Conformal personality type of a person and recommendations for communicating with him

Briefly described, a conforming personality type in psychology is a tendency to change one’s beliefs and behavior under the influence of external rather than internal factors. For example, in order not to stand out in the crowd or under pressure from others. Such people always agree with the opinions of others, they always do everything for the company, never argue or contradict, and avoid conflicts in every possible way.

The first description of this personality type was given by the Polish-American psychologist Solomon Eliot Asch, the author of numerous experiments on conformity.

Leading features:

• opportunism;
• amorphousness, lack of initiative;
• fear of change;
• friendliness and non-conflict.

Positive features:

• friendliness, non-conflict, compliance;
• discipline;
• diligence;
• delicacy in communication;
• fast adaptation;
• preservation of traditions, socio-cultural heritage;
• the ability to establish relationships in a team and work to unite it.

Negative features:

• lack of own opinion, inner core;
• infantilism;
• low self-esteem;
• their whole life, including the hierarchy of values ​​and hobbies, is formed under the influence of their environment;
• exposure to prejudices, stereotypes;
• replacement of personal moral and ethical standards with social ones;
• lack of creativity and creative impulses;
• facelessness, dullness, loss of individuality;
• formation of false values ​​and false beliefs;
• living someone else's life, not your own.

Appearance:

• blurry, unfocused gaze;
• slouch;
• head pulled into shoulders;
• smoothed profile;
• unemotional, sour smile;
• either too plump or very thin - there are no muscular athletes among them;
• inconspicuous clothing style;
• often - horn-rimmed glasses;
• They speak quietly and never raise their voice.

Examples of characters from literary heroes:

• the old man from “The Tale of the Fisherman and the Fish” by A. S. Pushkin;
• Otto Babbitt from S. Lewis's novel Babbitt;
• the main character of the story “Darling” by A.P. Chekhov;
• Sofya Petrovna Likhutina from A. Bely’s novel “Petersburg”;
• Daisy from The Great Gatsby.

As for conformism in modern realities, we can cite the example of teenagers who all dress the same. Or adults who are on the diets that neighbor Lucy advised; prepare those dishes that are now in fashion; join the party in which everyone is included.

In psychology, the conformal type of character accentuation according to Lichko corresponds to the extroverted personality type according to Leonhard.

What is conformism

Photo by Ron Lach: Pexels
In social psychology, conformity refers to a form of fitting into a group. In order to become “similar”, a person takes on the opinion of society, the same rules of behavior, norms and values ​​of the majority.

For a conformist, his own opinion and beliefs do not matter; they are always secondary, because the rules of the majority come to the fore. A person with a conformist personality type consciously obeys the group; with rare exceptions, such people become leaders, since making decisions on their own is completely unbearable and painful for them.

We can say that conformists are the most comfortable people in society, who quickly adapt to the general opinion, try to win everyone’s favorable attitude toward them, and perfectly carry out any assignment or request.

In a love relationship, conformists are driven and subordinate to their partner, and it is incredibly difficult to provoke him into conflict. Men are conformists - henpecked, and women are quiet mice who look into their partner's mouth and obey him in everything.

Professional activity

The psychology of this type is such that, trying not to stand out, he adapts to his familiar environment. Therefore, he does not like to change his place of residence, and, especially, work. After all, this means that you will have to learn to behave in a new way.

And since adaptation is not entirely smooth and easy, he usually works in the same place for a long time. Even if it doesn't completely suit him.

As already mentioned, he is wary of newcomers. So outsiders usually get the worst of it, being subjected to open hostility and even criticism. If part of the team does not accept a new colleague into their ranks, then in this case one can only sympathize with him, because from a conforming employee he will receive for everyone at once.

He is a good worker, efficient and responsible. He is ready for anything, as long as he is not rejected. But in an area where initiative and activity are required, he fails.

He should not be appointed to leadership positions. Because, trying to please his subordinates, he will sacrifice not only his interests, but also the goals of the enterprise, dooming it to bankruptcy.

If you fail to cope with the stress of deadlines and the need to make decisions on your own, you run the risk of neurosis, an emotional breakdown, and even depression.

