Humans like to think of themselves as independent thinkers, but every decision we make — from the clothes we wear to the beliefs we hold — is subtly influenced by the world around us. Social psychology explores those invisible forces, “which is what makes this psychology in particular very interesting,” says Mrs. Orlando, the A/AP psychology teacher at East. Social psychology can be simply defined as how people think and act in social situations, and how factors like groups, expectations, and relationships shape what we do.
Social psychology has many topics, one of which is Social Influence. How do peers influence decision-making? How does the presence of authority figures influence and change behaviors? And the most interesting of them all, in what situations are we inclined to conform, as opposed to rebel?
People tend to conform when they want to fit in or believe that the majority is correct. Classic experiments like Solomon Asch’s line test showed that when people clearly saw the right answer, many chose the wrong one just to fit in. Conformity grows stronger in bigger groups or when the group feels united. However, people resist when the pressure clashes with their personal values, especially when they have at least one other person on their side.
Eastside interviewed two anonymous volunteers for a social experiment, in which the students were gently pressured into picking another answer. There were three rounds of this experiment. For the first round, the students were shown three photos of different landscapes: a desert, a forest, and a waterfall. Both students had initially chosen the forest photo, and were then gently pressured into selecting the waterfall. Although they both still chose the forest, they said that the pressure made them think twice about their choice.
For the second round, the participants were shown three photos of different colors: dark red, jade green, and navy blue. Student One had picked blue, and Student Two had picked green. They were then gently pressured to choose red. Student One had caved in, but Student Two was extremely hesitant. When asked how confident they were in their answers, Student One said, “I was pretty confident in blue, but I picked the red one in the end,” and Student Two said, “I was moderately confident.”
For the final round, the participants were shown three types of snacks: a bowl of fruits, an ice cream bowl, and a bag of chips. Student One chose ice cream, and Student Two chose the fruit. Again, they were gently pressured into choosing the chips. Neither student responded to the peer pressure. When asked if seeing another option made them think twice, Student One had said yes, but Student Two said, “Absolutely not.”
At the conclusion of the experiment, both participants were asked if they usually go with their own choice or other people’s opinions. Student One said “It depends if my choice is resolute. But sometimes when my opinions are faltering, and no one else thinks [the same way], then I’ll pretend to [change my opinion]” Student Two said, “I thought that I was more of a follower kind of, when people have other opinions, I usually go along, but I guess not.”
Eastside conducted a survey in which they tested students’ perceptions of being peer pressured and their thoughts on it. When asked how often they are influenced by peer pressure, 36.4% said sometimes, while the same percentage said never.
When asked how confident they were in saying no when their friends disagreed, only 36.4% said they were confident. Similarly, 54.5% said that they would change their opinion to avoid conflict. Only 18.2% said they would speak up if they thought a group had a wrong idea, while 63.3% said maybe, and 18.2% said no. When asked if peer pressure affected them more than they would like to admit, 50% of students said yes.
Social psychology shows how deeply we’re shaped by the people and situations around us. From the urge to conform to stand apart, our behavior reflects both our need for connection and sense of self. By understanding these patterns, we can recognize when influence helps us grow – and when it quietly limits us. In a world full of social pressure, awareness might be the first real step towards independence.