Manuel A.

Roxas High School

Sct. Reyes St. Cor. Sct. Chuatoco. Brgy. Paligsahan,

Quezon City

The Birthday Song Mini Experiment: The Influence of Situation and Group Size
on Conformity

An Mathematics 10 Mini Research presented to

Manuel A. Roxas High School Quezon City

In Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements

In Mathematics 10

By
Yaehl Santino B. Delos Santos
Aihna Escalicas
Chyxia Zyan Delos Santos
Katrina Escuna
Kaycee Evarita
Ken Chane Custodio
Myra Mae Dignadice
Steve Esclamado

Submitted to:
Mrs. Delia Madera- Besa
 Acknowledgment

We would like to extend our sincerest appreciation to everyone who contributed

to "The Birthday Song Mini Experiment: The Influence of Situation and Group Size on
Conformity." This research project would not have been possible without the invaluable
support and involvement of numerous individuals, and I am deeply grateful for their
contributions.

First and foremost, we would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to the
participants who willingly took part in the experiment. Your willingness to engage in the
study and provide valuable data is truly commendable. Your cooperation and
participation allowed us to explore the dynamics of conformity in different situations and
group sizes, contributing to a better understanding of human behavior.

Furthermore, we would like to extend our thanks to the research assistants who
played a crucial role in the smooth execution of the experiment. Your meticulous
attention to detail, organization, and assistance throughout the data collection process
ensured its accuracy and reliability. Your dedication and commitment to the project were
vital in its successful completion.

Lastly, we immensely grateful to everyone who played a part in "The Birthday

Song Mini Experiment: The Influence of Situation and Group Size on Conformity." The
collective effort, support, and contributions of participants, advisors, students, and
research assistants, were instrumental in the successful execution of this study. We
sincerely appreciative of their involvement, as their contributions have advanced our
knowledge and understanding of conformity in different contexts.
 Introduction

Individuals tend to identify with society and specific groups to feel "belong."
Communities set standards of acceptable behaviors called norms, which are formed
through conformity. Conformity is defined as a type of social influence in which an
individual changes their belief or conduct to fit in with a group (Mcleod, 2023). People
conform to various situations based on group size, cultural and individual differences,
and the situation itself. This social influence allows us to abide by laws and authorities,
maintain order within a community, and blend with others to create potential
relationships. However, although it is natural for people to associate with groups with
similar beliefs and views, due to fear of rejection, people tend to follow norms despite
disagreeing with them because of peer pressure. This is supported by experimental
studies based on Asch (1955) which concluded that people's opinions could be affected
by others' even though it is contrary to the obvious and their belief itself. Thus,
conformity can contribute to constructing harmony within institutions or cause conflicts.

The researchers conducted the study to test whether a situation and the group
size could affect how people conform. They tested the validity of the aforementioned
variables by observing whether the participants would imitate a group's actions, that is,
clapping and singing along to the 'Birthday Song' or if the said activity conducted would
not make them conform.
The research was made to provide information about the chosen topic and to explore
the existing knowledge about conformity and the factors that influence it. The
researchers intended to know if the group size affects how people conform in a given
situation and if the state of the situation will determine whether they will conform.

This instructional research will identify and assess students' perceptions of the
conformity in MRHS. It will detail the different aspects of conformity towards students
and explain why this matters. Furthermore, the purpose of this research is to offer
answers to the following:
 1. What are the short- term and long- term effects of a certain situation or group
size on the conformity of the MRHS students?
2. How long will it take to influence conformity on a controlled group of MRHS
students when they have different personalities, confidence, and levels of
attentiveness?
3. What results or reactions were shown after performing the "Happy Birthday
Song Experiment" on a large group of MRHS students?

Purpose of the Study

"The Birthday Song Mini Experiment: The Influence of Situation and Group Size
on Conformity" would be to examine and understand the impact of situational factors
and group size on conformity behavior specifically related to singing the birthday song.
The study aims to investigate whether individuals are more likely to conform to the
behavior of singing the birthday song in certain situations and when they are in larger or
smaller groups.

