged by a new SIUC grad to always ask questions. Group conformity is a product of fear. Whether it's fear of standing out, fear of being the "Devils advocate," or fear of the unknown. Fear can save our lives and it can also inhibit our growth and understanding. I think group conformity is also a result of not know how to address the task of getting information in unfamiliar situations. Sometimes you have to jump through loop wholes to even receive a response. Not all information is given willingly. Maybe the receptionist could have gotten frustrated and said "just do it please mam, even if you don't understand." Action that we consider to be conforming can be a matter of ones perception. -kylegoldheart004
ReplyDeleteI absolutely agree with your view about group conformity. I too believe that it is the fear of not knowing how to address the situation that makes an individual conform to the group. I also agree that it is an individual's perception that will help them perceive the situation and act upon the situation. -Happy004
DeleteI am a skeptic for this video because it is unlikely for a the lady that was not an actor to sit between the first female and the other male. On the other hand, I do believe that the sociological study is true. People no matter who would participate in whatever the whole group is doing. People would do things that since they see somebody else doing it they would follow. They don't know the reason why they are doing it, but they will do it just because the whole group is doing it. Even the male at the near end of the video stood up and conformed to the group. He was a bit more stubborn, but he still stood up with the group when the beep went off. Although, some might not want to admit that they would conform to society, until they are put on the spot and in the position, they will most likely conform due to the fear of being singled out and seen as odd. -Happy004
ReplyDeleteThis video just absolutely blows my mind. I would like to think that I would not conform to the "norms" around me, but it's hard to say. This video makes it exceptionally hard to say. You would think that you would not stand up with everyone else in a doctors office waiting room, or at least you would have the confidence to stand up and say something, or ask why everyone is standing up. But in reality, you might just go along with what everyone else is doing because it's easier to go with the flow. Or maybe you just don't want to question what everyone else is doing. This video just goes to show that we are easily influenced by the behavior of those around us. Many people will take the easy way out and just conform to what everyone else is doing. These actions can be helpful or detrimental to our society.
ReplyDelete-chillato004
This video was kinda weird to me. I guess it's because I consider myself so "nosy" that I would've asked what was going on. As a parent we really emphasize to our children to be a "leader" and not a "follower". We try to teach especially my teenage son to not just go along with everyone else just because "everyone is doing it" But, as adults it is just as common. I see it everyday at my workplace. If someone is different or goes against the norm they are looked at as an outsider. Even as adults we are greatly influenced by what others think.~peoriahighlionsfootball004
ReplyDelete