Positive and negative qualities of a conformist

Conformists are afraid of change, but this type of personality also has positive qualities:

• Friendly
• Highly disciplined
• Delicate in communication
• Compliant

Among the negative qualities of the personality type are the following:

• Infantile
• Lack of opinion
• Low self-esteem
• Subject to the influence of others (prejudices, opinions, beliefs)
• Lack of initiative
• Lack of creative impulses
• Getting lost in a conflict situation
• Avoid responsibility
• Subject to manipulation

Conforming personality type

Socionics and other typologies

Conformal type

P. B. Gannushkin (1933) aptly outlined some of the features of this type - a constant readiness to obey the voice of the majority, stereotypes, banality, a tendency towards walking morality, good behavior, conservatism, but he unsuccessfully associated this type with low intelligence. In reality, it's not about the intellectual level at all. Such subjects often study well, receive higher education, and, under certain conditions, work successfully.

The main character trait of this type is constant and excessive conformity to one’s immediate familiar surroundings...

These individuals are characterized by distrust and a wary attitude towards strangers. As is known, in modern social psychology, conformity is usually understood as the subordination of an individual to the opinion of a group, as opposed to independence and independence. Under different conditions, each subject exhibits one or another degree of conformity. However, with conformal accentuation of character, this property is constantly revealed, being the most stable feature.

Representatives of the conformal type are people of their environment. Their main quality, the main rule of life is to think “like everyone else”, act “like everyone else”, try to have everything “like everyone else” - from clothes and home furnishings to worldview and judgments on pressing issues. By “everyone” we mean the normal immediate environment. They don’t want to lag behind him in anything, but they also don’t like to stand out or get ahead of themselves. This is especially evident in the example of attitudes towards clothing fashions. When some new unusual fashion appears, there are no more ardent detractors than representatives of the conformist type. But as soon as their environment masters this fashion, say, trousers or skirts of the appropriate length and width, they themselves put on the same clothes, forgetting what they said two or three years ago. In life, they like to be guided by maxims and in difficult situations they tend to seek consolation in them (“you can’t bring back what’s lost,” etc.). Trying to always be in accordance with their environment, they are completely unable to resist it. Therefore, a conformist personality is completely a product of its microenvironment. In a good environment, these are good people and good workers. But, having found themselves in a bad environment, they eventually learn all its customs and habits, manners and rules of behavior, no matter how much all this contradicts the previous ones and no matter how harmful it may be. Although adaptation is quite difficult for them at first, when it is realized, the new environment becomes the same dictator of behavior as the previous one. Therefore, conformist teenagers “be like everyone else” and adopt common teenage fashions, hobbies, manners, and intentions. The hobbies of a conformist teenager are entirely determined by his environment and the fashion of the time.

Self-assessment of the character of conforming teenagers can be quite good...

Mixed types. These types account for almost half of the cases of obvious accentuations. Their features are easy to imagine based on the previous descriptions. The combinations that occur are not accidental. They obey certain patterns. Traits of some types are combined with each other quite often, while others - almost never. There are two types of combinations.

Intermediate types are caused by endogenous patterns, primarily genetic factors, and also, possibly, developmental features in early childhood. These include the already described labile-cycloid and conformally hyperthymic types, as well as combinations of the labile type with astheno-neurotic and sensitive, astheno-neurotic with sensitive and psychasthenic. This may also include such intermediate types as schizoid-sensitive, schizoid-psychasthenic, schizoid-epileptoid, schizoid-hysteroid, hysteroid-epileptoid. Due to endogenous patterns, transformation of the hyperthymic type into the cycloid type is possible.

Amalgam types are also mixed types, but of a different kind. They are formed as a result of the layering of traits of one type onto the endogenous core of another due to improper upbringing or other chronically acting psychogenic factors. Here, too, not everything is possible, but only some layers of one type on top of another. These phenomena are discussed in more detail in the chapter on psychopathic developments. It should be noted here that the hyperthymic-unstable and hyperthymic-hysteroid types represent the addition of unstable or hysteroidal traits to the hyperthymic basis. The labile-hysteroid type is usually the result of layering and hysteria on emotional lability, and the schizoid-unstable and epileptoid-unstable are the result of instability on a schizoid or epileptoid basis. The latter combination is characterized by an increased criminal risk. In the hysteroid-unstable type, instability is only a form of expression of hysteroid traits. The conformist-unstable type arises as a consequence of raising a conformist teenager in an asocial environment. The development of epileptoid traits based on conformity is possible when a teenager grows up in conditions of tough relationships. Other combinations are practically never found.

