# Name for the Need to Conform to Expectations

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-for-the-need-to-conform-to-expectations/377898>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [October 25, 2006, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-for-the-need-to-conform-to-expectations/377898 "2006-10-25T21:55:17Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![shivohum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@shivohum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shivohum)\
**Post date:** [October 25, 2006, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-for-the-need-to-conform-to-expectations/377898/1 "2006-10-25T21:55:17Z")

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Is there a technical term in psychology or sociology or other academic disciplines for the desire to conform to others’ expectations of you? It doesn’t have to be a desire to please – the expectations could be low, or people could expect you to be an asshole.

But there often is a sense of awkwardness in deviating, with any particular social group, from how we think that social group expects us to behave. There is some strangeness, I think, even in positive growth. What’s the technical term for this internal desire or force that seeks to keep us acting, with the same people, in the same ways?

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**Author:** ![freckafree](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/freckafree/32/3050_2.png) [@freckafree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/freckafree)\
**Post date:** [October 26, 2006, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-for-the-need-to-conform-to-expectations/377898/2 "2006-10-26T03:27:43Z")

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If it exists, you can find it in the DSM-IV. According to [this](http://allpsych.com/disorders/index.html) site, the DSM-IV identifies more than 300 pychiatric disorders. I believe these are the fine folks that came up with ODD (Oppositional Defiant Disorder), i.e., being a normal teenager. 😃

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**Author:** ![freckafree](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/freckafree/32/3050_2.png) [@freckafree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/freckafree)\
**Post date:** [October 26, 2006, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-for-the-need-to-conform-to-expectations/377898/3 "2006-10-26T03:29:23Z")

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If it exists, you can find it in the DSM-IV. According to [this](http://allpsych.com/disorders/index.html) site, the DSM-IV identifies more than 300 pychiatric disorders. I believe these are the fine folks that came up with ODD (Oppositional Defiant Disorder, i.e., being a normal teenager.) 😃