Kh Chalamba Singh and Khumukcham Suchitra Devi
Manipur University, Manipur.
Pages: 180-190
The concepts of personality traits and group conformity have consistently been key
areas of enquiry in social and personality psychology, particularly for accounting for
individual differences in susceptibility to social influence. Earlier studies predominantly
focused on situational determinants such as group pressure and prevailing social norms.
However, growing attention is now being directed toward the influence of personality
traits on conformity responses and on explaining why some individuals tend to conform
while others exhibit resistance. Furthermore, this topic is highly relevant in modern
contexts, including educational institutions, organisational settings, and digital platforms,
where conformity significantly influences decision-making. The study was conducted
on 200 students of Manipur University through a purposive sampling technique. Data
were collected using the NEO-FFI-3, developed by Costa and McCrae, and the Group
Conformity Scale, developed by T.S. Dhapola. One of the most important findings of
the study is the significant positive relationship between Neuroticism and Group
Conformity (r = .219, p = .002), which is consistent with Solomon Asch’s (1951) theory
of conformity. Additionally, female students scored significantly higher than male
students in Neuroticism and Agreeableness