What is the term for adjusting our behavior or thinking to fit in with a group standard?

The term that indicates the process of adjusting our behavior or thinking to align with group standards is conformity. This concept reflects how individuals often change their actions, attitudes, or beliefs to match those of a group, especially in social situations. Conformity can occur due to the influence of social norms, which are shared expectations about appropriate behavior in a particular group or society.

For example, when someone adopts the style of dress or speech of a peer group, they are demonstrating conformity in an effort to blend in or be accepted. This phenomenon can lead to changes in both overt behavior as well as internal beliefs, as people may genuinely start to feel different as a result of their interactions with the group.

In contrast, compliance refers to a scenario where a person agrees to requests or demands from others, which may not necessarily involve changing one's beliefs or internal attitudes, but rather agreeing to a request. Coercion involves force or threats to achieve compliance, and resistance implies a refusal to conform or comply with group norms or pressures. These distinctions clarify why conformity, specifically, is the correct answer in this context.