Blog Archives

About the author — Dr Nicholas Harris

Dr Nicholas Harris is a clinical psychologist at Choice Point Psychology and an academic at the University of Newcastle. He provides neurodiversity-affirming cognitive, ADHD and autism assessments, and evidence-based psychological therapy for children, adolescents and adults. Nicholas has lectured in areas such as social psychology, clinical psychology, personality, research methods, statistics, psychological assessment, organisational psychology and has been an invited speaker at several local, national and international conferences. Nicholas focuses on translating research into practical strategies and works closely with families, schools and GPs to support meaningful change in everyday life. Learn more on our Meet our Team page.

“Everyone Else Was Doing It”: What Asch’s Conformity Study Teaches Us About Peer Pressure

17/2/2025

The Pull of the Crowd

Ever noticed how kids suddenly “must” have the same sneakers as their friends? Or how a work meeting can go strangely silent until the boss speaks and everyone nods along?

That’s conformity—the subtle (and sometimes not-so-subtle) pressure to go along with the group. It’s not just for teenagers; adults feel it in workplaces, friend groups, and families too.