konformnost

Konformnost, or conformity, refers to the act of matching one's attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors to group norms, social expectations, or external standards. It can occur informally in everyday life or formally through rules and regulations. The term appears in multiple languages in Europe, where it is used to describe both social behavior and compliance with standards.

In social psychology, konformnost is studied as a process in which individuals adjust their responses due to real or imagined social pressure. Two central forms are normative conformity, driven by the desire to be liked or accepted, and informational conformity, driven by the belief that others’ judgments are more accurate. Influencing factors include group size, unanimity, status, cultural context (collectivist versus individualist), and whether the response is public or private. Mechanisms include private acceptance (internalization) and public compliance (external agreement without a change in private beliefs).

Beyond psychology, konformnost describes adherence to cultural norms and rules within societies and organizations. It can promote social cohesion and predictability but may also suppress dissent, hinder innovation, or perpetuate bias if norms are biased or outdated.

In modern economies, conformity assessment refers to processes that verify whether products, services, or systems meet specified requirements. Standards organizations such as ISO and IEC develop criteria; compliance often results in markings or certifications, such as the CE marking in the European Economic Area, indicating conformity with relevant standards.