사람들은 왜 다수를 따르게 될까?: 사회적 동조의 심리학

우리는 정말 스스로 판단하고 있을까요?

일상에서 우리는 수많은 선택을 하며 살아가고 있습니다. 무엇을 입을지, 어떤 제품을 살지, 어떤 의견에 동의할지까지 대부분의 선택은 개인의 판단으로 이루어진다고 느끼기 쉽습니다. 그러나 조금만 깊이 생각해 보면, 많은 결정이 이미 다수의 선택과 의견을 기준으로 이루어지고 있음을 발견하게 됩니다. 사람들이 많이 사용하는 제품이 더 신뢰할 만하게 느껴지고, 다수가 동의하는 의견이 더 옳아 보이는 경험은 매우 흔합니다. 심리학에서는 이러한 현상을 "사회적 동조(Social Conformity)"라고 설명합니다. 사회적 동조란 개인이 자신의 판단이나 행동을 집단의 기준이나 다수의 의견에 맞추어 변화시키는 경향을 의미합니다. 이는 단순한 타협이나 성격의 문제가 아니라, 인간이 사회적 존재로서 살아가기 위해 자연스럽게 형성한 심리적 메커니즘입니다. 사회적 동조를 이해하면, 우리가 얼마나 많은 판단을 타인의 선택에 의존하고 있는지 보다 객관적으로 바라볼 수 있습니다.

 

사람들은 왜 다수를 따르게 될까?: 사회적 동조의 심리학

1. 사회적 동조는 왜 자연스럽게 발생할까요?

사회적 동조의 가장 근본적인 이유는 인간이 혼자가 아닌 집단 속에서 살아가도록 진화해 왔기 때문입니다. 과거의 환경에서 집단에서 벗어나는 것은 생존 자체를 위협하는 위험 요소였습니다. 따라서 다수의 행동을 따르는 것은 안전을 확보하는 효과적인 전략이었습니다. 심리학적으로 볼 때, 사람은 타인과의 연결과 소속감을 매우 중요하게 인식합니다. 다수와 다른 선택을 하는 순간 느끼는 불안과 긴장은, 사회적 배제를 피하려는 본능적 반응이라고 할 수 있습니다. 이러한 특성으로 인해 사람들은 명확한 정답이 없는 상황일수록, 자신의 판단보다 주변 사람들의 행동을 기준으로 삼게 됩니다. 사회적 동조는 비합리적인 약점이 아니라, 사회 속에서 살아가기 위해 형성된 매우 자연스러운 심리적 특성입니다.

2. 정보적 동조와 규범적 동조의 차이

사회적 동조는 크게 두 가지 형태로 나누어 설명할 수 있습니다. 첫 번째는 정보적 동조입니다. 이는 상황이 불확실하거나 정보가 부족할 때, 다수의 선택을 옳은 정보로 판단하여 따르는 경우를 의미합니다. 예를 들어 처음 방문한 장소에서 사람들이 많이 줄을 선 가게를 선택하는 행동이 이에 해당합니다. 두 번째는 규범적 동조로, 집단에서 거부당하지 않기 위해 다수의 의견에 맞추는 경우입니다. 이 경우 개인은 내심 다른 생각을 하고 있더라도, 외적으로는 다수의 기준에 따르는 행동을 보이게 됩니다. 이 두 가지 동조는 서로 다른 동기에서 출발하지만, 실제 생활에서는 동시에 작용하는 경우가 많습니다. 사람들은 옳다고 생각해서 따르기도 하고, 어울리기 위해 따르기도 합니다.

3. 사회적 동조는 일상과 사회에서 어떻게 작용할까요?

사회적 동조는 개인의 사소한 선택부터 사회 전반의 흐름까지 폭넓게 영향을 미칩니다. 유행하는 패션, 인기 있는 콘텐츠, 다수가 지지하는 의견은 자연스럽게 더 큰 영향력을 갖게 됩니다. 직장이나 학교에서도 다수의 분위기에 반하는 의견을 제시하는 것이 어렵게 느껴지는 이유 역시 사회적 동조와 관련이 있습니다. 특히 부정적인 감정이나 불안이 확산한 상황에서는 동조 현상이 더욱 강해집니다. 사람들은 타인의 반응을 통해 상황의 심각성을 판단하고, 그 판단에 따라 자신의 태도를 조정합니다. 이에 따라 집단의 감정은 빠르게 수렴되며, 개인의 독립적인 판단은 점점 약해질 수 있습니다. 사회적 동조는 사회 질서를 유지하는 데 이바지하기도 하지만, 동시에 비판적 사고를 어렵게 만들 수 있습니다.

