TCRP2G4

__**How it effects the brain :**__ 1.Many studies have demonstrated the profound effect of group opinion on individual judgments, and there is no doubt that we look to the behavior and judgment of others for information about what will be considered expected and acceptable behavior.**We often change our decisions and judgments to conform with normative group behavior** 2.results from studying brain activity also show that social conformity is based on mechanisms that comply with reinforcement learning and is reinforced by the neural error-monitoring activity which signals what is probably the most fundamental social mistake—that of being too different from others
 * Social Conformity - behavioral or attitudal compliance with regonized social patterns or standards **

__**How the novel relates :**__ Though controversial, the novel appealed to a great number of people. It was a hugely popular bestseller and general critical success. Salinger’s writing seemed to tap into the emotions of readers in an unprecedented way. As countercultural revolt began to grow during the 1950 s and 1960 s, //The Catcher in the Rye// was frequently read as a tale of an individual’s alienation within a heartless world. Holden seemed to stand for young people everywhere, who felt themselves beset on all sides by pressures to grow up and live their lives according to the rules, to disengage from meaningful human connection, and to restrict their own personalities and conform to a bland cultural norm. Many readers saw Holden Caulfield as a symbol of pure, unfettered individuality in the face of cultural oppression. Conformity is the process by which an individual's attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors are influenced by other people. Different groups have different norms or rules to which group members conform. Conformists' will go in the other direction, deliberately asserting their individuality by rejecting all but a very few sets of norms. **Teenagers come to mind,** as they reject their parents, being non-conformists in the family, whilst desperately conforming to peer-group norms as they seek acceptance by the cliques and gangs of the schoolyard.

In 1951 at a time when social conformity was the norm, J.D. Salinger decided to publish “ The Catcher in the Rye “. In it he put profanity, an immoral protagonist, and the adolescent sexuality. Salinger (and his book) brought about issues of vulgarity, sexuality and the hardships of teens. Many teens identified with and felt sorry for Holden Caulfield the main character that felt depressed and sad about almost anything life threw at him.