Dhillion 1

Dhillion, Justin

Mr. Jason King

A.P. Seminar

22 October 2017

Word Count: 983

Factors of Social Conformity

How easily do students get distracted? A common stereotype is that students often get

distracted in school by their peers or other social distractions, however, this accusation can be

proven false. Social conformity is one of many social pressures that takes place in schools. The

term social conformity is defined as a type of social influence that results in a change of behavior

or belief in order to fit in with a group (Long-Crowell). Although social conformity may be seen

to have a negative connotation due to conventional wisdom, the factors of social conformity,

those being social competence, emotional intelligence, and socialization, are what transform

mediocre students into preeminent students. Countless studies, such as the EI (emotional

intelligence) model of Salovey and Mayer, have proven that factors of social conformity can

improve learning and academic performance, and that they can have a positive effect on

student’s performance in the classroom.

In an article written by Dr. Pamela Orpinas, who has a doctorate degree in philosophy

and a masters degree in public health, she defines social competence as “the ability to handle

social interactions effectively.” Social competence refers to getting along well with others, being

able to create and maintain close relationships, and responding adaptively in social settings

(Orpinas). This refers closely to emotional intelligence, which is defined by the ​Oxford
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Dictionary​ as “The capacity to be aware of, control, and express one's emotions, and to handle

interpersonal relationships judiciously and empathetically.” The affiliation between these two

terms can be interpreted by saying, “...emotional intelligence and social competency are among

these noncognitive factors which are greatly emphasized and can be used as predictors of

academic performance” (Akbaribooreng et al.).

A study was conducted consisting of all male and female high school students studying in

the school year 2012-2013 in Zabol, Iran, using a questionnaire based on the EI (emotional

intelligence) model of Salovey and Mayer, which is “...an ability-based test designed to measure

the four branches of the EI model of Mayer and Salovey” (Mayer). The four branches of

emotional intelligence are perceiving emotions, facilitating thought, understanding emotions, and

managing emotions (Mayer). The conductors of the study concluded that students who have a

higher degree of social competence and are accepted by peers and other community members

will have a better academic performance and that their ability to display interpersonal skills may

assist students to seek academic help from teachers, peers, and resource persons (Akbaribooreng

et al.).

A similar study was conducted by a collaboration between University of Cádiz,

University of Cantabria, and Yale University, using the a modified version of the EI

questionnaire used in the previous study. “Analyses are based on Spanish participants ([there

were 77 participants]; 38 females, 39 males) who were students of 4º E.S.O. (last year of the

Obligatory Secondary Education) in a semi-private High School in Cadiz, Spain. The students

were between 14 and 17 years old and most came from middle class families” (Gil-Olarte

Márquez et al.). The results were similar from the previous study, given that “The results
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support the incremental validity of EI and provide positive indications of the importance of EI in

adolescent’s academic and social development. Students with high EI tended to be more

prosocial and perform better in school. This suggests that integrating lessons on socio-emotional

learning in schools might improve students’ performance, decrease maladaptive behavior and

increase prosocial behavior” (Gil-Olarte Márquez et al.). In other words, socio-emotional

influences might cause a decrease of flawed habits and an increase good habits that they might

continue to use in the future.

Social competence and emotional intelligence​ and​ also affect the way that students

socialize, which is another contributing factor in academic performance. ​Dictionary.com ​defines

socialization as “A continuing process whereby an individual acquires a personal identity and

learns the norms, values, behavior, and social skills appropriate to his or her social position.”

Lyndsey Layton, a reporter for the ​Washington Post​, wrote an article on how a socialization

technique helps academic achievement. Layton starts off by saying that “In a randomized,

controlled trial that examined the technique known as Responsive Classroom, researchers found

that children in classrooms where the technique was fully used scored significantly higher in

math and reading tests than students in classrooms where it wasn’t applied” (Layton).

“Responsive Classroom” is an evidence-based approach to education that focuses on the strong

relationship between academic success and social-emotional learning.

Dr. Candy Lawson, a doctor of psychology, wrote an article about the correlation

between social skills and school, and how school is not only a place where children learn

reading, writing and math, but also a place where they learn to get along with other people and

develop social skills. Lawson explains this by saying, “For some children, social skills can be the
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hardest subject to pass in school. Social skills play a very important role in a child’s emotional

health and well-being. Without friendships, school can be a very unhappy, lonely place that a

child might want to avoid.” This could lead to a child not wanting to go to school because they

feel lonely and or unaccepted, giving the child no reason to want go to school. Children are born

with innate social competencies, and weaknesses in them can negatively affect a child’s social

competence. (Lawson). Examples of these scenarios are children who have attentional problems

having trouble listening and attending in conversations, children being unable to inhibit the

impulse to talk or say things at inappropriate times, children with memory problems having

difficulty following a conversation because they cannot remember what was just said, or children

with language and communication difficulties who are especially vulnerable to social problems.

(Lawson)

Social competence, emotional intelligence, and socialization clearly play a large role in

students academic performance. The term “conformity” most definitely has a negative

connotation to it, but it can also make a positive impact on students with its factors.
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Works Cited

Akbaribooreng, Mohammad, et al. “Relating Emotional Intelligence and Social Competence to

Academic Performance in High School Students.” International Journal of Educational

and Psychological Researchers, Islamic Azad University Isfahan Branch, 27 Feb. 2015,

www.ijeprjournal.org/article.asp?issn=2395-2296;year=2015;volume=1;issue=2;spage=7

5;epage=79;aulast=Akbaribooreng​.

“Emotional Intelligence | Definition of Emotional Intelligence in English by Oxford

Dictionaries.” Oxford Dictionaries | English, Oxford Dictionaries,

en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/emotional_intelligence

Gil-Olarte Márquez, Paloma; Palomera Martín, Raquel; Brackett, Marc A .; "Relating

emotional intelligence to social competence and academic achievement in high

school students". Psicothema (2006)

http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download;jsessionid=C606963F94778DE68DFB062

3C12CCCF2?doi=10.1.1.385.1956&rep=rep1&type=pdf

Lawson, Candy. “Social Skills And School.” Center for Development and Learning,

Center for Development and Learning, 1 Jan. 2003,

www.cdl.org/articles/social-skills-and-school/​.
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Layton, Lyndsey. “Socialization Technique Helps in Academic Achievement, Trial Study

Finds.”

The Washington Post, WP Company, 6 Mar. 2014,

www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/socialization-technique-helps-in-academic-ach

ievement-trial-study-finds/2014/03/05/674d1e0e-a495-11e3-a5fa-55f0c77bf39c_story.ht

ml?utm_term=.7d2cfacd5523​.

Long-Crowell, Erin. “Social Conformity Definition: Normative vs. Informational.” Study.com,

Study.com,

study.com/academy/lesson/social-conformity-definition-social-vs-informational.html#tra

nscriptheader

Mayer, J D, et al. “The Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test (MSCEIT).”

Eiconsortium, Consortium of Research on Emotional Intelligence in

Organizations, 2002, ​www.eiconsortium.org/measures/msceit.html​.

Orpinas, Pamela. “Social Competence.” Corsini Encyclopedia of Psychology - Orpinas - Wiley

Online Library, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 30 Jan. 2010,

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/9780470479216.corpsy0887/abstract

“Responsive Classroom.” Responsive Classroom, ​www.responsiveclassroom.org/​.

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“Socialization.” Dictionary.com, Dictionary.com, ​www.dictionary.com/browse/socialization​.