Psychologists have spent decades studying the power of social influence and the way in which it manipulates people’s opinions and behaviour. Social influence refers to the way in which individuals change their ideas and actions to meet the demands of a social group. There are a number of reasons why people allow social influences to affect their thoughts and behaviour. One reason is that we often conform to the norms of a group to gain acceptance of its members. Group conformity can encourage cooperation when attempting to achieve a shared goal. It enables a sense of cohesion within a society. Whilst social influence can have a positive effect on behaviour, its disadvantages are not negligible. Conformity to a narrow set of behaviours and views can discourage the nurturing of new ideas which could improve the lives of a group. It can discourage its members from questioning and debating the beliefs held by the majority of a group and its practises.

Yogita Parihar

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