Figure 1: Hi everyone, I'm Ms. Frizzle!(4) |
"How are we going to do that Ms. Frizzle?" asks Meagan.
"We are going to be a fly on the wall, throughout the elementary school, for a field trip. No one there will be able to see us, because we are going to shrink," Ms. Frizzle explains.
"Shrink!", shrieks Arnold.
"Yes, how else will we be a fly on the wall? Here we go; hold on!" exclaims Ms. Frizzle as the bus got smaller and smaller.
"Oh no, I don't like the look of this Ms. Frizzle! Why is the look of everything getting so big? I can see the dust particles on the walls. They look like a giant dust mountain!" shrieked Arnold.
Figure 2: Coloring Page of a Frog (1) |
"Yes Marilyn that would be another example of conformity." says Ms. Frizzle.
"According to my research, all of those examples are how everything stays running smoothly in a classroom. They are the rules Ms. Frizzle," says Becca.
"Yes, they are Becca, well done. Let's go to the lunch room!" Ms. Frizzle instructs.
In the Lunch Room
While watching everyone in the cafeteria, Ms. Frizzle spots an example of conformity. "Here, there is an example in line. There are a group of students talking about what they want for lunch. The one kid just said that he wanted the meatball hoagie instead of the pizza, which is what his friends want. His friends just told him that the hoagie was a bad idea. Let's get a closer look and see what he gets," suggests Ms. Frizzle. "He has gotten the pizza, which is why this is an example of conformity. He was scared that his friends would leave him out because of what he thought was tasty (3)." Ms. Frizzle explains. In this situation, the student uses conformity in order to relieve his worry of being left out.
Why Conformity is Good
Figure 3: Two People at a Fancy Restaurant (6) |
Back to the Classroom
As the class comes back to normal size and settles back down into their desks for the end of the day Ms. Frizzle asks, "Class, what did we learn today?"
"We learned, that conformity is when someone copies another person in order to fit in to their surroundings." says Becca.
"We also learned that conforming to other's behaviors is good in some cases, if you want to impress someone." says Marilyn.
"That's called the informational influence!" says Arnold.
"We also learned that following the rules is considered to be conformity, but this allows for everything to run smoothly." says Meagan.
"Very good class! Let's go to lunch, I'm starving!" Ms. Frizzle instructs.
References
(1) Coloring of a Frog [Photograph]. (2014). Retrieved from:
http://www.myflfamilies.com/service-programs/child-welfare/water-safety-for-kids
(2) Dunn, D.S., Hammer,Y.E., & Weiten, W. (2012). Psychology applied to modern life. Belmont,
CA: Wadsworth.
(3) Gylling, H. (2014). Desire for conformity. Homo Oeconomicus, 31(4), 561-580.
(4) Ms. Frizzle [Photograph]. (2013). Retrieved from:
(5) Oh, S.H. (2013). Do collectivists conform more than individualists? Cross-cultural differences in
compliance and internalization. Social Behavior and Personality, 41(6), 981-994.
(6) Two people at a fancy restaurant [Photograph]. (2017). Retrieved from:
http://cliparts.co/restaurant-menu-clipart