Social Nonconformity

Social Nonconformity is characterized as atypical behavior or nonconformity that may underlie some psychological disorders. Social Nonconformity refers to disobeying public standards for acceptable conduct. Extreme nonconformity can lead to destructive or self-destructive behavior. Examples to consider might be a drug abuser or a prostitute. However, we must be careful to separate unhealthy nonconformity from creative lifestyles. Many eccentric “characters” are charming and emotionally stable.

Crazy or Entertainment

Take for example a young woman who ties a thick, black rubber cord around her ankles, screams hysterically and jumps head-first off a high bridge. This woman’s behavior would have been considered crazy thirty years ago. Today, however, it is a routine form of entertainment called bungee jumping.

Group Think

Group pressure on individual decision-making and people’s attitudes are influenced by social forces around them. People feel compelled to conform in order to fit in. They will pretend or even convince themselves they agree with the majority. Their tendency to conform can be stronger than their values or basic perceptions. People feel compelled to comply with the commands given by authority figures even when it conflicts with their own moral values.

So before a behavior can be defined as abnormal, the situational context must be considered (the social situation, the behavioral setting), or the general circumstances in which it occurs. 

Almost any imaginable behavior can be considered normal in some context.


This report is not a diagnosis. We hope this information can guide you toward improving your life.

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