The specific research objectives could include:

1. To determine if individuals are more likely to conform and sing the birthday
song in certain situations.

2. To investigate whether group size has an influence on the level of conformity

in singing the birthday song. The study may examine if individuals are more likely to
conform in larger groups or if smaller groups lead to higher conformity rates.
 3. To explore the individual factors that may moderate or mediate the relationship
between situation, group size, and conformity behavior. This could involve investigating
variables such as personality traits, social norms, or prior experiences with conformity.

By conducting this study, researchers aim to contribute to the understanding of

conformity behavior and its relationship with situational factors and group dynamics in
the specific context of singing the birthday song. The findings may have implications for
our understanding of social influence, group dynamics, and conformity in general.
Additionally, the study may provide insights into the factors that influence individuals'
behavior in social situations related to celebrations or cultural practices.

Methodology

The study adopted an experimental research design. The researchers tested the
two factors of social conformity— group size and situation influence —to determine
whether conformity will be present once a group of individuals sings and claps along to
the Birthday Song in chorus. Although the research was considered a mini experiment,
the researchers intend to provide an accurate report of the results as observed upon the
experimentation.

Manuel A. Roxas High School, regardless of their program, and people who are
in the covert court, are the primary participants of the study.

There were no particular instruments used in the experimentation. Thus, the

researchers conducted the experiment and searched for confederates to increase the
potential influence of group size and situation without the use of any specific materials.

The experiment was conducted by the experimenters and their confederates by

clapping and singing the 'Birthday Song,' which serves as the primary action that the
participants are expected to conform to. The researchers and confederates gathered on
the first floor of Manuel A. Roxas High School where the covert court is located. To
avoid suspicions and drawing attention from the crowd, the experimenters together with
their confederates dined in and casually conversed with each other. As one of the
experimenters entered the covert court, the remaining ones and their confederates
started clapping and singing the 'Birthday Song' which caught the attention of the
students and staff present in the covert court. The participants started imitating the
actions of the experimenters which is the actual aim of the experiment. The behavior of
the participants toward the situation shows conformity to the group of people (the
experimenters) who first acted (clapping and singing). The experiment ended as soon
as the singing stopped and the experimenters then briefed the participants that the
actions conducted were all solely for research purposes only.

Results and Discussion

The experiment took place in the school covert court and 8 rows were occupied
by the students.

Table 1: Response of Research Participants Per Row

ROW 1 RESPONSE TO THE SITUATION

PERSON 1 Did not Sang

PERSON 2 Did not Sang
PERSON 3 Sang
PERSON 4 Sang
PERSON 5 Sang

ROW 2

PERSON 1 Did not Sang

PERSON 2 Did not Sang
PERSON 3 Did not Sang
PERSON 4 Did not Sang
PERSON 5 Did not Sang
 ROW 3

PERSON 1 Sang
PERSON 2 Sang
PERSON 3 Sang
PERSON 4 Sang
PERSON 5 Sang
PERSON 6 Sang
PERSON 7 Did not Sang
PERSON 8 Sang
PERSON 9 Did not Sang
PERSON 10 Did not Sang
PERSON 11 Did not Sang
PERSON 12 Did not Sang

ROW 4

PERSON 1 Sang
PERSON 2 Sang
PERSON 3 Sang
PERSON 4 Sang
PERSON 5 Sang
PERSON 6 Sang
PERSON 7 Sang
PERSON 8 Did not Sang
PERSON 9 Did not Sang
PERSON 10 Did not Sang

ROW 5 Did not Sang

PERSON 1 Sang
PERSON 2 Sang
PERSON 3 Sang
PERSON 4 Sang
PERSON 5 Sang

ROW 6
 PERSON 1 Sang
PERSON 2 Did not Sang
PERSON 3 Did not Sang
PERSON 4 Did not Sang
PERSON 5 Did not Sang