Author - Lichko A.E. “Psychopathy and character accentuations in adolescents”

New articles:

• Epileptoid type

">Schizoid type

• Cycloid type
• Sensitive type
• Psychasthenic type

">Unstable type

Old articles:

• Hysterical type
• Hyperthymic type
• Astheno-neurotic type

Character accentuations

Accentuation of character is an extreme version of the norm, like an excessive enhancement of character traits. Among conformists, the accentuation of character is expressed in amorphism.

In his desire to please everyone, a person completely forgets about his ambitions and life goals, giving his life and the lives of loved ones into the “hands” of society, as if going with the flow. In his desire not to stand out from the crowd, he is guided by one motive - not to come under criticism, so as not to become an object of ridicule and not to be rejected.

Examples

In a situation with an office lunch, the conforming personality type will quickly go and have a fried pie with everyone, despite the fact that his wife thoughtfully offers to take chicken broth from home with him to the office.

A conformist would rather laugh at her and say: “We all go to the pie shop for lunch!” I can’t, like a fool, dine on broth alone! They won’t understand me and will think I’m a laughing stock!” But as soon as a team introduces a new rule of healthy eating, when everyone starts bringing with them a healthy lunch consisting of broths and steamed cutlets, the conformist will immediately change his opinion on the topic of nutrition and act like everyone else.

Or in fashion, he will make fun of the new trend louder than anyone else, but as soon as those around him start wearing things that match the trends in fashion, he will immediately go to the store in search of the same thing, so as to be sure to be “like everyone else.” A conformist always tries to fit in with the environment in which he is, and because of what company he is in will depend on how he will look (clothing, fashion trends in appearance).

Teenage years

If a teenager finds himself among those who are interested in reading, studying computers, and so on, then naturally he will repeat after them. His main goal will be self-development, because this is what worries his friends.

But if you find yourself in the company of peers who smoke, drink and steal, accordingly, even considering that this is wrong and immoral, you will become dependent on nicotine and other substances.

Committing offenses and being registered with a local police officer, he will experience guilt and remorse, but will not change anything in his behavior until the environment in which he is located somehow changes.

Let’s say, having moved to another city and met people pursuing completely different goals in life, he will try to adapt to them, forgetting about the deviant style of behavior.

And sometimes it happens the other way around: a child who shows great promise, for example, in sports, begins to communicate with those who are very far from him and prefer to receive adrenaline and generally vivid emotions using drugs.

Then he stops following a diet, a daily routine, and later completely abandons training, forgetting about manners and rules of behavior, spending all his time in various dens with dubious personalities.

They can also commit violence against helpless people or animals, simply because the group they are in incites them to abuse their chosen victims.

They will not dare to give up the role of a tyrant and aggressor, because the risk of being outside one’s community is more frightening than the consequences of violent actions.

They choose their future profession based on what most of their friends are planning to do. And if he likes to study foreign languages, but the rest go to study to become lawyers, then, without hesitation, they will apply to exactly the university where they want. And they will dream of being in the same group, so that they can spend whole days together.

If parents, for certain reasons, “rip out” their children from their familiar environment, such as moving or changing schools, then teenagers may well run away from home. Thus, staging a rebellion, not wanting to go through the adaptation process again.

Communication Tips

There are usually no problems in communicating with a conformist person, although such people often irritate with their compliance and ingratiation.

And if there is a person with a conforming type in your environment, take advantage of the advice of psychologists on how to behave correctly with them:

• Don't humiliate the dignity of a conformist

Such people have a very hard time withstanding criticism from outside; all their helpfulness and politeness is aimed at meeting the expectations of colleagues, superiors or people around them.

