The Psychology Of Conformity In Sports

The Psychology of Conformity
In American sporting events, the “Wave” is a spectator cheer in which successive groups of fans will briefly stand, raise their hands, and yell before returning to their seated position. From a psychological perspective, the “Wave” represents an excellent example of social conformity. Even though members of the audience are not required to stand and cheer, they will feel the urge to participate in the performance solely because everyone else is. People would typically much rather join in than feel left out. Although some would argue that human respect for objective facts is greater than the desire to conform, psychological and historical evidence strongly suggests that humans tend to follow the group more often than form individual opinions and judgements.

In some instances, remaining true to one’s identity and beliefs will outweigh all social pressures and external influences. In 1955, Rosa Parks refused to give up her bus seat to a white man, demonstrating a courageous defiance of social custom. This rebellious act of non-conformity sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott, a civil rights movement that radically reshaped segregation laws and racial discrimination for the rest of American history. In most cases, however, non-conformity receives considerable disapproval. Immediately following the Alabama city bus incident, Parks was arrested and convicted of disorderly conduct. Morality and ethics can largely affect people’s decisions; however, factors such as peer pressure and a desire to fit in can play a much large role in people’s