ROW 7

PERSON 1 Sang
PERSON 2 Did not Sang
PERSON 3 Did not Sang
PERSON 4 Did not Sang

ROW 8

PERSON 1 Sang
PERSON 2 Did not Sang
PERSON 3 Did not Sang

The rows implies that 51.02% participants conformed to singing “happy birthday
song” despite not knowing the celebrant personally while 48.98% of the students did not
conform. This suggests that people are more likely to match up in social settings and
events even though they have no relationship with certain people, as long as it is done
by some people. In our example, the singing of a “happy birthday” song manifests
contagiousness together with the emotion of happiness that it comes along with.
Furthermore, the majority of the participants are clapping and singing along with the
researchers. Several participants also wished the confederate a happy birthday. This
experiment implies that most people are likely to conform to their surroundings.
However, some of the participants did not conform to the situation. The desire to belong
and be accepted by others is a powerful motivator for conformity, even if it means
contradicting one's own beliefs or values. However, it is important to note that not all
individuals conform equally, and there are a variety of factors that can influence an
individual's level of conformity.
 References

Asch, S. E. (1955, November). Opinions and social pressure. Scientific

American, pp. 31–35. Bacon, A. M., & Corr, P. J. (2020). Behavioral Immune System
Responses to Coronavirus: A

Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory Explanation of Conformity, Warmth Toward

Others and dito Attitudes Toward Lockdown. Frontiers.
https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.566237

Bauer, C. (2020). Conformity Behavior in Group Playlist Creation. Bruce

Ferwerda. Retrieved March 28, 2023, from
https://www.bruceferwerda.com/papers/2020_Bauer_Ferwerda_CHI.pdf

Baumeister, R. F., & Vohs, K. D. (Eds.) (2007). . SAGE Publications, Inc.,

https://doi.org/10.4135/9781412956253

Bergquist, M., & Nilsson, A. (2019). The DOs and DON’Ts in social norms: A descriptive

don’t‐norm increases conformity. Journal of Theoretical Social Psychology, 3(3), 158-

166. Retrieved from https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/jts5.43

Dai. Q., Huang, C., Li, H., Yang, J., Zhang, L. (2021). Cooperation Guided by Imitation,

Aspiration, and Conformity-Driven Dynamics in Evolutionary Games. Physica A:

Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Volume 561, 2021, 125260, ISSN 0378-
4371. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physa.2020.125260

Latane, B., & Wolf, S. (1981). The social impact of majorities and minorities.
Psychological Review, 88, 438-453.

9
 Mahathir, Mahathir & Vitamaharanie, Prilya & Hermalinda, Hermalinda. (2020).
Peer Conformity Affects Smoking Behavior among Male Adolescents in a High School
in

Padang, Indonesia. Nurse Media Journal of Nursing. 10. 191-199.

10.14710/nmjn.v10i2.28704. DOI:10.14710/nmjn.v10i2.28704

Mcleod, S. (2023). What Is Conformity? Definition, Types, Psychology Research.

SimplyPsychology. https://simplypsychology.org/conformity.html

Sasaki, S. (2019). Majority size and conformity behavior in charitable giving:

Field evidence from a donation-based crowdfunding platform in Japan. Journal of
Economic Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joep.2018.10.011

Waheed, Zainab & Shehzad, Sofia & Rahim, Sabeen & Ahmad, Waleed & Kabir,
Samir & Hussain, Hamid. (2022). TYPE A/B PERSONALITY IN UNDERGRADUATE
MEDICAL STUDENTS AND GROUP PRESSURE; CONFORMITY. 12.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/362014245_TYPE_AB_PERSONALITY_IN_
UNDERGRADUATE_MEDICAL_STUDENTS_AND_GROUP_PRESSURE_CONFO
RMITY

Wijenayake, S., Berkel, N. V., Kostakos, V., & Goncalves, J. (2020). Impact of
contextual and personal determinants on online social conformity. Elsevier.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2020.106302

Manuel A. Roxas High School

Sct. Reyes St. Cor. Sct. Chuatoco. Brgy. Paligsahan,

 Quezon City

The Birthday Song Mini Experiment: The Influence of Situation and Group Size
on Conformity

An English 10 Mini Research presented to

Manuel A. Roxas High School Quezon City

In Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements

In English 10

By
Yaehl Santino B. Delos Santos
Aihna Escalicas
Chyxia Zyan Delos Santos
Katrina Escuna
Kaycee Evarita
Ken Chane Custodio
Myra Mae Dignadice
Steve Esclamado

Submitted to:
Ms. Gesselle Marie L. Olaco
Acknowledgement
Introduction
Purpose of the Study
Methods
Graphs
Result / Discussion
References
Curriculum Vitae