• Don't take advantage of his kindness

Conformists are often used by others for their own selfish purposes: to bring or carry something, to conspire against another person, or to put their work on him.

• Praise him often for his kindness
• Don't express your irritation on him because of his compliance.
• Subtly encourage independence in decision making
• Help set small goals and create awareness of the importance of following your goal
• If a conformist shares his goals with you, ask: do you really want this?

A conformist person loses his own interests or pushes them deep inside, succumbing to the influence of others, and encouraging such a person to search for his likes and interests will only benefit him.

Childhood

At school, a child of a conformist character type, according to Lichko, generally studies averagely, although in fact he can do better.

For example, even if he is the only one in the class who knows the correct answer to the teacher’s question, he will not raise his hand. Because he believes that since others do not understand the essence of this topic, then he will probably be mistaken.

And even in this case, all attention will be focused on him, and it is unknown how his classmates will react to his attempt to seem smart. What if they don’t want to communicate with him after this, considering him an upstart. And this is the worst thing for him.

The reasons for this behavior lie not only in belonging to a certain type of temperament or character. A child, wanting to receive the love of his parents, their recognition, is often obliged to obey their rules, and so often that this becomes a way of life.

From an early age, a child understands that it is necessary to conform to the world, otherwise there is a high probability of death due to rejection.

For example, a mother, if a child does not obey, says that she does not love him and ignores all attempts to attract attention until he begins to behave the way she wants.

And if she behaves like this with him every time, then it is quite natural that he gets used to suppressing his desires and feelings, adapting to her demands.

Overprotection also leaves a significant imprint on the formation of conformity. If adults do not give a child the opportunity to cope with difficulties by fulfilling developmental goals for his age, then he will never gain experience and, accordingly, independence skills.

Then he will try to stay aloof and be like others, copying their behavior, because he will not have confidence in himself and his knowledge, talents and characteristics.

Advantages and disadvantages of conformity

Absolutely any phenomenon always has its advantages and disadvantages. For example, if a person does not depend too much on other people’s opinions and shows moderate conformity, then this quality will help her quickly and easily find a common language in new social groups. But you will still need to demonstrate your character from time to time so as not to get lost among those around you.

Also, when crisis situations arise, defending one’s own beliefs allows the entire group to be saved from destruction. The main thing is that when the crisis passes, a person does not forget about his personality.

Unfortunately, the shortcomings in this case predominate. Being conformist, a person literally becomes an opportunist and destroys his individuality, which subsequently prevents him from making independent decisions.

He not only faces the loss of independent thinking, but also experiences an atrophy of creative thinking. He is no longer able to create, to create various objects of art. He also stops asking global, universal questions, although they continue to partially depend on him.

And, of course, narrow thinking invariably provokes various prejudices, biases and other stereotypical thinking. As a result, we can observe a person who has no personality.

In conclusion

Let's summarize the topic:

• Conforming behavior is replacing one's own opinion with the opinions of other people.
• Nonconformism is a radical rejection of other people's opinions, an active struggle against it.
• Both conformity and nonconformism are two borderline states that do not meet the norm. It is important for every person to be able to defend their own opinion, not to completely copy other people, but to learn something from them, because it is impossible to be right in absolutely everything.

Finally, watch the thematic video:

How to behave

It is necessary to understand that each person has a unique way of thinking. Personal opinion creates the individual as a person

It is important to be able to compare your own thoughts with public norms. However, a personal view should always be present and come first

If it is difficult for a person to have an opinion, you need to listen to the following advice.

1. Look for like-minded people. If you are afraid that you will not be understood, there is uncertainty, then you need to find the support of a person who will have the same views and will be able to share interests. Such people will help make sure that the judgments were correct, and like-minded people will also suggest how best to present this idea in society.
2. Argumentation. In order for a person not to come under criticism from his environment, he must be absolutely confident in his statements. Therefore, it will be better if he finds arguments that will confirm his information. This will make it easier to defend your point of view and significantly increase the chances of being perceived by others.
3. Active action. A person who has not tried will not be able to know what the consequences may be. Therefore, you should not be afraid, but rather try to start expressing yourself. Sometimes it won’t be a bad idea to express your opinion last, in order to have time to analyze from the speeches of others what shortcomings you have.
4. Formation of independence. Not all people, including famous and great ones, were not immediately recognized by society. If a person is confident that he is taking the right actions, then he must defend his position to the last. There is no need to give up at the first failure.

