Going Along Versus Going Alone: When Fundamental Motives Facilitate Strategic (Non)Conformity

Three experiments examined how 2 fundamental social motives-self-protection and mate attraction-influenced conformity. A self-protective goal increased conformity for both men and women. In contrast, the effects of a romantic goal depended on sex, causing women to conform more to others' prefer...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of personality and social psychology 2006-08, Vol.91 (2), p.281-294
Main Authors: Griskevicius, Vladas, Goldstein, Noah J, Mortensen, Chad R, Cialdini, Robert B, Kenrick, Douglas T
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Attitudes
Behavior
Behavior. Attitude
Biological and medical sciences
Conformity
Female
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Goals
Human
Human Mate Selection
Humans
Impression Management
Interpersonal attraction
Interpersonal relations
Love
Male
Mate selection
Motivation
Nonconformity (Personality)
Personality
Physical appearance
Preferences
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychology. Psychophysiology
Self Concept
Self-Presentation
Self-Preservation
Social Conformity
Social influence
Social Influences
Social psychology
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Summary:Three experiments examined how 2 fundamental social motives-self-protection and mate attraction-influenced conformity. A self-protective goal increased conformity for both men and women. In contrast, the effects of a romantic goal depended on sex, causing women to conform more to others' preferences while engendering nonconformity in men. Men motivated to attract a mate were particularly likely to nonconform when (a) nonconformity made them unique (but not merely a member of a small minority) and when (b) the topic was subjective versus objective, meaning that nonconformists could not be revealed to be incorrect. These findings fit with a functional evolutionary model of motivation and behavior, and they indicate that fundamental motives such as self-protection and mate attraction can stimulate specific forms of conformity or nonconformity for strategic self-presentation.
ISSN:0022-3514
1939-1315
DOI:10.1037/0022-3514.91.2.281