ondPychog o器Apn尚o Going Along Versus Going Alone:When Fundamental Motives Facilitate Strategic (Non)Conformity s examined how 2 fundam ion and mate attractic attraction ca the other -Mark Twain of delectable dishes on the m ofessor soon finds the scene from ical study,one byone. think Solo wlthe choices。 ver ha do d on us that beng composed of young women who le waiter.W nd leoodd cision (White.1959). uld helt 、tndmt urant pr ning with factors 19g mkin 1980).Given prob. 057. d of no people's tendency to stand Berkowitz.1969):the roup oninio n is unanimous (Asch.1956) s Griskevicius.Noah I Goldstein Chad R.M n.Robert B ddition to This r as facilit by ce Fou Conformity and Motivation vious version of this arti d to Vladas the beliefs Going Along Versus Going Alone: When Fundamental Motives Facilitate Strategic (Non)Conformity Vladas Griskevicius, Noah J. Goldstein, Chad R. Mortensen, Robert B. Cialdini, and Douglas T. Kenrick Arizona State University Three experiments examined how 2 fundamental social motives—self-protection and mate attraction— influenced conformity. A self-protective goal increased conformity for both men and women. In contrast, the effects of a romantic goal depended on sex, causing women to conform more to others’ preferences while engendering nonconformity in men. Men motivated to attract a mate were particularly likely to nonconform when (a) nonconformity made them unique (but not merely a member of a small minority) and when (b) the topic was subjective versus objective, meaning that nonconformists could not be revealed to be incorrect. These findings fit with a functional evolutionary model of motivation and behavior, and they indicate that fundamental motives such as self-protection and mate attraction can stimulate specific forms of conformity or nonconformity for strategic self-presentation. Keywords: nonconformity, mating goals, fear, self-presentation, social influence Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect. —Mark Twain Imagine that Solomon, a young professor, and three of his male colleagues meet for dinner at a new restaurant. Inspecting the slate of delectable dishes on the menu, the young professor soon finds himself in a dilemma: What should he order? His new colleagues, however, are unanimous in their selections: Eerily reminiscent of a scene from a classic social psychological study, one by one, each man confidently orders the same item. Considering the choices of the group, how do you think Solomon will order? Over half a century of research on conformity informs us that people are heavily influenced by the actions and beliefs of others (Asch, 1956; Cialdini, Reno, & Kallgren, 1990; Moscovici, 1985; Sherif, 1936). Given that the young professor is likely motivated to gain the approval of his colleagues (Baumeister & Leary, 1995) and to make a good decision (White, 1959), conformity would help him realize each of these general goals (Cialdini & Trost, 1998; Deutsch & Gerard, 1955; Goldstein & Cialdini, in press). In fact, the restaurant predicament is teeming with factors that make conformity especially probable: The decision is public (Argyle, 1957; Campbell & Fairey, 1989); the professor finds the group desirable (Dittes & Kelley, 1956); the group is composed of no fewer than three individuals (Asch, 1956; Milgram, Bickman, & Berkowitz, 1969); the group’s opinion is unanimous (Asch, 1956); the other group members are similar to the professor (Festinger, 1954; Goldstein, Cialdini, & Griskevicius, 2006; Hornstein, Fisch, & Holmes, 1968); and he is uncertain about his decision (Tesser, Campbell, & Mickler, 1983). However, what if, in the process of ordering, the young profes￾sor’s attention is suddenly drawn to the beautiful waitress awaiting his selection? Despite the presence of numerous factors known to spur conformity, going along with his rivals in front of a potential mate is unlikely to draw her attention or impress her (Buss, 2003; Gangestad & Simpson, 2000). In fact, the goal of attracting a romantic partner may be more effectively served through deliber￾ate nonconformity, which can make a man stand out as indepen￾dent and assertive (Baumeister & Sommer, 1997; Simpson, Gang￾estad, Christensen, & Leck, 1999). Now consider what would happen if the group was composed of young women who were being served by an attractive male waiter. Would a woman dining with her female colleagues also nonconform when she is motivated to attract a potential romantic partner? Sizable literatures indicate that people harbor predilections both to stand out and to fit in (e.g., Brewer, 1991; Maslach, Stapp, & Santee, 1985; Snyder & Fromkin, 1980). Given these often￾competing tendencies, the present research examines how certain powerful human motives can influence people’s tendency to stand out through nonconformity or to fit in through conformity. More specifically, in three experiments, we investigate how conformity and nonconformity may be influenced by two fundamental social motives: the goal to attract a mate and the goal to protect oneself from danger (Kenrick, Li, & Butner, 2003; Maner et al., 2005). In addition to examining potential sex differences, the studies also aim to elucidate the psychological processes by which fundamen￾tal motives can elicit differential tendencies to conform. Conformity and Motivation Conformity is behavioral change designed to match or imitate the beliefs, expectations, or behaviors of real or imagined others (Cialdini & Trost, 1998). Decades of research have shown that conformity is highly prevalent (see Cialdini & Goldstein, 2004) Vladas Griskevicius, Noah J. Goldstein, Chad R. Mortensen, Robert B. Cialdini, and Douglas T. Kenrick, Department of Psychology, Arizona State University. This research was facilitated by National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowships awarded to Vladas Griskevicius and Noah J. Gold￾stein and by National Institutes of Health Grant 5R01MH64734 awarded to Douglas T. Kenrick. We thank Josh Ackerman for his helpful comments on a previous version of this article. Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Vladas Griskevicius, Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287-1104. E-mail: vladasg@asu.edu Journal of Personality and Social Psychology Copyright 2006 by the American Psychological Association 2006, Vol. 91, No. 2, 281–294 0022-3514/06/$12.00 DOI: 10.1037/0022-3514.91.2.281 281 This document is copyrighted by the American Psychological Association or one of its allied publishers. This article is intended solely for the personal use of the individual user and is not to be disseminated broadly