Now you know what personality conformism is. A person must understand that in some cases such behavior is normal, for example, starting a family

However, sometimes you can’t behave like a herd of sheep and follow someone else’s idea without paying attention to your own opinion. You need to understand that personality is formed precisely by the ability to have your own point of view and defend it

Why does conforming behavior occur?

There are certain risk factors that contribute to the development of pathological susceptibility to the opinions of others, namely:

• The influence of cultural characteristics . For example, representatives of Western culture (English, Italians) find conformity a very negative personality trait. They need to defend their own opinion - this is a sign of critical thinking and high education. In contrast, the Chinese and Japanese, on the contrary, excessively cultivate pliability to outside opinions, perceiving it as a favorable and positive phenomenon.
• Person's age and gender.
• Features of the microsocial characteristics of the individual - this means how important the group is for the individual, what place he occupies in it.
• Peculiarities of personal psychological attitudes - it talks about how easily a person is suggestible, whether he needs the constant approval of others, what intellectual data he has, how highly he respects himself and whether he has sufficiently stable self-esteem.
• Indicators of situational characteristics - that is, the level of competence of the individual himself, as well as members of his social group, how important the topics discussed are to him personally, whether he makes a decision publicly or in private.

Conformal behavior and nonconformism

The opposite of conformity is nonconformism. Nonconformism is the active rejection of generally established norms, values, laws or traditions.

Nonconformism implies not just a desire to protect one’s rights and freedom, but a desire to move “by the opposite,” demonstrating to others that they are completely wrong. It is unrealistic to prove something to a nonconformist, since he is firmly convinced of one thing: everything that others say is wrong, deceitful and absurd.

Why do people become nonconformists? The main reason that pushes them to do this is the thirst for self-affirmation, the desire to convince everyone around them that they are right and prove their right to make socially significant decisions.

Of course, it is important for each of us to maintain our individuality, our unique personality traits; accordingly, we are all, to some extent, considered nonconformists. However, certain individuals are so afraid of getting lost in society and becoming a “gray mass” that they strive to take an extreme position. At the same time, they often declare a real war on generally established norms and traditions.

Both conformity and non-conformism - both of these concepts represent states of borderline extremes. And neither one nor the second phenomenon can be attributed to the norm.

Behavior patterns

Internal agreement is a manifestation of a behavior model

1. Internal agreement. A person agrees with what others say and internally accepts this opinion. In such a situation, the individual has a high degree of suggestibility. This model is an adaptation in changing conditions.
2. External consent. At a subconscious level, there comes an understanding that people can make mistakes. This model of behavior is true conformism, and characterizes people who make attempts to find their place in society.
3. Denial is also called negativism. There is resistance to the majority. He defends his point of view to prove his own independence. Such people most often occupy leadership positions.
4. Nonconformism. The person has resilience. This model of behavior characterizes self-sufficient individuals.

Classification

There are different views on the types of conformity, but the traditional one is still considered the most conciliatory:

1. Internal conformity. A person really reconsiders his views, opinions, positions and behavior and understands that until now it was wrong.
2. External conformity. Inside himself, a person does not accept the position and behavior of society, but outwardly he behaves as if he accepted the rules of the game.

Human characteristics that influence conformity:

• cultural characteristics - in Western culture, for example, Italy and England, conformity is an extremely negative trait of a person, because defending one’s opinion is considered in these countries a sign of a critically thinking and educated person. In eastern China and Japan, for example, conformity is highly valued and is a desirable and positive phenomenon.
• gender and age characteristics of a person
• microsocial characteristics of a person - the significance of the group for a person, his role and status in it
• individual psychological characteristics of a person - degree of suggestibility, need for approval, level of intelligence, level of self-esteem, stability of self-esteem
• situational characteristics of a person - the level of competence of the person and members of his society, the personal significance of the issues under discussion for this person, whether the decision is made publicly