Why Do Some People Always Agree And Conform With Others?

Posted on February 16, 2016

It has been found that disagreeing with others activates areas of the brain linked to mental distress in some people. For these people, choosing to agree causes less of a psychological discomfort. People like to agree with others, a social default known as the truth bias, which is helpful in forming and maintaining social relationships.

Brain scans showed that when some people disagreed with others, it caused lots of activation in the medial prefrontal cortex and the anterior insula. These have previously been linked to mental distress.

However, going along with others proves to be useful in some situations, but too much conformity can be dangerous. Excessive conformity may encourage people to make decisions that are not in their interests or allow themselves to be dominated in a relationship.

The authors of the study said, " Having a lot of trouble disagreeing due to heightened mental stress may be indicative of an array of emotional, attitudinal or social issues comprising an individual’s ability to make autonomous choices. This can potentially lead to poor decision-making, anxiety, or difficulties in interpersonal relationships."

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Category(s):Health Psychology

Source material from PsyBlog