Have you ever been in a group of, say, ten people who cannot decide on a place to eat, even though there are a dozen restaurants in sight? This indecision is just one example of crowd conformity. The group cannot decide, and no one wants to break ranks with the group’s… will.
However one person, with a clear idea – or suggestion – of what to do, can sway the rest of the group. Try it the next time you find yourself among people who cannot make up their minds.
As soon as there’s someone who disagrees, or even just dithers or can’t decide, conformity is reduced. Some studies have found conformity can be reduced from highs of 97% on a visual judgement task down to only 36% when there is a competent dissenter in the ranks. Dissenters must be consistent, though, otherwise they’ll fail to convince the majority.
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