Freud explains group conformity as a process in which an individual, when in a crowd, under the influence of real or imagined group pressure, begins to behave entirely differently than they would when alone.

The Mechanics of Group Conformity

Freud explains group conformity as a process in which an individual, when in a crowd, under the influence of real or imagined group pressure, begins to behave entirely differently than they would when alone. According to Freud, the evolution of a crowd is based on each person’s need to “be in harmony with the majority,” which leads them to follow the leader and even identify with him. Thus, under the influence of collective action, both an individual’s behavior and beliefs change, confirming the primary mechanism behind crowd formation and group behavior.

Supporting citation(s):
Zigmund Freud also wrote that the evolution of the crowd is based on the drive for people to act like everyone else, in order to “be in harmony with the majority.” In his work “The Psychology of Crowds and the Analysis of the Ego,” he indicated that group members tend to follow the leader and even identify with him. When a person succumbs to the influence of collective action and begins behaving in a way they would not when alone, they exhibit group conformity. As a result of real or imagined group pressure, their behavior or beliefs change.