4. 사회적 동조를 이해하고 균형 잡는 방법

사회적 동조를 완전히 피하는 것은 현실적으로 어렵고, 그럴 필요도 없습니다. 문제는 동조 자체가 아니라, 그것이 언제 작동하고 있는지를 인식하지 못하는 데 있습니다. 중요한 결정을 앞두고 있을 때, 자신의 판단이 다수의 선택으로 영향받고 있는지 한 번쯤 점검해 보는 것이 도움이 됩니다. “내가 이렇게 생각하는 이유는 무엇일까?”라는 질문을 던지는 것만으로도 사고의 균형을 회복할 수 있습니다. 사회적 동조는 인간이 사회 속에서 살아가기 위해 필요한 기능이지만, 동시에 개인의 판단을 흐릴 수 있는 요소이기도 합니다. 이를 이해하는 순간, 우리는 다수에 무조건 휩쓸리기보다 상황에 맞는 선택을 할 수 있는 여유를 갖게 됩니다.

그렇다면 여기서 한 가지 더 생각해 볼 문제가 있습니다.

사람들이 다수의 선택을 따를 때, 단순히 행동만 따라 하는 것일까요, 아니면 그 선택이 옳을 것이라는 기대까지 함께 형성되는 것일까요?

우리는 왜 많은 사람이 좋다고 말하는 것을 실제로 더 좋게 느끼게 되는 걸까요?
혹시 우리의 경험 자체가 이미 타인의 평가와 기대로 달라지고 있는 것은 아닐까요?

다수가 선택했다는 사실만으로, 그 결과가 더 만족스럽게 느껴지는 이유는 무엇일까요?
이때 작용하는 것은 판단일까요, 아니면 기대가 만들어 낸 심리적 변화일까요?

다음에 이어서 얘기해볼게요!

 

Why Do People Follow the Majority?: The Psychology of Social Sympathy

 

Are we really judging ourselves?
In our daily lives, we live by making numerous choices. It is easy to feel that most choices, from what to wear, what products to buy, and what opinions to agree with, are made by individual judgments. However, if you think a little more deeply, you will find that many decisions are already made based on the choices and opinions of the majority. Experiences in which products that people use a lot feel more reliable and opinions that the majority agree seem more correct are very common. In psychology, this phenomenon is described as "social conformity." Social conformity refers to the tendency of an individual to change his or her judgment or behavior to match the standards of a group or the opinions of the majority. It is not just a matter of compromise or personality, but a psychological mechanism that humans naturally form to live as social beings. Understanding social conformity allows us to look more objectively at how much judgment we rely on others' choices.

 

1. Why does social tuning occur naturally?
The most fundamental reason for social coordination is that humans have evolved to live in groups, not alone. Being out of groups in the past environment was a risk factor that threatened survival itself. Therefore, following multiple actions was an effective strategy to ensure safety. Psychologically, one perceives connection with others and a sense of belonging as very important. The anxiety and tension felt at the moment of making a different choice from the majority can be said to be an instinctive reaction to avoid social exclusion. These characteristics make people more likely to base their judgment on the behavior of those around them in situations where there is no clear answer. Social coordination is not an irrational weakness, but a very natural psychological characteristic formed to live in society.

2. the difference between informational and normative tuning
Social tuning can be explained in two main forms. The first is informational tuning. This means that when the situation is uncertain or information is insufficient, a large number of choices are judged to be the right information and followed. For example, the act of choosing a store with a large line of people at the first place you visited. The second is normative sympathy, in which the opinions of the majority are met in order not to be rejected by the group. In this case, even though the individual is thinking differently from the inside, the behavior is consistent with the majority of standards on the outside. These two sympathies originate from different motives, but they often work at the same time in real life. People follow because they think they are right, or they follow in order to fit in.

3. How does social tuning work in everyday life and in society?
Social tuning has a wide range of influences, ranging from individual trivial choices to the overall flow of society. Fashion, popular content, and opinions supported by the majority naturally have a greater influence. Social tuning is also the reason why it feels difficult to present opinions that go against the majority's atmosphere, even at work or school. The sympathy phenomenon gets stronger, especially when negative emotions or anxiety spread. People judge the seriousness of the situation through the reactions of others and adjust their attitudes according to the judgment. As a result, the group's emotions converge quickly, and an individual's independent judgment can become weaker and weaker. Social coordination also contributes to maintaining social order, but at the same time, it can make critical thinking difficult.

4. How to understand and balance social co-movement
It is practically difficult to completely avoid social alignment, and it does not have to be. The problem is not the alignment itself, but the inability to recognize when it is working. When you are about to make an important decision, it is helpful to take a look at your judgment to see if it is influenced by multiple choices. Just asking the question, "Why do I think this way?" can restore the balance of thinking. Social alignment is a necessary function for humans to live in society, but at the same time, it is also a factor that can obscure individual judgments. The moment we understand this, we have the luxury to make the right choices rather than being unconditionally swept away by the majority.


If so, I have one more problem to think about here.


When people follow the majority of choices, do they simply follow the actions, or do they also form the expectation that the choice will be correct?

Why do we actually feel better when a lot of people say it's good?
Isn't it possible that our experience itself is already changing with the evaluation and expectations of others?

Just the fact that the majority chose it, why does the result feel more satisfying?
Is it judgment that works at this time, or is it the psychological change that expectations have created?


I'll talk about it next time!